Sociologist and alumna research "Extreme Fans"

1/20/11 (Fox 28 and WSBT-AM)—This weekend the Chicago Bears face off against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Are you into it? Sociology professor Carrie Erlin is! She says she's an "extreme fan" of the Chicago Bears, and she should know. The sociologist has done research on extreme fans. Last year she analyzed a season's worth of Bears blogs and learned a lot, like when the team loses a game, extreme fans don't blame the players because they feel like they're part of the team. Nori Drach '10 did her own research on extreme fans, but she looked at fans of collegiate teams. Her research was based on observing ND and Michigan fans. She went to games and tailgates at both campuses and recorded her observations.

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