Fans watch games religiously. They buy overpriced tickets and cram into arenas to support perpetual losers. They’re willing to suffer through decades of disappointment because those rare moments of triumph—the perfect shot, the impossible save, the long-awaited championship victory—make it all worthwhile. In a new series on sports fandom, updated each week leading to the 2021 Summer Olympics, The Walrus explores the ecstasy, the agony, and the complex motivations behind why we cheer.
The Sports Collectible Market Is Booming. Is It about the Money or the Memories?
By Sheena Rossiter
Rookie cards are selling for millions and NFTs are thriving. The question isn’t just how big the bubble will it grow but what will happen once it pops
Why Olympians Are Struggling to Get Sponsorships
By Alex Cyr
You can be the fastest in the world, but when you’re competing against influencers for corporate cash, athletic performance isn’t all that matters
Artist Esmaa Mohamoud Examines How Pro Sports Profit from Black Athletes
By Connor Garel
Sports bring people together in living rooms, in crowded bars, and in the streets. Mohamoud seeks to expose the monstrous underbelly of all that winning
The Team, the Fan, and the Severed Toes
By David Swick
What’s a person to do when their team loses year after year? For one diehard fan, it meant chopping digits
When Sports Fans Change the Game
By Shireen Ahmed
Equal pay across genders, renaming racist teams—owners are finally listening and boardrooms will never be the same
The Paradox of Being a Leafs Fan
By Waubgeshig Rice
Generations of Indigenous fans have followed the Toronto Maple Leafs through close calls and decades of despair. Ultimately, it’s the hope that connects us
More on Sports and Fandom
Credits
Series Editor: Harley Rustad
Editor: Daniel Viola
Art Direction: Natalie Vineberg
Producers: Angela Misri, Sheena Rossiter
Head of Research: Erin Sylvester
Copy Editor: Jonah Brunet
Fact Checkers: Sophie Weiler, Emily Baron Cadloff, Tina Knezevic
