Fans fighting to retain teams - Sports - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), April, 2002

When Major League Baseball threatened to eliminate the Minnesota Twins, fans rallied around the franchise like it was an old friend in dire need of help. They and local politicians were able to forestall contraction for 2002. The outpouring of support was natural because many sports fans are psychologically attached to their favorite team, indicates Jeffrey S. Pauline, assistant professor of physical education, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind., a sports psychology consultant.

"Sports fans spend years and even decades following a certain team," he points out. "They begin to know the players, following their every move. Some people religiously attend every game or watch all of them on television. They take pride when the club wins or get depressed during a losing streak. It becomes more than just a sports team to many people. It becomes a part of life."

Pauline says the situation found in Minnesota in recent months is similar to other communities where the possibility exists of moving or shutting down a professional sports team. Vancouver, Canada, recently lost its NBA team to Memphis and Charlotte could lose the Hornets to New Orleans. Professional franchises often move to new locations that promise bigger profits for their owners.

Such a transfer leaves communities alienated because some residents link the value of their community to the well-being of their pro teams. "It is almost an insult to people when they hear that `their' team will move," Pauline notes. "People have pride in their hometowns or their adopted ones. They identify with the sports teams more than they do the politicians or the celebrities. This relationship begins at a very early age. Just as it is a psychological relationship, it becomes a social relationship. You spend time with friends and other sports fans celebrating a win or suffering through a loss."