True Believers: The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans

Why do fans live and die with their teams? For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for tragically inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, none of whom have ever won a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood?

In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on--and reveling in--the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans.

Author: Joe Queenan
Publisher: Picador USA
Published: 04/01/2004
Pages: 236
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.52h x 5.54w x 0.63d
ISBN: 9780312423216

Review Citation(s):
New York Times 07/18/2004 pg. 20

About the Author

The author of the bestselling Balsamic Dreams, Joe Queenan is a contributing editor at Men's Health, Smart Money, and Movie Line. He lives in Tarrytown, New York.

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