298: David Sikorjak On The Many Benefits of Sports Fandom

Tom is flying solo and is joined by David Sikorjak (@DSikorjak), President of Dexterity Consulting, who is also an author, storyteller, and marketing strategist. In this episode, David introduces Fans Have More Friends, a new book he co-authored with Ben Valenta. He discusses a range of topics, including the inspiration behind the book, why fandoms are worth investigating, their greater psychological and social implications, and what it is like being a first-time author. Specifically, David believes that there is a wide gap between fans and non-fans in terms of their closeness with friends and families. On a societal level, political polarization and distrust in established institutions drive the feeling of loneliness. Fandom is a community that helps forge new or solidify existing social relationships, which brings people a step closer to greater social engagement and better mental health. Behaviorally, sports consumption has been changing rapidly, affecting the way fans interact and connect with their surroundings.  The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). The show is produced by Matt Hornick ‘23 (@MNHornick) and Cindy Li ‘23 (@cindyliiiii), with Jillian Quinn ‘22 (@JillianMQuinn) and Marco Vonderheide ‘23 managing social media efforts.