Hartford Whalers Fans

Most sport marketing research on sport fans is based
on pre-conceived conceptualizations congruent with
the mindset of team management. It is unknown if
fans view their experiences in this way. This book
examines the experiences of fans of the National
Hockey League s Hartford Whalers from the insider s
perspective. Twenty-four fans were interviewed in-
depth to learn of their lives as Whalers fans. By
analyzing the stories, existing marketing concepts
such as relationship marketing are questioned, and
new insights emerge. Whalers fans felt humiliated
being outnumbered locally by New York Rangers and
Boston Bruins fans, felt a strong attachment to the
team s theme song and logo, appreciated the amount
of player interaction in the community, felt the
pain of relocation even more so after the team moved
to a small city in a region unfamiliar with hockey,
developed a kinship with fans of teams similar to
the Whalers, and saw themselves as sophisticated
hockey fans who have mostly failed to recapture what
they once had with the Whalers. This book will
engage sport managers and others interested in the
thoughts, actions, and feelings of sport fans.

Autorentext

Craig G. Hyatt, Ph.D: Studied Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts. Associate Professor in the Sport Management department at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Klappentext

Most sport marketing research on sport fans is based on pre-conceived conceptualizations congruent with the mindset of team management. It is unknown if fans view their experiences in this way. This book examines the experiences of fans of the National Hockey League's Hartford Whalers from the insider's perspective. Twenty-four fans were interviewed in-depth to learn of their lives as Whalers fans. By analyzing the stories, existing marketing concepts such as relationship marketing are questioned, and new insights emerge. Whalers fans felt humiliated being outnumbered locally by New York Rangers and Boston Bruins fans, felt a strong attachment to the team's theme song and logo, appreciated the amount of player interaction in the community, felt the pain of relocation even more so after the team moved to a small city in a region unfamiliar with hockey, developed a kinship with fans of teams similar to the Whalers, and saw themselves as sophisticated hockey fans who have mostly failed to recapture what they once had with the Whalers. This book will engage sport managers and others interested in the thoughts, actions, and feelings of sport fans.