FiT Publishing

This article examines how multiple intersecting social identities influence the fan experience of sport activism by incorporating the social identity approach (Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Turner et al., 1987). To do so, a heterogeneous sample of 16 sport fans was interviewed, and qualitative data were analyzed following Braun and Clarke’s (2021) six-step reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that participants’ alignments between sport activism and personal beliefs anchored their polarized interpretations of and responses to the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. Privileged...Read more

In the years since basking in spite of reflected failure (BIRFing) was hypothesized, no empirical evidence has confirmed its existence, nor have the various hypothesized antecedents been investigated. This multiphase study makes a much-needed contribution to the sport consumer behavior literature in its investigation of BIRFing behaviors, utilizing a sample of long-suffering fans of the Chicago Cubs. Results confirmed that diehard fans do BIRF, the behavior is predicted by team identification, and that loyalty and camaraderie are antecedents. Data collection for the study’s second phase...Read more

In the years since basking in spite of reflected failure (BIRFing) was hypothesized, no empirical evidence has confirmed its existence, nor have the various hypothesized antecedents been investigated. This multiphase study makes a much-needed contribution to the sport consumer behavior literature in its investigation of BIRFing behaviors, utilizing a sample of long-suffering fans of the Chicago Cubs. Results confirmed that diehard fans do BIRF, the behavior is predicted by team identification, and that loyalty and camaraderie are antecedents. Data collection for the study’s second phase...Read more