Fan Deviance
“Media stories about on-the-field rule violations and off-the-field criminal actions have
become so common that many people think that deviance in sports is out of control” (Coakley, J.
pg. 154). Our textbook defines deviance as an act that occurs “when a person’s ideas, traits, or
actions are perceived by others to fall outside their normal range of acceptance in a society”
(Coakley, J. pg. 157). Many people relate deviance in sports to the actions of the athletes and
coaches participating in the events. Although, it goes much further than that and is often times
acts of the fans and viewers. The following will take a closer look at the history and current
events of deviance among fans of sports.
It’s said that even at high school sporting events, the increase in violence among its fans
has made school officials to start considering the idea of having its major sport contests occur on
