Image from Know Rivalry
Click to Enlarge
To determine each team’s “rivalry score,” fans representing their favorite team allocated 100 rivalry points across their team's opponents. The most intense rivalries were determined by both fanbases giving high rivalry points to each other, with little regard for other teams. Topping the most intense list is the historic clash between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
"Using consumer research methods, we developed a way to understand that tension and anticipation you feel at the ballpark when a certain team comes to town. The project is designed to capture the fans' perspective of a rivalry narrative,” said Dr. Cobbs.
The lopsided rivalries come from fans who are highly focused on defeating one team, but the opposing fans do not share the same perspective. Arizona Diamondbacks fans' views of the Los Angeles Dodgers top the most lopsided rivalry. The Cincinnati Reds/St. Louis Cardinals rivalry appears five spots later on the lopsided list, with Reds fans allotting three times as many points as Cardinals fans. Meanwhile, fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates ranked Cincinnati as their main rivals.
“Sometimes fans don't feel the same towards one another. It's like a little brother versus big brother situation,” said Dr. Cobbs. “Because the sports world reflects group affiliations and conflict in society, misinterpreting rivalry can lead to underestimating tensions and threats that manifest in anti-social behaviors, including violence against others. Conversely, well managed rivalries can increase demand in ticket sales and broadcast ratings."
Dr. Cobbs and his students have spent the last seven years collecting and analyzing survey data from more than 30,000 fans across the country through his courses in the Haile/US Bank College of Business. The Know Rivalry Project teaches consumer research methods and data management skills to students like Jonah Krebs.
“This project allows me to apply my knowledge of sports in an academic setting,” said Krebs, a sophomore studying Business Administration at NKU. “I am able to use my strengths through collaboration with a team of dedicated students to answer questions about the rivalry debate."
In addition to MLB, The Know Rivalry Project has published data on the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer and NCAA football. Thanks to funding from NKU’s Informatics+ and the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement, Dr. Cobbs has expanded the research across the world. The grants allowed Dr. Cobbs' team to collect surveys from fans in England, Australia and India. NKU Computer Science faculty members Dr. Marius Truta and Dr. Seth Adjei, along with their students in the College of Informatics, are also assisting with the project by analyzing and cleaning the data.
Dr. Cobbs began researching the phenomenon of sports rivalries in graduate school with his project colleague Dr. David Tyler, who also teaches sports management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
To learn more about what sparks a rivalry, the methodology and how each team’s fans responded, visit the project’s website.
About NKU: Founded in 1968, NKU is an entrepreneurial state university of over 16,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus nestled between Highland Heights, Kentucky and bustling downtown Cincinnati. We are a regionally engaged university committed to empowering our students to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. While we are one of the fastest-growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. For more information, visit nku.edu.
###NKU###