I’m a big fan of MotoGP, the premier world motorcycle racing series, and was recently discussing why one particular rider, Jorge Lorenzo, doesn’t seem to have a lot of fans. He’s been very successful, with two world championships under his belt, and a third a real possibility for this season. What makes someone become a fan of a competitor in any sport? Jorge has the bad luck to be a great rider in the same era as a person many consider the greatest of all time, followed by a young man who seems to be next in line for that crown. Luck certainly has something to do with it.
Outside of luck, there are three factors:
- Success – A competitor has to be successful. Victory isn’t always necessary, but being consistently near the top certainly is. I’m a fan of a couple riders who have never won championships, but who are consistent front runners, particularly Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso. Pedrosa is a particularly interesting case, because he’s been on one of the best bikes for 8 seasons, has come in second in the championship several times, but never has won. I’m still a fan, and he has a pretty good fan base.
- Identification – Fans identify with the athletes they like, not in the way they think they can be that person, but they admire certain parts of the person’s personality. I’m a fan of Andrea Dovizioso because he never seems to give up, and I identify with that tenacity. I’m a fan of Valentino Rossi because he seems to genuinely enjoy a sport that I also enjoy. He’s having fun while winning championships.
- Projection – Fans project their feelings and desires on to their chosen athletes. This is closely related to identification, because unless you are lucky enough to know one of these folks personally, any characteristic you project is a perception. You, as a fan, may think it’s real, but it’s quite possibly wrong. Going back to Andrea Dovizioso’s tenacity, it could just be a projection of a characteristic I admire onto a riding style that’s just hard for other riders to get past.
Let’s go back to Jorge Lorenzo. He has the success. The problem with Jorge is that he presents as cocky and arrogant, which isn’t a trait that many admire or identify with. He complains about other riders, making him less likeable. Some find it difficult to get a sense of his personality, which makes it difficult to identify with him. It’s hard to project onto a blank canvas. A fan has to have a reason to think that a trait exists. So unless Jorge undergoes a major personality change, he’s unlikely to ever have a huge fan base, regardless of his successes.