Which Team Do You Pick When You Live Half-Way Between Two Big-League Cities?
A Study of Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames Fans in Red Deer, Alberta
Keywords:
sport fans, National Hockey League, sport consumer behaviorAbstract
Previous sport consumer behavior research has found it common for fans to cheer for the closest teams. However, little is known about how fans living equidistant between two teams in the same league would pick one over the other to support. To address this question, National Hockey League (NHL) fans in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada were studied, as Red Deer is equidistant between the NHL cities of Edmonton and Calgary. 12 fans of either the Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames were interviewed to ascertain how they became fans of one team and not the other. Four main antecedents to their team fandom were discovered: family influence, team success, underdog status, and place attachment. While the first three reinforced findings from previous studies, finding place attachment as an antecedent to Oilers and Flames fandom proved interesting, as previous studies list place attachment as a reason to support a team if the fan lives in the city or region that is home to their favorite team. In Red Deer, none of the 12 fans had ever lived in either Edmonton or Calgary, but many of them described how place attachment to those cities led to fandom formation to that city’s team. The findings of this study add to the body of sport consumer behavior knowledge by helping academics better understand some of the nuances of fandom formation in an atypical context.
References
Aden, R. C., & Titsworth, S. (2012). Remaining rooted in a sea of red: Agrarianism, place
attachment, and Nebraska Cornhusker football fans. In A. C. Earnheardt, P. M. Haridakis & B. S. Hugenberg (Eds.) Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization: Exploring the Fandemonium (pp. 9-21). Lexington.
Altman, I., & Low, S. M. (Eds.) (1991). Place attachment. Plenum Press.
Amis, J. (2005). Interviewing for case study research. In D. L. Andrews, D. S. Mason, & M. L.
Silk (Eds.) Qualitative methods in sports studies (pp.104-138). New York, NY: Berg.
Andrijiw, A. M., & Hyatt, C. G. (2009). Using optimal distinctiveness theory to understand
identification with a non-local professional hockey team. Journal of Sport Management, 23, 156-181. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.23.2.156
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Weate, P. (2016). Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise
research. In B. Smith & A. C. Sparkes (Eds.) Routledge handbook of qualitative research in sport and exercise (pp. 191-205). Routledge.
Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological paradigms and organizational analysis.
Heinemann. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315609751
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative
analysis. SAGE.
Cialdini, R. B., Borden, R. J., Thorne, A., Walker, M. R., Freeman, S., & Sloan, L. R. (1976).
Basking in reflected glory: Three (football) field studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34(3), 366-375. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.34.3.366
Delia, E. B., & James, J. D. (2018). The meaning of team in team identification. Sport Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.09.002
Doyle, R. C., Lewis, J. M., & Malmisur, M. (1980). A sociological application of Rooney’s fan
region theory. Journal of Sport Behavior, 3(2), 51-60.
Gibson, H., Willming, C., & Holdnak, A. (2002). “We’re Gators…not just Gator fans”: Serious
leisure and University of Florida football. Journal of Leisure Research, 34(4), 397-425. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2002.11949979
Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F., & Davidson, L. (2002) Understandings and evaluating
qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 717-732.
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2002.01100.x
Foster, W. M., & Hyatt, C. G. (2008). Inventing team tradition: A conceptual model for the
strategic development of fan nations. European Sport Management Quarterly, 8(3),
265-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184740802224183
Funk, D. C., & James, J. D. (2001). The psychological continuum model: A conceptual
framework for understanding an individual’s psychological connection to sport. Sport Management Review, 4, 119-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3523(01)70072-1
Funk, D. C. & James, J. D. (2016). The psychological continuum model: An evolutionary perspective. In G. B. Cunningham, J. S. Fink & A. Doherty (Eds.) Routledge handbook of theory in sport management (pp. 247-262). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315753461
Harada, M., & Matsuoka, H. (1999). The influence of new team entry upon brand switching in
the J-League. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 8(3), 21-30.
Havard, C. T. (2014). Glory out of reflected failure: The examination of how rivalry affects sport
fans. Sport Management Review, 17(3), 243-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2013.09.002
Heere, B. (2016). Team identity theory. In G. B. Cunningham, J. S. Fink & A. Doherty (Eds.) Routledge handbook of theory in sport management (pp. 213-224). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315753461
Heere, B. & James, J. D. (2007). Sports teams and their communities: Examining the influence
of external group identities on team identity. Journal of Sport Management, 21(3), 319-337. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.21.3.319
Holbrook, M. B. (1987). What is consumer research? Journal of Consumer Research, 14, 128-
132. https://doi.org/10.1086/209099
Hyatt, C. G. (2007). Who do I root for now? The impact of franchise relocation on the loyal fans
left behind: A case study of Hartford Whalers fans. Journal of Sport Behavior, 30(1).
