Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game

By Craig Calcaterra

Book Overview

"Modern fandom is rubbish, and Calcaterra explains why, but in so doing, also shows us the way out of our desensitized, corporate, laundry-hugging ways." --Keith Law, The Athletic

Sports fandom isn't what it used to be. Owners and executives increasingly count on the blind loyalty of their fans and too often act against the team's best interest. Sports fans are left deliberating not only mismanagement, but also political, health, and ethical issues.

In Rethinking Fandom, sportswriter (and lifelong sports fan) Craig Calcaterra outlines endemic problems with what he calls the Sports-Industrial Complex, such as intentionally tanking a season to get a high draft pick, scamming local governments to build cushy new stadiums, actively subverting the players, bad stadium deals, racism, concussions, and more. But he doesn't give up on professional sports. In the second half of the book, he proposes strategies to reclaim joy in fandom: rooting for players instead of teams, being a fair-weather fan, becoming an activist, and other clever solutions.

With his characteristic wit and piercing commentary, Calcaterra argues that fans have more power than they realize to change how their teams behave.

"If you're like me and love sports but have become increasingly dismayed by the 'sports-industrial complex, ' Calcaterra's book will prove a balm that allows you to hold onto that fandom without turning a blind eye to the myriad problems and sources of exploitation on the field." --John Warner, The Chicago Tribune

"Rather than simply criticizing, Calcaterra provides positive solutions to help us form a healthier and more thoughtful relationship with the sports we love. A vital book for any sports fan in the 21st century." --Mike Duncan, New York Times-bestselling author

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1953368239
• ISBN13: 9781953368232
• Release Date: April 2022
• Publisher: Belt Publishing
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.9" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Root for humans, not for laundry.

Calcaterra does a nice job exposing the follies of modern fandom without making the reader feel bad about themselves. His critique of the so-called 'sports-industrial complex' is really a jab at the modern, professional sports leagues that have been absorbed by corporate interests. Calcaterra, a baseball journalist, hones in on Major League Baseball in particular, presenting several anecdotes to demonstrate that the league's goal is financial profit over anything else. He contends that professional sports leagues, and the teams within them, often exaggerate the positive spillover economic benefits associated with, for example, stadium construction, to the city councils and general public that yearn for growth in their communities. Calcaterra champions critical thinking on the part of fans and local government decision-makers. Much to the chagrin of die-hard fanbases around the country, Calcaterra asserts that one can indeed change or shift their team allegiances, for whatever reasons they want to, whenever they want to. He demonstrates that public investment in private sports franchises are typically very one-sided arrangements, benefitting the teams and leagues, and the wealthy owners and operators of those teams and leagues, at the expense of the taxpayers. A nice, short read that is worth your time.