Deck 16: Consumer and Marketing Misbehavior

Question 1

Sports Fans Behaving Badly
Written by Dr. Venessa Funches, Auburn University- Montgomery
It is becoming more and more commonplace to turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or browse the web and find out about another sports fan behaving badly. You can attend a sporting event from professional to little leagues and you are likely to encounter fans misbehaving. The misbehavior of fans has become legendary. The offenses run the gamut from simple mischief all the way to criminal behavior.
In fact, researchers have identified a subset of fans they term dysfunctional fans. "These fans tend to be overly aggressive with opposing teams, fans, and officials oftentimes yelling obscenities or throwing things. These fans are typically disruptive, confrontational, complain a great deal, and abuse alcohol while attending sporting events."1 In addition, these fans tend to be highly identified with a particular team.2
Team identification is defined as the degree to which the fan feels a psychological connection to the team.3 Fans exhibit high levels of team identification in numerous ways: following the players' careers, being students of team history, attending or watching games, closely watching news coverage, wearing team apparel, just to name a few. There are additional benefits associated with high levels of team identification: an improved state of well-being, a greater sense of community, and strong social connections.4 In addition, high team identification is also positively correlated to game attendance and merchandise purchasing. Fans who identify highly with their teams consume sports-related products, services, and media such as television, talk radio, and websites at greater levels than their low-identifying counterparts. These high consumption levels are good for business. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side. Some researchers believe that excessive team identification is a determinant factor in fan misbehavior.
Dysfunctional fans are characterized as aggressive males who lack self-control and have positive attitudes toward violent actions.5 Anecdotal evidence supports the research in this area.
Examples of legendary fan misbehavior include the 2004 NBA brawl between the Pacers and Pistons. A fight broke out between players. After it was brought under control, Ron Artest lay on the scoring table. Suddenly an upset fan threw a drink at him. Artest responded by entering the crowd and throwing punches. The resulting altercation was enormous and included both fans and players. In the end, nine people were injured. Several players were fined and/or suspended from the game as a result of their participation in the fight.6
More recently, Harvey Updyke, a 62-year-old avid Alabama fan and retired Texas highway patrolman, called into a popular sports talk show to announce his misbehavior. Updyke told the radio host that he became upset after a disappointing loss to archrival Auburn and decided to retaliate. He allegedly poisoned the famous Toomer's oak trees located on the Auburn campus with a lethal herbicide. The Toomer oak trees represent a coveted symbol for Auburn Tiger fans. The fans traditionally roll these trees with toilet paper after every victory. Updyke is facing criminal charges.
In the latest instance, several Crimson Tide fans poked, prodded, and taunted an incapacitated LSU fan at a burger joint. Eventually one of the fans sexually assaulted the unconscious man in a restaurant after the BCS championship game. Although many people witnessed the incident, no one intervened. The incident was recorded and posted on the web, where it eventually came to the attention of local authorities in New Orleans.8
In the heat of the moment sports fans either fail to consider the consequences or believe their inappropriate exploits will remain an unspoken part of the game day experience, repeated only as part of sports folklore. However, this is not the case. Just as in the aforementioned examples, all of these occurrences were heavily scrutinized and reported by the media and gained national attention. Additionally, all of these occurrences were punished and criminally prosecuted. But this inappropriate behavior is not limited to professional sports.
At the conclusion of a teenage baseball tournament, a player from the losing team left the field, making loud and disrespectful comments about the opposing team. A supporter of the winning team consequently punched the player in the head and a fight broke out. By the end of the fight, a spectator had bitten off a man's earlobe and knocked a baby from its mother's arms.
In 2009, sheriff's deputies had to be called out to a little league championship. Apparently, words were exchanged after the game. Then the mother of one player threw a punch at a father of a player from the opposing team. Deputies moved in and quickly gained control of the scene. Both parents were taken into custody.10
While this type of fan misbehavior may not be new, it certainly appears to be more frequent and widespread in today's society. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is detrimental to numerous stakeholders, including employees and other consumers. The misbehavior is especially concerning for management of sports organizations because it is their job to deliver positive consumer experiences. Sports fans are expecting to experience an exciting game filled with suspense, drama, and emotional swings. Fan misbehavior like shouting obscenities at officials, throwing items on the field of play, drunken displays, and confrontations can disrupt not only the game but also the positive experience of other fans. Sports fans have many choices when it comes to where to spend their entertainment dollars. Event managers are afraid some fans may decide that sporting events are either unsafe or inappropriate family outings.
As a result, reducing incidents of fan misbehavior is an important concern for managers of sports organizations. Obviously, no one has found the answer yet, but several strategies are presently being used: increasing the number of security personnel present at games, proactively seeking out misbehaving fans through fan tips and increased security surveillance and removing them, and limiting the sale of alcohol. Is this enough? What can be done about fan misbehavior outside of the stadiums? Are the teams responsible in any way? Could teams like Alabama play a role in reducing this type of behavior? If so, what could they do?
Is fan misbehavior unethical? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

