- Watching a Swans game on TV alone
- Watching a Swans game on TV with friends
- Attending a Swans game alone
- Attending a Swans game with friends
This idea came about after some of the reading I have been doing for fan studies, and about trying to identify the internal (pathological and cognitive) and external (standardised, rationalised and globalised production) factors contributing to my specific experience and understanding of my Swans fandom.
After reading Sandvoss (2003), I also wanted to identify what I saw in the Swans that self-reflected my own value system, that made them appealing to me.
The first experience I logged was attending a game alone. It was a bit weird, carrying a notebook and camera to the game, and trying to analyse everything you think about during a game is mentally exhausting.
However, while going to the game (Sydney vs Melbourne) I had what I would call a personal breakthrough, because I identified what I felt I see in the Swans that reflect my own value systems back to me, and how that constitutes my Fandom.
Firstly, I was trying to think about the 'team' as an abstract concept, which i think was too divergent and diverse. The team can mean too many different things, and I was struggling to try and pin down one meaning for something. There were some things I identified at this stage however, that I definitely did not associate with myself - for example, Swans fans are notorious for being 'theater-goers'. That is, they aren't 'real' fans who stick by their team when they aren't winning. I did not, and do not consider myself to be a 'theater-going' fan.
So instead, I asked myself, "Who are my favourite players on the team?" and "Why are they my favourite players" i worked my way through some of them - For example, I like Buddy Franklin, but I wouldn't call him my favourite. I respect and admire his ability, and he's a key to our team's success, but that's about where my fandom ends for Buddy.
The breakthrough came when I identified my really favourite players, both in the team now, and fro previous generations, such as Jarred McVeigh, Brett Kirk, and especially Paul Kelly. I would categorise these players as tough, gritty, hard workers who are humble and do not seek admiration. This is what I like to try and think about myself. And when the Swans have been most successful, this is what they have been known for - unrelenting tackle pressure, team before individual, no 'dickheads' policy.
I think my attitude about a player like Zac Jones reinforces this. When he first arrived in the team, he was seen as being another hard unit, in-and-under player that charactersised the Swans. But over the course of his career, I've come to see him as a player who drifts in and out of games, who is too easily distracted by a bit of opposition niggle, and who goes missing in the big moments. He is now one of my least-like players.
Externally, there are elements that also shape my fandom that I observed. For example, being a 'member' has special privileges that I enjoy, and further feeds into my identity as a Swans fan, as does merchandise and knowing cultural elements such as team songs, and the ritual of walking to the stadium through Surrey Hills. The stadium tries to prioritise spending as part of the experience, and you would find it difficult to go to a game and not have to spend a decent amount of cash. The entertainment factor is also pronounced at games, with pre- and half-time entertainment, music, and video packages on the big screen.
There were other breakthroughs that came when I watched a game at home by myself, most importantly how central the phone is to the consumption experience. My friends and I exchanged no less than 100 text messages over the course of the game. During the game, I visited almost no social media, except maybe at half time, and I visited stats sites maybe once, but more so after the game was over. Viewing stats was also done to inform my text-based conversations with others.
So next is the two consumption experiences with others. Really looking forward to finding out more about this, because I can potentially already see some business opportunities where my fandom intersect with broadcast production.
I really enjoy my research project.