36-56.
Hyatt, C. G., & Foster, W. M. (2015). Using Identity Work Theory to understand the de- escalation of fandom: A study of former fans of National Hockey League teams. Journal of Sport Management, 29(4), 443-460. https://doi.org/10.1123/JSM.2013-0327
Hyatt, C., Kerwin, S., Hoeber, L., & Sveinson, K. (2018). The reverse socialization of sport fans:
How children impact their parents’ sport fandom. Journal of Sport Management, 32(6), 542-554. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2017-0263
James, J. D. (2001) The role of cognitive development and socialization in the initial development of team loyalty. Leisure Studies, 23, 233-261.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400152809106
James, J. D. (2016). Sport fan socialization: Becoming loyal to a team. In G. B. Cunningham,
J.S. Fink & A. Doherty (Eds.) Routledge handbook of theory in sport management (pp.
263-272). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315753461
James, J. D., Walker, M., & Kuminka, W. (2009). Becoming a professional football team fan:
Differences based on level of team internalization. International Journal of Sport Management, 10, 14-34.
Kolbe, R. H., & James, J. D. (2000). An identification and examination of influences that shape
the creation of a professional team fan. International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship, 2(1), 23-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-02-01-2000-B003
Lachowetz, T. (2001). Regional sports alliance: A conceptual approach. Sport Marketing
Quarterly, 10(1), 25-34.
Liamputtong, P. (2009). Qualitative research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Lock, D., Taylor, T., & Darcy, S. (2011). In the absence of achievement: The formation of new
team identification. European Sport Management Quarterly, 11(2), 171-192.
https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2011.559135
Lulla, M. (2019, June 24). 2019 census results: Red Deer loses 3rd largest city title to Lethbridge. Red Deer Express. https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/2019-census-results-
lethbridge-beats-red-deer-and-becomes-3rd-largest-city-in-alberta/
Mastromartino, B., Zhang, J. J., Hollenbeck, C. R., Suggs, D. W., & Connaughton, D. P. (2019).
Conceptualizing sense of membership in a sport fan community. Journal of Sport
Behavior, 42(3), 332-364.
McPherson, B. D. (1976). Socialization into the role of sport consumer: A theory and causal
model. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 13(2), 165-177.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-618X.1976.tb00796.x
Miles, M. & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis, 2nd ed. SAGE.
Parry, K. D., Jones, I., & Wann, D. L. (2014). An examination of sport fandom in the United Kingdom: A comparative analysis of fan behaviors, socialization processes, and team
identification. Journal of Sport Behavior, 37, 251-267.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. SAGE .
Rand McNally Road Atlas. (1996). Shokie, IL: Rand McNally & Co.
Rooney, J. F. (1974). A geography of American sport: From Cabin Creek to Anaheim. Addison-
Wesley.
Rooney, J. F. (1975). Sports from a geographic perspective. In D. W. Ball & J. W. Loy (Eds.),
Sport and social order: Contributions to the sociology of sport (pp.55-115). Addison-Wesley.
Sandor, S. (2005). The battle of Alberta: A century of hockey’s greatest rivalry. Heritage House.
Smith, G. J., Patterson, B., Williams, T., & Hogg, J. (1981). A profile of the deeply committed
male sports fan. Arena Review, 5(2), 26-44.
Snyder, C. R., Lassegard, M., & Ford, C. E. (1986). Distancing after group success and failure: Basking in reflected glory and cutting off reflected failure. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 51(2), 382-388. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.2.382
Spaaij, R., & Anderson, A. (2010). Psychosocial influences on children’s identification with
sports teams: A case study of Australian Rules Football supporters. Journal of Sociology, 46(3), 299-315. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783310371403
Spector, M. (2015). The battle of Alberta: The historic rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and
the Calgary Flames. McClelland & Stewart.
Sutton, W. A., McDonald, M. A., Milne, G. R., & Cimperman, J. (1997). Creating and fostering
fan identification in professional sports. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 6(1), 15-22.
Wann, D. L. (1995). Preliminary validation of the sport fan motivation scale. Journal of Sport &
Social Issues, 19(4), 377-396. https://doi.org/10.1177/019372395019004004
Wann, D. L. (2006). The causes and consequences of sport team identification. In A. A. Raney &
J. Bryant (Eds.) Handbook of sports and media (p. 331-352). Erlbaum.
Wann, D. L., & James, J. D. (2019). Sport fans: The psychology and social impact of fandom
(2nd ed.). Routledge.