In the present scenario, misbehavior is commonly heard in the world of sports. Both, professional players and fans are indulging in misbehavior aspects. In general, this misbehavior may be simple and criminal intended. Few of the fans are dysfunctional, i.e. they lack of self-control, and have a positive attitude towards indulging in violent actions. Most of the fans maintain an association to support a particular player or team. So, if the team or player is offended by others, it results in misbehavior of the fans or the concerned player based on the circumstances. There are many such situations where the player himself or herself has been indulged in misbehavior aspects.
For example: Consider a sport event conducted by BBA in 2004. During the event, players indulged in a fight, and as soon as the situation was brought under control, few supporters of a particular team threw bottles on the game referee. This event included both the misbehavior of the players and their respective fans.
Even though these sorts of misbehavior are common, it is affecting most of the stakeholders. Business persons invest their money on conducting a high spirit and tremendous sports to entertain their customers. So, the misbehavior of the players and fans are affecting the business aspects and are drowning the customer experience. It is a challenging task for the event managers to make sure that misbehavior of the fans and players are reduced.
If the behavior of an individual affects the moral beliefs, it is unethical. So, it can be concluded that fans misbehavior is unethical. Fans may indulge in these sorts of misbehavior without any idea on what outcomes it would lead to. Some of the misbehavior aspects fans indulge in are as follows:
• Shouting
• Confrontation
• Throwing things
• Drunk and abuse
Fans should create a supportive spirit among the teams by supporting the game show in all aspects. This will allow reducing the misbehavior intention among all individuals who witness the show. It also will promote the greater sense of well-being, and connectivity among various country professionals.

