Sports Fandom: Reflection of a Cultural Mosaic

An analysis of the Nets versus Knicks rivalry in New York City

Abstract

This paper explores the origins of sports fandom and the various factors that impact it. It reports results from an experiment which measures support of two NBA teams based in New York City.  Interviews of random samples were collected, totalling 234 entries, with key demographic features collected from each interviewee. The analysis reveals that there are differences in fandom with respect to certain demographic features, especially race, age, and location. It shows that Black people are more than 3.5 times as likely to support the Nets over the Knicks, and that young people are 2 times as likely to support the Nets. The further way from New York a person was born, the less likely they are to support the Nets. People living in Manhattan are less likely to support the Nets. Overall, the data highlights how personal choices can be influenced by factors you can’t control, and the results expose a divide within the melting pot in the City of Dreams.