FANS

The author of Real Food/Fake Food leads a book-length cheer for sports fans.

That so many of us care—often intensely—about the outcome of games played by people we don’t know is a decidedly good thing, writes journalist Olmsted in this compelling if contrived effort. Among his winning arguments: Sports fandom offers mental health benefits, especially a sense of belonging. To be a fan is to experience continual community. Also, watching and discussing sports can dissipate societal tensions; barrier-breaking athletes like Jackie Robinson and Billie Jean King changed not just their sports, but also the people who watched them play. The author is less convincing when he suggests that watching sports promotes physical health. In a largely anecdotal line of inquiry, Olmsted doesn’t adequately address the obesity epidemic that has coincided with the increasing ubiquity of sports fandom. Throughout the book, the author uses a foil in the form of a conversation with a doctor friend. This approach, in addition to ample use of pull quotes, creates a narrative that never becomes dense despite Olmsted’s reliance on academic studies. However, the conversation feels fabricated, and the author is unlikely to make fans out of nonfans. Given the considerable human and monetary capital consumed by sports, an examination of the watchers is certainly worthwhile. Olmsted’s take could have been strengthened with further exploration of what’s lost when people spend time buried in statistics or scrutinizing the fourth receiver on their fantasy football teams. While many readers will agree about the positive effect that comes from bonding with complete strangers over our favorite teams, is our obsession with sports one of the reasons we don’t know our neighbors as well as we should? Die-hard sports fans will find some of the author’s stories entertaining, but the sociological analysis could have been stronger.

For readers seeking support for their sports-watching habits.