Question 2

Sports Fans Behaving Badly
Written by Dr. Venessa Funches, Auburn University- Montgomery
It is becoming more and more commonplace to turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or browse the web and find out about another sports fan behaving badly. You can attend a sporting event from professional to little leagues and you are likely to encounter fans misbehaving. The misbehavior of fans has become legendary. The offenses run the gamut from simple mischief all the way to criminal behavior.
In fact, researchers have identified a subset of fans they term dysfunctional fans. "These fans tend to be overly aggressive with opposing teams, fans, and officials oftentimes yelling obscenities or throwing things. These fans are typically disruptive, confrontational, complain a great deal, and abuse alcohol while attending sporting events."1 In addition, these fans tend to be highly identified with a particular team.2
Team identification is defined as the degree to which the fan feels a psychological connection to the team.3 Fans exhibit high levels of team identification in numerous ways: following the players' careers, being students of team history, attending or watching games, closely watching news coverage, wearing team apparel, just to name a few. There are additional benefits associated with high levels of team identification: an improved state of well-being, a greater sense of community, and strong social connections.4 In addition, high team identification is also positively correlated to game attendance and merchandise purchasing. Fans who identify highly with their teams consume sports-related products, services, and media such as television, talk radio, and websites at greater levels than their low-identifying counterparts. These high consumption levels are good for business. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side. Some researchers believe that excessive team identification is a determinant factor in fan misbehavior.
Dysfunctional fans are characterized as aggressive males who lack self-control and have positive attitudes toward violent actions.5 Anecdotal evidence supports the research in this area.
Examples of legendary fan misbehavior include the 2004 NBA brawl between the Pacers and Pistons. A fight broke out between players. After it was brought under control, Ron Artest lay on the scoring table. Suddenly an upset fan threw a drink at him. Artest responded by entering the crowd and throwing punches. The resulting altercation was enormous and included both fans and players. In the end, nine people were injured. Several players were fined and/or suspended from the game as a result of their participation in the fight.6
More recently, Harvey Updyke, a 62-year-old avid Alabama fan and retired Texas highway patrolman, called into a popular sports talk show to announce his misbehavior. Updyke told the radio host that he became upset after a disappointing loss to archrival Auburn and decided to retaliate. He allegedly poisoned the famous Toomer's oak trees located on the Auburn campus with a lethal herbicide. The Toomer oak trees represent a coveted symbol for Auburn Tiger fans. The fans traditionally roll these trees with toilet paper after every victory. Updyke is facing criminal charges.
In the latest instance, several Crimson Tide fans poked, prodded, and taunted an incapacitated LSU fan at a burger joint. Eventually one of the fans sexually assaulted the unconscious man in a restaurant after the BCS championship game. Although many people witnessed the incident, no one intervened. The incident was recorded and posted on the web, where it eventually came to the attention of local authorities in New Orleans.8
In the heat of the moment sports fans either fail to consider the consequences or believe their inappropriate exploits will remain an unspoken part of the game day experience, repeated only as part of sports folklore. However, this is not the case. Just as in the aforementioned examples, all of these occurrences were heavily scrutinized and reported by the media and gained national attention. Additionally, all of these occurrences were punished and criminally prosecuted. But this inappropriate behavior is not limited to professional sports.
At the conclusion of a teenage baseball tournament, a player from the losing team left the field, making loud and disrespectful comments about the opposing team. A supporter of the winning team consequently punched the player in the head and a fight broke out. By the end of the fight, a spectator had bitten off a man's earlobe and knocked a baby from its mother's arms.
In 2009, sheriff's deputies had to be called out to a little league championship. Apparently, words were exchanged after the game. Then the mother of one player threw a punch at a father of a player from the opposing team. Deputies moved in and quickly gained control of the scene. Both parents were taken into custody.10
While this type of fan misbehavior may not be new, it certainly appears to be more frequent and widespread in today's society. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is detrimental to numerous stakeholders, including employees and other consumers. The misbehavior is especially concerning for management of sports organizations because it is their job to deliver positive consumer experiences. Sports fans are expecting to experience an exciting game filled with suspense, drama, and emotional swings. Fan misbehavior like shouting obscenities at officials, throwing items on the field of play, drunken displays, and confrontations can disrupt not only the game but also the positive experience of other fans. Sports fans have many choices when it comes to where to spend their entertainment dollars. Event managers are afraid some fans may decide that sporting events are either unsafe or inappropriate family outings.
As a result, reducing incidents of fan misbehavior is an important concern for managers of sports organizations. Obviously, no one has found the answer yet, but several strategies are presently being used: increasing the number of security personnel present at games, proactively seeking out misbehaving fans through fan tips and increased security surveillance and removing them, and limiting the sale of alcohol. Is this enough? What can be done about fan misbehavior outside of the stadiums? Are the teams responsible in any way? Could teams like Alabama play a role in reducing this type of behavior? If so, what could they do?
What are the motivations of fan misbehavior?

Answer 2

In the present scenario, misbehavior is commonly heard in the world of sports. Both, professional players and fans are indulging in misbehavior aspects. In general, this misbehavior may be simple and criminal intended. Few of the fans are dysfunctional, i.e. they lack of self-control, and have a positive attitude towards indulging in violent actions. Most of the fans maintain an association to support a particular player or team. So, if the team or player is offended by others, it results in misbehavior of the fans or the concerned player based on the circumstances. There are many such situations where the player himself or herself has been indulged in misbehavior aspects.
For example: Consider a sport event conducted by BBA in 2004. During the event, players indulged in a fight, and as soon as the situation was brought under control, few supporters of a particular team threw bottles on the game referee. This event included both the misbehavior of the players and their respective fans.
Even though these sorts of misbehavior are common, it is affecting most of the stakeholders. Business persons invest their money on conducting a high spirit and tremendous sports to entertain their customers. So, the misbehavior of the players and fans are affecting the business aspects and are drowning the customer experience. It is a challenging task for the event managers to make sure that misbehavior of the fans and players are reduced.
Motivations of misbehavior:
Ethical beliefs and values play a vital role in misbehavior. In general, fans may misbehave based on their moral beliefs and behavioral attitude. Guessing what makes them misbehave is not that simple. So, event managers are worried much on how to reduce the misbehavior aspects of the fans.
Most commonly fans may misbehave based on their motives as follows:
• Unfulfilled aspirations: Supportive fans psychologically connect themselves with the team. So, if their aspiration like winning the match, etc. is not fulfilled they may deviate their actions resulting in misbehavior.
• Thrill seeking: Few of the fans are dysfunctional, i.e. they lack of self-control, and have a positive attitude towards indulging in violent actions. So, they indulge in misbehavior aspects having no idea on what the outcome would result in.
• Differential association: Fans supporting particular team forms an association and follow particular norms based on the team origin. So, if other associations do not match with the norms and attitude, it results in misbehavior.
Fans should create a supportive spirit among the teams by supporting the game show in all aspects. This will allow reducing the misbehavior intention among all individuals who witness the show. It also will promote the greater sense of well-being, and connectivity among various country professionals.