Wann, D. L., Tucker, K. B., & Schrader, M. P. (1996). An exploratory examination of the factors
influencing the origination, continuation, and cessation of identification with sports teams. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 82(3), 995-1001. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1996.82.3.995
Wells, W. D. (1993). Discovery-oriented consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research,
19(4), 489-504. https://doi.org/10.1086/209318
Willes, E. (2004). The rebel league: The short and unruly life of the World Hockey Association.
McClelland & Stewart.
attachment, and Nebraska Cornhusker football fans. In A. C. Earnheardt, P. M. Haridakis & B. S. Hugenberg (Eds.) Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization: Exploring the Fandemonium (pp. 9-21). Lexington.
Altman, I., & Low, S. M. (Eds.) (1991). Place attachment. Plenum Press.
Amis, J. (2005). Interviewing for case study research. In D. L. Andrews, D. S. Mason, & M. L.
Silk (Eds.) Qualitative methods in sports studies (pp.104-138). New York, NY: Berg.
Andrijiw, A. M., & Hyatt, C. G. (2009). Using optimal distinctiveness theory to understand
identification with a non-local professional hockey team. Journal of Sport Management, 23, 156-181. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.23.2.156
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Weate, P. (2016). Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise
research. In B. Smith & A. C. Sparkes (Eds.) Routledge handbook of qualitative research in sport and exercise (pp. 191-205). Routledge.
Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological paradigms and organizational analysis.
Heinemann. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315609751
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative
analysis. SAGE.
Cialdini, R. B., Borden, R. J., Thorne, A., Walker, M. R., Freeman, S., & Sloan, L. R. (1976).
Basking in reflected glory: Three (football) field studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34(3), 366-375. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.34.3.366
Delia, E. B., & James, J. D. (2018). The meaning of team in team identification. Sport Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.09.002
Doyle, R. C., Lewis, J. M., & Malmisur, M. (1980). A sociological application of Rooney’s fan
region theory. Journal of Sport Behavior, 3(2), 51-60.
Gibson, H., Willming, C., & Holdnak, A. (2002). “We’re Gators…not just Gator fans”: Serious
leisure and University of Florida football. Journal of Leisure Research, 34(4), 397-425. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2002.11949979
Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F., & Davidson, L. (2002) Understandings and evaluating
qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 717-732.
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2002.01100.x
Foster, W. M., & Hyatt, C. G. (2008). Inventing team tradition: A conceptual model for the
strategic development of fan nations. European Sport Management Quarterly, 8(3),
265-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184740802224183
Funk, D. C., & James, J. D. (2001). The psychological continuum model: A conceptual
framework for understanding an individual’s psychological connection to sport. Sport Management Review, 4, 119-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3523(01)70072-1
Funk, D. C. & James, J. D. (2016). The psychological continuum model: An evolutionary perspective. In G. B. Cunningham, J. S. Fink & A. Doherty (Eds.) Routledge handbook of theory in sport management (pp. 247-262). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315753461
Harada, M., & Matsuoka, H. (1999). The influence of new team entry upon brand switching in
the J-League. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 8(3), 21-30.
Havard, C. T. (2014). Glory out of reflected failure: The examination of how rivalry affects sport
fans. Sport Management Review, 17(3), 243-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2013.09.002
Heere, B. (2016). Team identity theory. In G. B. Cunningham, J. S. Fink & A. Doherty (Eds.) Routledge handbook of theory in sport management (pp. 213-224). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315753461
Heere, B. & James, J. D. (2007). Sports teams and their communities: Examining the influence
of external group identities on team identity. Journal of Sport Management, 21(3), 319-337. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.21.3.319
Holbrook, M. B. (1987). What is consumer research? Journal of Consumer Research, 14, 128-
132. https://doi.org/10.1086/209099
Hyatt, C. G. (2007). Who do I root for now? The impact of franchise relocation on the loyal fans
left behind: A case study of Hartford Whalers fans. Journal of Sport Behavior, 30(1).
36-56.
Hyatt, C. G., & Foster, W. M. (2015). Using Identity Work Theory to understand the de- escalation of fandom: A study of former fans of National Hockey League teams. Journal of Sport Management, 29(4), 443-460. https://doi.org/10.1123/JSM.2013-0327
Hyatt, C., Kerwin, S., Hoeber, L., & Sveinson, K. (2018). The reverse socialization of sport fans:
How children impact their parents’ sport fandom. Journal of Sport Management, 32(6), 542-554. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2017-0263
James, J. D. (2001) The role of cognitive development and socialization in the initial development of team loyalty. Leisure Studies, 23, 233-261.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400152809106
James, J. D. (2016). Sport fan socialization: Becoming loyal to a team. In G. B. Cunningham,
J.S. Fink & A. Doherty (Eds.) Routledge handbook of theory in sport management (pp.
