Sports Identification in Situational Problem-Solving: A Framework for Understanding Fans’ Communicative Behaviors in Sports Crises

Sports have been enjoyed by people worldwide as an essential part of life. Inevitably, sports-related issues have also permeated into the industry. Specifically, scholars have called for more attention to fan-enacted crisis communication in sports. Based on the situational theory of problem-solving, this project incorporates sports identification, modified engagement in and disengagement from online communication, and self-mocking to examine fans’ online communicative behaviors regarding the National Football League (NFL) concussion issue and the Chinese men’s national soccer team crisis. The findings reveal that sports identification was a significant indicator that influenced fans’ perceptions of the issue. In addition, fans motivated to solve the problem were more likely to engage in online communication rather than disengage from it. Moreover, referent criterion and self-mocking were comparatively unique to the other factors in that they were sensitive to the case and the fans’ cultural background. Theoretical contributions, practical implications, and recommendations for future research are enclosed.