Document Type
Article
Abstract
In conceptualizing the spectacle, Guy Debord claims that “all that once was directly lived has become mere representation.” The implication of this assertion for the sports world is that it is no longer a team that takes the field during a game, but a brand, consisting of eleven branded individuals. The players represent first and foremost their sponsors, then their team’s sponsors, and finally themselves. With much at stake—public image, sponsorships, etc.—the game’s authenticity suffers. Thus, as the focus is often on individuals, it may be difficult for the casual fan to relate to one particular franchise, or any franchise for that matter. Because “the spectacle is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images,” what the fans usually see are images, not people. There is too much correspondence between players and commodities to treat a game simply as a sporting event. This article presents fantasy sports as one of the last sources of pure fan appreciation, where athletes are not perceived as brands. By selecting a particular player, a fantasy league participant expresses that he/she values the performance and skills of that athlete, as opposed to a fan who buys that athlete’s jersey. Fantasy owners are often the first to see potential for future stardom, unlike a traditional fan who supports only prominent, band-name players. The former regularly overlook more established names in search of genuine skill. As fantasy sports is only concerned with the on-field aspects of any given game, it is actually one of the few modes of successful resistance to the spectacle.
Repository Citation
Muniowski, Lukasz. "Fantasy Sports as Resistance to the Spectacle." Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture vol. 17, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1–17. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/reconstruction/vol17/iss1/6