Rethinking Fandom, Craig Calcaterra
Rethinking Fandom, Craig Calcaterra
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Rethinking Fandom
How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game

Author: Craig Calcaterra

Narrator: Gary Bennett

Unabridged: 4 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/23/2022

Synopsis

A fundamental reevaluation of how to be a sports fan by an acclaimed baseball writerSports 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: How to Beat the Sports Industrial Complex at Its Own Game, 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, as well as 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.

About Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra is the writer and editor of the daily baseball, news, and culture newsletter Cup of Coffee. Previously, he was the lead national baseball writer for NBC Sports, where he launched and edited the baseball blog HardballTalk. He lives in New Albany, Ohio.

About Gary Bennett

Gary Bennett is a SAG-AFTRA audiobook narrator. He was born and raised in California and then in Bozeman, Montana, and is the oldest of four children. He now calls the greater Seattle area his home, and he's a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks. Gary has always been passionate about not just telling a story, but telling it well. From reading bedtime stories with his children to performing in front of the microphone, bringing a story to life is one of his greatest joys. Gary has pursued his career in audiobook narration with zeal, continuing to not only invest in personal coaching from some of the best in the industry, but also investing in some of the best equipment for his professional home-based studio. There are few things he enjoys more than stepping into his StudioBricks home studio and recording his favorite books. Gary is also a licensed electrical engineer and a private pilot. He loves watching and participating in sports and listening to and playing music, and is an avid outdoor enthusiast.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nathan on March 25, 2022

Asks a lot of important questions to sports fans and gives very precise and empathic evaluations for how fandom should (needs to) change. Really enjoyed this quick read a lot. Would absolutely recommend to any type of sports fan, especially those that have felt different about sports - like somehow......more

Goodreads review by Luis on July 14, 2022

Craig is pissed at sports, but I would say for the wrong reasons. He's gripe (albeit not wrong) is that this is a billionaires against us thing, again not wrong, but he wants the sports to be what he wants in the sense that a kid wants things the way he wants or he'll take his ball home. There are m......more

Goodreads review by Josh on July 22, 2022

I thing I say a lot is some variation of: "Sports are the best thing and stupidest thing." Sports have always been my go-to time waster. I have favorite teams, make time for games, buy merch. I used to read the sports section and subscribed to magazines, now I read websites and subscribe to podcasts.......more

Goodreads review by Sam on November 06, 2023

This book reads like a long blog post. Or a school essay. I don’t know Calcaterra’s work that well but I do know he writes a newsletter so…I guess that tracks. This is a book long newsletter. I appreciate that he took the time to….rethink fandom…but it wasn’t for me. A little too much “this is how I......more

Goodreads review by Beth on August 18, 2022

A friend of mine recommended this to me when I was spouting off on social media about my frustration with the Red Sox and identified what was upsetting me as what Calcaterra calls the “sports-industrial complex." Specifically, this year has disillusioned me as a baseball fan, first because of the ow......more

Quotes

“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, senior baseball writer for The Athletic

“Bringing his trademark blend of clear thinking, righteous indignation, and ironic humor, he lays out the case that modern sports fans are captured in a cycle of toxic exploitation…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 twenty-first century.”

Mike Duncan, author of A Hero of Two Worlds

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