263-272). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315753461
James, J. D., Walker, M., & Kuminka, W. (2009). Becoming a professional football team fan:
Differences based on level of team internalization. International Journal of Sport Management, 10, 14-34.
Kolbe, R. H., & James, J. D. (2000). An identification and examination of influences that shape
the creation of a professional team fan. International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship, 2(1), 23-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-02-01-2000-B003
Lachowetz, T. (2001). Regional sports alliance: A conceptual approach. Sport Marketing
Quarterly, 10(1), 25-34.
Liamputtong, P. (2009). Qualitative research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Lock, D., Taylor, T., & Darcy, S. (2011). In the absence of achievement: The formation of new
team identification. European Sport Management Quarterly, 11(2), 171-192.
https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2011.559135
Lulla, M. (2019, June 24). 2019 census results: Red Deer loses 3rd largest city title to Lethbridge. Red Deer Express. https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/2019-census-results-
lethbridge-beats-red-deer-and-becomes-3rd-largest-city-in-alberta/
Mastromartino, B., Zhang, J. J., Hollenbeck, C. R., Suggs, D. W., & Connaughton, D. P. (2019).
Conceptualizing sense of membership in a sport fan community. Journal of Sport
Behavior, 42(3), 332-364.
McPherson, B. D. (1976). Socialization into the role of sport consumer: A theory and causal
model. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 13(2), 165-177.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-618X.1976.tb00796.x
Miles, M. & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis, 2nd ed. SAGE.
Parry, K. D., Jones, I., & Wann, D. L. (2014). An examination of sport fandom in the United Kingdom: A comparative analysis of fan behaviors, socialization processes, and team
identification. Journal of Sport Behavior, 37, 251-267.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. SAGE .
Rand McNally Road Atlas. (1996). Shokie, IL: Rand McNally & Co.
Rooney, J. F. (1974). A geography of American sport: From Cabin Creek to Anaheim. Addison-
Wesley.
Rooney, J. F. (1975). Sports from a geographic perspective. In D. W. Ball & J. W. Loy (Eds.),
Sport and social order: Contributions to the sociology of sport (pp.55-115). Addison-Wesley.
Sandor, S. (2005). The battle of Alberta: A century of hockey’s greatest rivalry. Heritage House.
Smith, G. J., Patterson, B., Williams, T., & Hogg, J. (1981). A profile of the deeply committed
male sports fan. Arena Review, 5(2), 26-44.
Snyder, C. R., Lassegard, M., & Ford, C. E. (1986). Distancing after group success and failure: Basking in reflected glory and cutting off reflected failure. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 51(2), 382-388. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.2.382
Spaaij, R., & Anderson, A. (2010). Psychosocial influences on children’s identification with
sports teams: A case study of Australian Rules Football supporters. Journal of Sociology, 46(3), 299-315. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783310371403
Spector, M. (2015). The battle of Alberta: The historic rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and
the Calgary Flames. McClelland & Stewart.
Sutton, W. A., McDonald, M. A., Milne, G. R., & Cimperman, J. (1997). Creating and fostering
fan identification in professional sports. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 6(1), 15-22.
Wann, D. L. (1995). Preliminary validation of the sport fan motivation scale. Journal of Sport &
Social Issues, 19(4), 377-396. https://doi.org/10.1177/019372395019004004
Wann, D. L. (2006). The causes and consequences of sport team identification. In A. A. Raney &
J. Bryant (Eds.) Handbook of sports and media (p. 331-352). Erlbaum.
Wann, D. L., & James, J. D. (2019). Sport fans: The psychology and social impact of fandom
(2nd ed.). Routledge.
Wann, D. L., Tucker, K. B., & Schrader, M. P. (1996). An exploratory examination of the factors
influencing the origination, continuation, and cessation of identification with sports teams. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 82(3), 995-1001. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1996.82.3.995
Wells, W. D. (1993). Discovery-oriented consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research,
19(4), 489-504. https://doi.org/10.1086/209318
Willes, E. (2004). The rebel league: The short and unruly life of the World Hockey Association.
McClelland & Stewart.
Additional Files
Published
2021-11-10
Issue
Section
Articles
