Abstract
Superstitions are behaviors human beings use to gain a sense of control over certain events in their lives. Thus, sport and its inherent uncertainty provide fertile ground for superstitious behavior. Research on this subject has focused mainly on athletes while examining the behavioral expressions, motivations, and characteristics of fans’ superstitions that have remained marginal; therefore, the present paper aims to address this lacuna by analyzing these behaviors as part of sports fandom and fans’ daily routines. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 Israeli football fans of local teams. Key findings illustrate two themes: time dependent acts of superstition; and place. It is argued that superstitious behavior serves fans in two ways. First, making them feel their actions influence the match outcomes and helping their favorite team beyond simply cheering in the stands. Second, reducing the level of uncertainty and subsequent stress level characteristic of being a sports fan. Furthermore, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when fans’ access to stadiums was restricted, the results show that the fans’ absence from the stadiums led to a reduction in the quantity and frequency of their superstitious behaviors, pointing to the significance of sporting venues in fan behavior.
Highlights
Calin-Jageman and Caldwell (2014) define “superstitions” as irrational thoughts that connect an object, action or outside source to a particular event and have an impact on the event’s outcome. Keinan (2002) claims that superstitions provide individuals with a sense of control, when experiencing uncertainty and stress
This study aims to describe and analyze the behavioral sequence underlying the superstitions of Israeli football fans and the influence of the COVID-19 era on such behavior
Sample interview questions focused on matters such as superstitious behavior performed before/during matches, individual vs. shared superstitious behavior, and observations of superstitious behavior practiced by others
Summary
Calin-Jageman and Caldwell (2014) define “superstitions” as irrational thoughts that connect an object, action or outside source to a particular event and have an impact on the event’s outcome. Keinan (2002) claims that superstitions provide individuals with a sense of control, when experiencing uncertainty and stress. Since competitive sport is rife with such characteristics, professional athletes, coaches, and fans tend to hold a variety of superstitions Some of these invented superstitions become part of the team legacy or turn into permanent rituals supposedly identified with the team for many years (Dodo et al, 2015). Existing research literature extensively discusses superstitions among athletes (Neil et al, 1981; Flanagan, 2013; Sasvári et al, 2019) yet rarely addresses superstitions among fans. Studies on this topic were mostly quantitative, designed to map such superstitions and identify their characteristics (Kose et al, 2015). The paper discusses the behavioral changes that took place during fans’ absence from the stands due to the COVID-19 outbreak while
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