WHAT'S THE HYPE? 

SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY  Developed in 1979, Social Identity Theory purports that individuals define themselves through group memberships, and by identifying with in-groups and differentiating from out-groups, they fulfill senses of belonging, self-worth, and purpose (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). JOINING THE FANDOM Studies show that more often than not, being a fan of a specific team is much more important to one's identity than generally being a football fan (Wann et. al, p. 506), establishing that the connection to football goes beyond appreciation for the sport itself. It is a multi-step process and is not immediate, however, that being a fan of a team becomes central to one’s identity. Psychology researchers use the Psychological Continuum Model to understand the psychological background to NFL fandom, with the four stages being awareness, attraction, attachment, and allegiance (Funk & James, 2001, p. 122). A person becomes aware of a team, often from parents, friends, or popular culture. The attraction comes when positive attitudes and emotions towards the team begin, before the attachment stage accounts for social identification through emotional investment. Finally, allegiance occurs when a deeply rooted loyalty towards the team occurs, often characterized by commitment, advocacy, and lifestyle influence.  INTRINSIC VS. EXTRINSIC MOTIVES  Many scholars fail to acknowledge the different processes and paths a fan can take through these stages, and that different factors influence different timings of these stages. For one, many people reach the awareness and attraction stages of fandom as they may be surrounded by people enjoying the sport and enjoy the gameday rituals alongside others. That does not necessarily translate to attachment and loyalty, as expressed through a study by Wann and his colleagues that found that extrinsic motives, such as family influence, do not necessarily guarantee attachment, whereas intrinsic motives like personal meaning and enjoyment lead to stronger social team identification (2001, p.454). Clarified by Wann and his colleagues, extrinsic motives are essentially external influences towards fandom, whereas intrinsic motives are personal and internal influences that typically develop on their own. Sometimes those intrinsic motives come quickly in the form of personal characteristics that align with a specific team. In other instances, the extrinsic motives may lead to the development of intrinsic motives due to other factors such as tradition, location, etc. One research article pays credit to extrinsic values for influencing team choice but suggests that self-image is a stronger influence. The study found that fans do choose their teams based on characteristics and brand personality, emphasizing that the choice often has to do with who a fan is as a person, or who they want to be (Wang et. Al, 2020, p. 55). Other studies suggest that extrinsic motives such as location have a stronger impact on team identification, explaining that identity centrality is more intense for fans of local teams because of culture, events, and community. The scholars explain that distant and displaced fans still experience identification and loyalty, it just may present itself in other ways such as the aforementioned personal values and self-image characteristics (Lintumäki & Koll, 2024, p.8).