A strong relationship between sport fans and teams is an essential component for the success of the sport brand. This book provides an in-depth examination of the use of Twitter as a tool to enhance and maintain the fan-team relationship. As social media platforms have expanded beyond purely personal use, brands have had to adjust their strategic communication and marketing efforts. Drawing on research and theory from advertising, marketing, mass communication, and public relations, this book uses a mixed methods approach to better understand how online fan engagement using Twitter can help strengthen the fan-team relationship. Findings from this research has implications for the continued scholarly work on online engagement and relationship building as well as practical applications for effective use of Twitter as a strategic communication tool.

As of 2012, Twitter has over 100 million active users worldwide, generating close to 230 million Tweets per day. Encouraged by sports shows that incorporate social media as a major component of their programming strategies, sports fans and athletes have proven to be some of the most prolific and adept users of Twitter and other social media platforms. Social media has made it possible for fans to cross the virtual barrier that separates them from the teams they love and the athletes they follow, changing the way fans and athletes interact in the world of sports. In Sports Fans 2.0: How Fans Are Using Social Media to Get Closer to the Game, David M. Sutera explores the increasingly participatory nature of contemporary sports fandom and spectatorship. He examines the ways in which digital media has created and facilitated new channels for sports fan engagement, and how technology has enhanced the fan’s perception of participating in America’s sports culture. In addition, Sutera shows how high-profile athletes are using social media to increase their fan base and promote their own celebrity status, creating the sense that they are more accessible to their fans. Social media has forever altered the way sports fans and athletes engage with each other. Covering a wide range of sports and social media outlets, Sports Fans 2.0 is an accessible examination of how technology has changed—and will continue to change—the world of sports. Written for general readers and scholars alike, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the effects of social media on popular culture.

Lunardi delves into the early days of Bracketology, details its growth, and dispels the myths of the process The NCAA Tournament has become one of the most popular sports events in the country, consuming fans for weeks with the run to the Final Four and ultimately the crowning of the champion of college hoops.? Each March, millions of Americans fill out their bracket in the hopes of correctly predicting the future. Yet, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where—from the Power-5 Blue Blood with some early season stumbles on their resume to the mid-major that rampaged through their less competitive conference season—and the inventor of Bracketology himself, Joe Lunardi, now reveals the mystery and science behind the legend. While going in depth on his ever-evolving predictive formula, Lunardi compares great teams from different eras with intriguing results, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology (both good and bad), and looks ahead to the future of the sport and how Bracketology will help shape the conversation. This fascinating book is a must-read for college hoops fans and anyone who has aspired to win their yearly office pool.

"Professional sports organizations have begun to utilize social media to create an online community for fans. These organizations have partnered with companies to create monetary value for the team and the companies, which has led sponsorship from traditional advertising in the arena or venue of the professional sports organization to their team’s Twitter account. I investigated how fans of the professional sports organization recognized sponsored content on the organizations' Twitter pages concerning the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI). I then compared the sponsored and organic contents' interaction rates to see if there were similarities or differences between those rates. The interaction rate for professional sports organizations' organic content was found to have a higher rate than sponsored content, and fans did not identify sponsors included in the content. Instead, the fans identified the team or athletes comprised in the content. I conducted a content analysis with the help of four axiomatic positions related to CTI. The axiomatic positions of CTI I used to help identify fan identity were identities that have both content and relationship levels of interpretation and have individual, social, and communal properties. Also, identities are codes expressed in conversations and define membership in communities and have semantic properties representing core symbols, meanings, and labels. I found fans do have a follower identity, but a sponsored post does not impact that identity. Therefore, fans looked at the content for face value and did not notice the sponsors."--Abstract.

New York Times Bestseller From Acclaimed sports journalist Gary Myers comes the definitive inside account of the greatest rivalry in NFL history Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are perhaps the two greatest quarterbacks of all time. They are living legends who have come to embody the quarterback position and shape an entire generation of the NFL. They have also been fierce rivals every step of the way, and their many epic duels have not only ranked among the best and most exciting games ever played, they have fundamentally shaped the lives of and careers of both men. But for all their shared brilliance, they are a study in contrasts. Tom is the underdog turned ultimate winner, an unheralded draft pick who went on to win a miraculous Super Bowl and become the leader of one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties. He is as firmly associated with big game brilliance as anyone who has ever played. Meanwhile Peyton was born into NFL royalty and a mountain of outsized expectations, yet somehow lived up to and exceeded all the hype, claiming virtually every passing record along his path to football immortality. The contrast in greatness—between the overachieving underdog and the crown prince of football, between postseason brilliance and statistical dominance—has served as an endless source of fascination for fans and media, and over the years as the two players have faced off again and again in classic games, the argument has only intensified. But until now, there has never been a definitive treatment of the debate that tells the real story. What do Tom and Peyton actually think of each other? What do their coaches think of them? What about teammates and opposing players? What are they like behind closed doors and in the locker room, and how does that influence their careers? How did their vastly different upbringings shape them, and how has each handled the injuries, setbacks and defeats they’ve dealt with over their careers? In this extraordinary book, veteran NFL correspondent Gary Myers tackles this subject from every angle and with unprecedented access and insight, drawing on a huge number of never-before-heard interviews with Brady and Manning, their coaches, their families, and those who have played with them and against them. The result is a remarkable collection of the most entertaining and revealing stories ever told about Peyton and Tom, from how they developed their vastly different leadership styles, to the unlikely friendship they’ve built over the years, to their respective exploits as locker room pranksters. Wildly entertaining and deeply thought-provoking, Brady vs Manning is essential reading for anyone who truly wants to understand these extraordinary players.

The amazing and blessed life of popular ESPN reporter and correspondent for College GameDay, Marty Smith, whose mission in this thoughtful and funny memoir is to return fans to the true soul of sports in this country. You know Marty right? The guy during College GameDay hanging off the back of a pickup truck while zooming around the Clemson athletic facilities. The guy who visits Nick Saban's lake house and somehow gets Coach to jump in the lake. The guy who sits down with Dale Jr. at Daytona to talk through tears about his miraculous return to racing. The guy who interviews Tiger Woods, Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning and Jimmie Johnson -- the guy who gets paid to live the fantasy of every sports fan in America. Never Settle is the funny but oh, it's true story of how Marty got here, and a revealing look at his journey. Never Settle includes all the best stories and behind-the-scenes moments from Marty's wild life, covering topics including: college football, racing, fathers and sons, how sports can bring us together, and how it all goes back to growing up on a farm and playing high school ball in Pearisburg, Virginia.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The New York Times bestselling author and athlete encourages you that it’s possible to find your God-given mission and create a bolder, brighter, more fulfilling life. “When you take this journey through these pages with Tim, one thing is clear: you’re going to discover purpose wherever you are and leave an impact wherever you go.”—Thomas Rhett Akins Tim Tebow believes that the secret to a truly meaningful life is not more comfort or ease, but recognizing the clear, unique mission that God has set before you. Having a focused sense of your personal, God-given significance will bring you a lasting sense of purpose. That’s why Mission Possible will help you: • Identify your priorities • Align your responsibilities • Elevate convictions over emotions • Make decisive, wise, and impactful choices • Fuel your drive and passion • Set your sights on eternity Let this book ignite a new spark in your life. Wherever you are, whatever your work, you can find God’s purpose for your life. Accomplish the mission that you have already been called to and equipped for. It’s never too early and it's never too late to start living a mission possible life. Find your mission, pursue your purpose, and go create a life that counts.