Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fall 1-1-2017 A Phenomenological Investigation of Sport and Fandom Through Hans-Georg Gadamer and Maurice Merleau-Ponty Alexander Regina Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Other Communication Commons, and the Sports Studies Commons Recommended Citation Regina, A. (2017). A Phenomenological Investigation of Sport and Fandom Through Hans-Georg Gadamer and Maurice Merleau- Ponty (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/213 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SPORT AND FANDOM THROUGH HANS-GEORG GADAMER AND MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Alexander Regina December 2017 Copyright by Alexander Regina 2017 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SPORT AND FANDOM THROUGH HANS-GEORG GADAMER AND MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY By Alexander Regina Approved November 3rd, 2017 ________________________________ ________________________________ Erik A. Garrett Janie Harden Fritz Associate Professor Professor Communication & Rhetorical Studies Communication & Rhetorical Studies (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Richard H. Thames James Swindal Associate Professor Dean, McAnulty School of Liberal Arts Communication & Rhetorical Studies Professor of Philosophy (Committee Member) ________________________________ Ronald C. Arnett Chair, Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies Professor of Communication iii ABSTRACT A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SPORT AND FANDOM THROUGH HANS-GEORG GADAMER AND MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY By Alexander Regina December 2017 Dissertation supervised by Erik A. Garrett This project aims to uncover the phenomenological and communicative roots of sport fandom from the fan perspective, taking into account the many ways in which fans come to contact sport and integrate corresponding experiences into their own lives and sense of being in the world. Hans-Georg Gadamer and Maurice Merleau-Ponty are used to understand the conventions of play that manifest in sport, leading not only to the co- creation of the game experience due to the intertwining of spectators and players but also to the interplay of temporal realms that leads to what Gadamer calls the fusion of horizons. Through this fusion, we come to recognize difference and intertwine perspectives to craft a constructive hermeneutic approach to dialogue. Additionally, this project surveys the importance of sport for society, the ability of fandom to join people together and establish meaning, the creation of shared spaces through attachment to stadia, and the influence of sport on how we consume in the marketplace. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved family, especially to my late grandfather, Joseph Arduini, for not only being such a profound influence on my character but also introducing me to the love of sport. To my father, Robert Regina, for being my best friend and companion in countless sporting events and memories made— for all the time spent at games, practices, and team events through my youth that allowed me to fall in love with the game of hockey. To my mother, Cindy Regina, my first teacher and the driving force behind my pursuit of an academic career. Thank you for always believing in me and giving up so much to dedicate your time to my upbringing. To my girlfriend, Allyson, for your belief in my resolve and intellect, giving me the motivation I needed to stay focused, and for your support in the most trying times of this project. To the rest of my wonderful loving family for all the encouragement and emotional support throughout my long career at Duquesne University. Lastly, I dedicate this project to my dog, Angela, for providing me with companionship and comic relief when I need it the most. I love and appreciate all of you more than I could ever hope to articulate. Thank you for your guidance, patience, adoration, and faith. I pray that this dissertation makes a meaningful contribution to my field and validates your unwavering belief in my abilities. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to acknowledge all of the wonderful faculty in the department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies, especially Erik Garrett for serving as my mentor for the past five years and providing me the guidance I required to complete this project. Additionally, I would like to thank Erik for his confidence in my work, his brilliance in insight and thought, and for his friendship. I would also like to acknowledge Janie Harden Fritz for her willingness to help me grow in academia while showing faith in my intellect and potential—thank you for all of the support and opportunity you have afforded me. To Richard Thames, thank you for your brilliance that has inspired me to write sections of the project, and of course for serving on my dissertation committee. Also, I wish to acknowledge Ronald Arnett for his trust in my potential as a scholar through times of doubt, and Rita McCaffrey for her dedication to the department as well as her kind, nurturing presence that helped to guide my academic career. Lastly, I must acknowledge all of the fine people at the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University for an outstanding college experience as an undergraduate and master’s student, as well as their unbelievable support as an adjunct faculty member. I am very blessed to have worked with such intelligent and compassionate people during my eleven years at Duquesne University. I cherish every moment, and I am thankful for being a part of the prestigious, spirited, and wholesome legacy of Duquesne University. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication ............................................................................................................................v Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................. vi Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 Statement of Problem…………………...…………………………………..…9 Significance of Problem…………………………………...……………..…..11 Methodology Overview………………………………………….…………..14 Outline of Chapters…………………………………………………………..15 Chapter 2: Origins of Sport, Athlete, and Fandom………………………………………21 Sport: A Brief History………………………………………………………..21 What Makes an Athlete?..................................................................................25 The Emergence of the Fanatic……………………………………………….33 Ancient Greece and the Olympic Games………………………..37 Rome and the Chariot Races…………………………………….42 The Middle Ages and Jousting…………………………….…….49 The Historical Motives of Spectatorship: Catharsis and Vicarious Achievement………………………………………………………………….54 Catharsis………………………………………………………….55 Vicarious Achievement…………………………………………..64 Chapter 3: Typologies of Fandom……………………………………………………….69 The Socialite………………………………………………………………….70 vii The Businessfan……………………………………………………………...71 The Casual Fan……………………………………………………………….75 The Collector…………………………………………………………………77 The Purist…………………………………………………………………….80 The Parasocial Fan…………………………………………………………...84 The Mimetic Fan……………………………………………………………..88 The Fringe Fan……………………………………………………………….93 Chapter 4: The Phenomenological Method and Phenomenon of Play…………………..98 The Phenomenological Method……………………………………………..100 Phenomenology and Embodiment…………………………………………..107 Phenomenology and Intersubjectivity………………………………………110 The Notion of Play………………………………………………………….113 Play as a Socializing Agent…………………………………….113 The Phenomenology of Play……………………………………116 The Objects of Play and the Transmission of History………………………130 Gadamer’s Fusion of Horizons and the Transmission of History through Play………………………………………………………………………….138 Transmitting History through Play Objects…………………….139 The Passing Down of Play……………………………………...144 Chapter 5: The Corporeal Dimension of Fandom………………………………………150 Maurice Merleau-Ponty and the Concept of Body..………………………...151 Embodiment and the Appeal of Fandom……………………………………162 The Purist: Beauty in Embodied Practice………………………167 viii The Mimetic Fan: Embodied Representation………………….169 Embodiment and Equipment as Extensions of Body………………………170 Equipment as Shared Flesh………………………………………………...175 The Proximal Flesh…………………………………………….181 The Chiasmic Nature of the Game Experience…………………………….186 The Co-Creation of Experience…………………………………………….195 Chapter 6: This is Our House: Fans and the Creation of Shared Spaces………………207 The Role of Sport in Society……………………………………………….209 The Basis of Place: Sport as the Great Unifier………………...211 The Role of Ritual……………………………………………..218 Home-Field Advantage…………………………………………………….224 Phantom Stadia: The Transference of Soul…………………………….…..240 Fusion Revisited……………………………………………….244 From the Stadium to the Local Pub: Intermediate Spaces of Commonality.248 There’s No Place Like…Home?................................................250