Question 3

Sports Fans Behaving Badly
Written by Dr. Venessa Funches, Auburn University- Montgomery
It is becoming more and more commonplace to turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or browse the web and find out about another sports fan behaving badly. You can attend a sporting event from professional to little leagues and you are likely to encounter fans misbehaving. The misbehavior of fans has become legendary. The offenses run the gamut from simple mischief all the way to criminal behavior.
In fact, researchers have identified a subset of fans they term dysfunctional fans. "These fans tend to be overly aggressive with opposing teams, fans, and officials oftentimes yelling obscenities or throwing things. These fans are typically disruptive, confrontational, complain a great deal, and abuse alcohol while attending sporting events."1 In addition, these fans tend to be highly identified with a particular team.2
Team identification is defined as the degree to which the fan feels a psychological connection to the team.3 Fans exhibit high levels of team identification in numerous ways: following the players' careers, being students of team history, attending or watching games, closely watching news coverage, wearing team apparel, just to name a few. There are additional benefits associated with high levels of team identification: an improved state of well-being, a greater sense of community, and strong social connections.4 In addition, high team identification is also positively correlated to game attendance and merchandise purchasing. Fans who identify highly with their teams consume sports-related products, services, and media such as television, talk radio, and websites at greater levels than their low-identifying counterparts. These high consumption levels are good for business. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side. Some researchers believe that excessive team identification is a determinant factor in fan misbehavior.
Dysfunctional fans are characterized as aggressive males who lack self-control and have positive attitudes toward violent actions.5 Anecdotal evidence supports the research in this area.
Examples of legendary fan misbehavior include the 2004 NBA brawl between the Pacers and Pistons. A fight broke out between players. After it was brought under control, Ron Artest lay on the scoring table. Suddenly an upset fan threw a drink at him. Artest responded by entering the crowd and throwing punches. The resulting altercation was enormous and included both fans and players. In the end, nine people were injured. Several players were fined and/or suspended from the game as a result of their participation in the fight.6
More recently, Harvey Updyke, a 62-year-old avid Alabama fan and retired Texas highway patrolman, called into a popular sports talk show to announce his misbehavior. Updyke told the radio host that he became upset after a disappointing loss to archrival Auburn and decided to retaliate. He allegedly poisoned the famous Toomer's oak trees located on the Auburn campus with a lethal herbicide. The Toomer oak trees represent a coveted symbol for Auburn Tiger fans. The fans traditionally roll these trees with toilet paper after every victory. Updyke is facing criminal charges.
In the latest instance, several Crimson Tide fans poked, prodded, and taunted an incapacitated LSU fan at a burger joint. Eventually one of the fans sexually assaulted the unconscious man in a restaurant after the BCS championship game. Although many people witnessed the incident, no one intervened. The incident was recorded and posted on the web, where it eventually came to the attention of local authorities in New Orleans.8
In the heat of the moment sports fans either fail to consider the consequences or believe their inappropriate exploits will remain an unspoken part of the game day experience, repeated only as part of sports folklore. However, this is not the case. Just as in the aforementioned examples, all of these occurrences were heavily scrutinized and reported by the media and gained national attention. Additionally, all of these occurrences were punished and criminally prosecuted. But this inappropriate behavior is not limited to professional sports.
At the conclusion of a teenage baseball tournament, a player from the losing team left the field, making loud and disrespectful comments about the opposing team. A supporter of the winning team consequently punched the player in the head and a fight broke out. By the end of the fight, a spectator had bitten off a man's earlobe and knocked a baby from its mother's arms.
In 2009, sheriff's deputies had to be called out to a little league championship. Apparently, words were exchanged after the game. Then the mother of one player threw a punch at a father of a player from the opposing team. Deputies moved in and quickly gained control of the scene. Both parents were taken into custody.10
While this type of fan misbehavior may not be new, it certainly appears to be more frequent and widespread in today's society. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is detrimental to numerous stakeholders, including employees and other consumers. The misbehavior is especially concerning for management of sports organizations because it is their job to deliver positive consumer experiences. Sports fans are expecting to experience an exciting game filled with suspense, drama, and emotional swings. Fan misbehavior like shouting obscenities at officials, throwing items on the field of play, drunken displays, and confrontations can disrupt not only the game but also the positive experience of other fans. Sports fans have many choices when it comes to where to spend their entertainment dollars. Event managers are afraid some fans may decide that sporting events are either unsafe or inappropriate family outings.
As a result, reducing incidents of fan misbehavior is an important concern for managers of sports organizations. Obviously, no one has found the answer yet, but several strategies are presently being used: increasing the number of security personnel present at games, proactively seeking out misbehaving fans through fan tips and increased security surveillance and removing them, and limiting the sale of alcohol. Is this enough? What can be done about fan misbehavior outside of the stadiums? Are the teams responsible in any way? Could teams like Alabama play a role in reducing this type of behavior? If so, what could they do?
What measures can be taken to prevent or reduce incidents of fan misbehavior?

