Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
DOI
10.3983/twc.2025.2669
Publication Title
Transformative Works & Cultures
Volume
45
Pages
13 pp.
Abstract
Passionate fandom is not a novel phenomenon in the field of sport. The fervor of fans builds stadiums and has allowed the sport industry to grow exponentially in the past few decades. Scholars have examined the passionate fan through many theoretical lenses, but comparatively little scholarship has looked at sport fandom fervor from inside. An autoethnographic examination of my unexpected journey as a fan of journeyman National Football League (NFL) quarterback Taylor Heinicke demonstrates how fandom can stir passions and create rituals in sport followers. A multimedia diary of Heinicke's unexpected ascension to starting quarterback of the Washington Commanders provides insight into how fandom can overwhelm an orientation toward critical distance.
Rights
© 2025 Brendan O'Hallarn.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
ORCID
0000-0003-4922-8033 (O'Hallarn)
Original Publication Citation
O'Hallarn, B. (2025). The legend of Taylor Heinicke: An autoethnography of unexpected, passionate fandom. Transformative Works & Cultures, 45, 13 pp. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2025.2669
Repository Citation
O'Hallarn, Brendan, "The Legend of Taylor Heinicke: An Autoethnography of Unexpected, Passionate Fandom" (2025). Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications. 63.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/communication_fac_pubs/63