Category Archives: Conferences

I have posted the abstracts for each paper to be presented at Friday’s Sports Studies Symposium.

The first panel, held from 1 to 2:45pm, focuses on Fandom. (Follow the links to read paper abstracts)

• Chad Carlson, Ph.D., (Eastern Illinois University): What is fan-based sport about anyway? The Popovich-Stern Issue and Normative Implications for Professional Sports;
• John Harney, Ph.D., (DePaul University): Japanese Baseball Culture at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: Imperial Game or Adopted Pastime;
• Trisha Phillips, Ph.D., (Mississippi State University): Fandom and Sport: Encouraging Hate.

The second panel, held from 3 to 4:45, will focus on fantasy and play. (Follow the links to read paper abstracts)

• Aaron Harper, Ph.D. (West Liberty University): Playing with Nietzsche: Play, Nihilism, and Value Creation;
• Andrew Koehl, Ph.D. (Roberts Wesleyan College): Fantasy Sport and Aristotelian Flourishing;
• Carl Robinson, Ph.D. (Ashford University): Chasing The American Dream: A Chubby Fan(atic) Recalls His Favorite Professional Wrestlers.

You can also find the abstracts, and other information, at the Symposium Page: http://sportsethicist.com/symposium/

Call for Abstracts

Fandom, Fantasy, and Fitness
The 2nd Annual Rockford College Sports Studies Symposium
Date: April 19, 2013

Grace Roper Lounge
Rockford College
5050 E. State. St.
Rockford, IL 61108

Fans play a central role at all levels and within various aspects of sport, so any study of sport would do well to consider their influences in connection to fandom, fantasy, and fitness. A specific and growing area of fandom, fantasy sports, illustrates a concrete and complex way fans relate to and even affect sport. Moreover, the implicit and explicit connection of sport to fitness offers another important way that fans interact with sport. This year’s symposium seeks to explore and examine these aspects of the relationship between fan and sport.

We invite scholars from all disciplines to submit an abstract on these themes. This symposium will then bring together several panels of scholars to discuss these themes. The focus of each panel will depend, in part, on the submitted abstracts. Each presenter on a panel will have 20 minutes for their presentation. This will be followed by 30 minutes of a combined Q&A.

Abstract Submission:
Submissions are welcome on this theme of Fandom, Fantasy, and Fitness, or other related issues arising in the study of Sport. Abstract should be 300-500 words. Send via email (as PDF) to SSS13@Rockford.edu

Deadline: Friday, January 25th, 2013. Extended Deadline: Feb 1st, 2013
Notification of Acceptance: Monday, February 4th, 2013. Extended to February 11th, 2013.

If you have any questions, please email SSS13@Rockford.edu, contact Shawn Klein (Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department) at 815-226-4115, or Michael Perry (Assistant Professor, English Department) at 815-226-4098.