Answer 3

In the present scenario, misbehavior is commonly heard in the world of sports. Both, professional players and fans are indulging in misbehavior aspects. In general, this misbehavior may be simple and criminal intended. Few of the fans are dysfunctional, i.e. they lack of self-control, and have a positive attitude towards indulging in violent actions. Most of the fans maintain an association to support a particular player or team. So, if the team or player is offended by others, it results in misbehavior of the fans or the concerned player based on the circumstances. There are many such situations where the player himself or herself has been indulged in misbehavior aspects.
For example: Consider a sport event conducted by BBA in 2004. During the event, players indulged in a fight, and as soon as the situation was brought under control, few supporters of a particular team threw bottles on the game referee. This event included both the misbehavior of the players and their respective fans.
Even though these sorts of misbehavior are common, it is affecting most of the stakeholders. Business persons invest their money on conducting a high spirit and tremendous sports to entertain their customers. So, the misbehavior of the players and fans are affecting the business aspects and are drowning the customer experience. It is a challenging task for the event managers to make sure that misbehavior of the fans and players are reduced.
Most of the managers are trying to sort out the problem being faced by the misbehavior of the fans at the event spot. There is no such effective strategy to hold on this sort of issues, as it is based on perception of an individual indulging in misbehavior. Instead of focusing on reducing the misbehavior of the fans and players, the focus should be on strictly prohibiting the occurrence of such incidents at the event spot. This will force the fans, and the players indulging in the misbehavior action to restrict themselves from doing so.
Moreover, the event managers should take some precautionary actions to prevent the effect of dysfunctional fans and players on the other customers who visit the sport event to entertain themselves. Few of the precautionary steps needed to be implemented at the sport event spot are as follows:
• Increase the security at the event spot to protect and handle such sort of situations.
• Proactively deal with the fans indulging in misbehavior activities.
• Fans indulging in misbehavior activities should be guided through fan tips, or making them walk from the spot to avoid further issues.

