Corbett Davis

Professor Gonzalez

ENC1102

2/20/2024

Annotated Bibliography

Schaik, Thomas van. “Forging Athlete Fandom through Parasocial Relationships.” LinkedIn, 21

July 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/forging-athlete-fandom-through-parasocial-thomas-

van-schaik.

Summary: In the article, Schaik goes into detail dictating what defines a parasocial relationship

between athletes and their fans. He also lists some ways to maintain that relationship and keep it

healthy, so it does not evolve into something obsessive and creepy. As well as the positive and

negative baggage that come with these types of parasocial relationships.

Evaluation: I chose this article due to the fact that the parasocial relations between athletes and

their fans is essential to my essay, especially with how I plan on gathering my data (it is

interactions between fans in comment sections.) Meshing this article and it’s ideas into my essay

fluidly are essential.

Reflection: As mentioned earlier, this source is invaluable to my essay due to as it outlines what

a parasocial relationship between athletes and fans is as well as what it is supposed to look like

on a healthy level. It also shows the positives and negatives of said relationships which I will be

exploring in my essay.
StudyFinds. “Hearing ‘I Love You’ Doesn’t Bring as Much Happiness -- as Watching Your

Favorite Team Win?” Study Finds, 12 Sept. 2022, studyfinds.org/i-love-you-happiness-

sports/.

Summary: The article from StudyFinds speaks on how (as the title pretty much sums up) the

words I love you do not evoke the same level of happy as watching your favorite sports team.

The article also lists a plethora of others common happen stances that typically make one happy,

all of the things under this list evoke less levels than watching your team win (4 hours and 9

minutes.)

Evaluation: I thought this article was necessary so that I could help bridge the gap between sports

and non-sports watchers and show the non-sports watchers how genuinely important sports are.

The article can help me show where sports fans rank their team among common everyday

blisses (Such as hearing I love you.) It touches the Logos rhetoric by also bringing in specific

statistics about how long certain circumstances supply happiness.

Reflection: If I can bridge the gap for non-sports watchers then I can therefore increase the

interest to a much broader audience rather than keep it a more-narrow conned research paper. I

wanted my targeted audience to be everyone and not just football watchers, and this article will

make this possible

Cleveland Clinic. (2023a, November 27). How rooting for your team can hurt your heart.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-watching-sports-stressing-out-your-heart

Summary: According to the Cleveland Clinic, watching a high intense sports game drastically

increases your heart rate, and if done in people who are more susceptible the risk of heart attack
is prevalent, (it is still prevalent in people who aren’t specifically susceptible.) Specifically, it is

the high stress inducing moments done to a sports watcher’s body that are specifically put

watchers at risk (so most football games.)

Evaluation: The Clinics article is helpful because it shows how a football fans love for football is

not just emotional but also can be genuinely physical and even to a dangerous amount. I want to

use this article to show the physical effects of what being a sports fan can do to one’s body and

show the physical side of being a fan rather than only showing the mental effects and social

interactions between fans.

Reflection: My love for sports is one of my defining features, and I want to express that through

my essay. My love for sports is why I chose this topic, and I can personally attest to the fact that

my blood gets pumping and my heart rate sky-rockets and with this article it will allow me to

express my love for the game to my audience and show them how I feel.

Thomas, N. (2023, April 18). On Parasocial Relationships with Professional Athletes — Pop

Junctions. Henry Jenkins. http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2023/4/18/on-parasocial-relationships-

with-professional-athletes

Summary: In Thomas’s article he goes in depth on some examples how these parasocial relations

have entered his life, for example he mentions a conflict with his sister over their respectively

chosen football team. It also distinguishes the difference between parasocial relations between

teams themselves and the individual players. The article also mentions how new sports media as

well as advances in technology have altered how these relationships have been created or

maintained.
Evaluation: I really like this article because it goes hand in hand with the “Forging Athlete

Fandom through Parasocial Relationships,” article that I also have cited and ready to use. The

first article presents it and talks about the levels of it, while this article goes more in depth into

what these relationships are and the differing ones between fandoms over teams and actual

players and that distinction, is very important for my essay.

Reflection: This fits into my article perfectly mostly because it actually distinguishes the

differences within these parasocial relations between the teams and individual players. I really

want to dive into the differences between the two because a big part of my essay will be if the

fans loved brady himself or were actually loyal to the franchise itself.

Wang, S. (2006, May 1). Sports Complex: The science behind Fanatic behavior. Association for

Psychological Science - APS. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/sports-complex-

the-science-behind-fanatic-behavior

Summary: Wang’s article explores the psychological underpinnings of fanatic behavior among

sports fans. Through a scientific lens, it delves into the reasons behind the intense dedication

and emotional investment exhibited by fans towards their favorite teams.

Evaluation: The author draws upon principles from social psychology to explain phenomena such

as group dynamics, social identity theory, and the influence of social norms in shaping fan

behavior. By examining case studies and empirical research, Wang sheds light on how factors

like social comparison, affiliation, and the desire for belonging contribute to the formation and

maintenance of fan communities.

Reflection: This article provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between sports

fandom and human psychology, offering a deeper understanding of why individuals become

deeply attached to their teams and engage in passionate displays of support.

Rueb, E. (2021, October 1). What do die-hard Tom Brady fans make of Sunday? once a Brady

fan, always a Brady Fan. The Providence Journal.

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2021/09/30/new-england-patriots-

tampa-bay-buccaneers-tom-brady-return-foxboro-fans-rooting-quarterback/5928265001/

Summary: The article speaks on the evolution of Brady fans throughout the years, from his days

in high school through his years in the NFL, but more importantly his transition from the

quarterback of the New England patriot to the Tampa-Bay Buccaneers. This transition will help

me develop my idea of whether fans were loyal to brady rather than the New England franchise.

Evaluation: I think I can use this article to strengthen my argument over which party fans are

loyal too (New England or Brady.) The reason this article is so important and why I want to

figure out which fans are loyal too is because the two parties are essentially one In the same. You

think Brady you think of New England and the opposite is true as well. They both became the

GOATS of their respective fields.\

Reflection: This article will help strengthen my thesis regarding brady and the patriots, where my

other articles are regarding parasocial relationships over those two.