Question 4

Sports Fans Behaving Badly
Written by Dr. Venessa Funches, Auburn University- Montgomery
It is becoming more and more commonplace to turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or browse the web and find out about another sports fan behaving badly. You can attend a sporting event from professional to little leagues and you are likely to encounter fans misbehaving. The misbehavior of fans has become legendary. The offenses run the gamut from simple mischief all the way to criminal behavior.
In fact, researchers have identified a subset of fans they term dysfunctional fans. "These fans tend to be overly aggressive with opposing teams, fans, and officials oftentimes yelling obscenities or throwing things. These fans are typically disruptive, confrontational, complain a great deal, and abuse alcohol while attending sporting events."1 In addition, these fans tend to be highly identified with a particular team.2
Team identification is defined as the degree to which the fan feels a psychological connection to the team.3 Fans exhibit high levels of team identification in numerous ways: following the players' careers, being students of team history, attending or watching games, closely watching news coverage, wearing team apparel, just to name a few. There are additional benefits associated with high levels of team identification: an improved state of well-being, a greater sense of community, and strong social connections.4 In addition, high team identification is also positively correlated to game attendance and merchandise purchasing. Fans who identify highly with their teams consume sports-related products, services, and media such as television, talk radio, and websites at greater levels than their low-identifying counterparts. These high consumption levels are good for business. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side. Some researchers believe that excessive team identification is a determinant factor in fan misbehavior.
Dysfunctional fans are characterized as aggressive males who lack self-control and have positive attitudes toward violent actions.5 Anecdotal evidence supports the research in this area.
Examples of legendary fan misbehavior include the 2004 NBA brawl between the Pacers and Pistons. A fight broke out between players. After it was brought under control, Ron Artest lay on the scoring table. Suddenly an upset fan threw a drink at him. Artest responded by entering the crowd and throwing punches. The resulting altercation was enormous and included both fans and players. In the end, nine people were injured. Several players were fined and/or suspended from the game as a result of their participation in the fight.6
More recently, Harvey Updyke, a 62-year-old avid Alabama fan and retired Texas highway patrolman, called into a popular sports talk show to announce his misbehavior. Updyke told the radio host that he became upset after a disappointing loss to archrival Auburn and decided to retaliate. He allegedly poisoned the famous Toomer's oak trees located on the Auburn campus with a lethal herbicide. The Toomer oak trees represent a coveted symbol for Auburn Tiger fans. The fans traditionally roll these trees with toilet paper after every victory. Updyke is facing criminal charges.
In the latest instance, several Crimson Tide fans poked, prodded, and taunted an incapacitated LSU fan at a burger joint. Eventually one of the fans sexually assaulted the unconscious man in a restaurant after the BCS championship game. Although many people witnessed the incident, no one intervened. The incident was recorded and posted on the web, where it eventually came to the attention of local authorities in New Orleans.8
In the heat of the moment sports fans either fail to consider the consequences or believe their inappropriate exploits will remain an unspoken part of the game day experience, repeated only as part of sports folklore. However, this is not the case. Just as in the aforementioned examples, all of these occurrences were heavily scrutinized and reported by the media and gained national attention. Additionally, all of these occurrences were punished and criminally prosecuted. But this inappropriate behavior is not limited to professional sports.
At the conclusion of a teenage baseball tournament, a player from the losing team left the field, making loud and disrespectful comments about the opposing team. A supporter of the winning team consequently punched the player in the head and a fight broke out. By the end of the fight, a spectator had bitten off a man's earlobe and knocked a baby from its mother's arms.
In 2009, sheriff's deputies had to be called out to a little league championship. Apparently, words were exchanged after the game. Then the mother of one player threw a punch at a father of a player from the opposing team. Deputies moved in and quickly gained control of the scene. Both parents were taken into custody.10
While this type of fan misbehavior may not be new, it certainly appears to be more frequent and widespread in today's society. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is detrimental to numerous stakeholders, including employees and other consumers. The misbehavior is especially concerning for management of sports organizations because it is their job to deliver positive consumer experiences. Sports fans are expecting to experience an exciting game filled with suspense, drama, and emotional swings. Fan misbehavior like shouting obscenities at officials, throwing items on the field of play, drunken displays, and confrontations can disrupt not only the game but also the positive experience of other fans. Sports fans have many choices when it comes to where to spend their entertainment dollars. Event managers are afraid some fans may decide that sporting events are either unsafe or inappropriate family outings.
As a result, reducing incidents of fan misbehavior is an important concern for managers of sports organizations. Obviously, no one has found the answer yet, but several strategies are presently being used: increasing the number of security personnel present at games, proactively seeking out misbehaving fans through fan tips and increased security surveillance and removing them, and limiting the sale of alcohol. Is this enough? What can be done about fan misbehavior outside of the stadiums? Are the teams responsible in any way? Could teams like Alabama play a role in reducing this type of behavior? If so, what could they do?
Is fan misbehavior appropriately described as abusive consumer behavior?

Question 5

Sports Fans Behaving Badly
Written by Dr. Venessa Funches, Auburn University- Montgomery
It is becoming more and more commonplace to turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or browse the web and find out about another sports fan behaving badly. You can attend a sporting event from professional to little leagues and you are likely to encounter fans misbehaving. The misbehavior of fans has become legendary. The offenses run the gamut from simple mischief all the way to criminal behavior.
In fact, researchers have identified a subset of fans they term dysfunctional fans. "These fans tend to be overly aggressive with opposing teams, fans, and officials oftentimes yelling obscenities or throwing things. These fans are typically disruptive, confrontational, complain a great deal, and abuse alcohol while attending sporting events."1 In addition, these fans tend to be highly identified with a particular team.2
Team identification is defined as the degree to which the fan feels a psychological connection to the team.3 Fans exhibit high levels of team identification in numerous ways: following the players' careers, being students of team history, attending or watching games, closely watching news coverage, wearing team apparel, just to name a few. There are additional benefits associated with high levels of team identification: an improved state of well-being, a greater sense of community, and strong social connections.4 In addition, high team identification is also positively correlated to game attendance and merchandise purchasing. Fans who identify highly with their teams consume sports-related products, services, and media such as television, talk radio, and websites at greater levels than their low-identifying counterparts. These high consumption levels are good for business. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side. Some researchers believe that excessive team identification is a determinant factor in fan misbehavior.
Dysfunctional fans are characterized as aggressive males who lack self-control and have positive attitudes toward violent actions.5 Anecdotal evidence supports the research in this area.
Examples of legendary fan misbehavior include the 2004 NBA brawl between the Pacers and Pistons. A fight broke out between players. After it was brought under control, Ron Artest lay on the scoring table. Suddenly an upset fan threw a drink at him. Artest responded by entering the crowd and throwing punches. The resulting altercation was enormous and included both fans and players. In the end, nine people were injured. Several players were fined and/or suspended from the game as a result of their participation in the fight.6
More recently, Harvey Updyke, a 62-year-old avid Alabama fan and retired Texas highway patrolman, called into a popular sports talk show to announce his misbehavior. Updyke told the radio host that he became upset after a disappointing loss to archrival Auburn and decided to retaliate. He allegedly poisoned the famous Toomer's oak trees located on the Auburn campus with a lethal herbicide. The Toomer oak trees represent a coveted symbol for Auburn Tiger fans. The fans traditionally roll these trees with toilet paper after every victory. Updyke is facing criminal charges.
In the latest instance, several Crimson Tide fans poked, prodded, and taunted an incapacitated LSU fan at a burger joint. Eventually one of the fans sexually assaulted the unconscious man in a restaurant after the BCS championship game. Although many people witnessed the incident, no one intervened. The incident was recorded and posted on the web, where it eventually came to the attention of local authorities in New Orleans.8
In the heat of the moment sports fans either fail to consider the consequences or believe their inappropriate exploits will remain an unspoken part of the game day experience, repeated only as part of sports folklore. However, this is not the case. Just as in the aforementioned examples, all of these occurrences were heavily scrutinized and reported by the media and gained national attention. Additionally, all of these occurrences were punished and criminally prosecuted. But this inappropriate behavior is not limited to professional sports.
At the conclusion of a teenage baseball tournament, a player from the losing team left the field, making loud and disrespectful comments about the opposing team. A supporter of the winning team consequently punched the player in the head and a fight broke out. By the end of the fight, a spectator had bitten off a man's earlobe and knocked a baby from its mother's arms.
In 2009, sheriff's deputies had to be called out to a little league championship. Apparently, words were exchanged after the game. Then the mother of one player threw a punch at a father of a player from the opposing team. Deputies moved in and quickly gained control of the scene. Both parents were taken into custody.10
While this type of fan misbehavior may not be new, it certainly appears to be more frequent and widespread in today's society. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is detrimental to numerous stakeholders, including employees and other consumers. The misbehavior is especially concerning for management of sports organizations because it is their job to deliver positive consumer experiences. Sports fans are expecting to experience an exciting game filled with suspense, drama, and emotional swings. Fan misbehavior like shouting obscenities at officials, throwing items on the field of play, drunken displays, and confrontations can disrupt not only the game but also the positive experience of other fans. Sports fans have many choices when it comes to where to spend their entertainment dollars. Event managers are afraid some fans may decide that sporting events are either unsafe or inappropriate family outings.
As a result, reducing incidents of fan misbehavior is an important concern for managers of sports organizations. Obviously, no one has found the answer yet, but several strategies are presently being used: increasing the number of security personnel present at games, proactively seeking out misbehaving fans through fan tips and increased security surveillance and removing them, and limiting the sale of alcohol. Is this enough? What can be done about fan misbehavior outside of the stadiums? Are the teams responsible in any way? Could teams like Alabama play a role in reducing this type of behavior? If so, what could they do?
Have you ever witnessed fan misbehavior? Describe the experience and how it impacted the value you received from the experience.