Abstract
In the area of sport philosophy, research has been conducted on “failed athletic contests” in which athletic superiority is not demonstrated. In order to provide a new perspective on the theoretical framework of “failed athletic contests”, this study focused on the presence of spectators, an aspect that has not been discussed in previous studies, particularly the issue of booing/jeering and cheering, which may have a significant effect on players.
First, I examined the penalties stated in the official rules and regulations for soccer and basketball, where booing/jeering by spectators tends to be allowed. It was found the organizer or the referee was not required to stop audience booing. However, some booing/jeering attempts to suppress the performance of players, which could be regarded as disruption of a contest that is intended to embody player excellence.
Spectator reaction contributes to player performance, and cheering can help to reverse victory or defeat. In this sense, it could also be an obstacle to embodying which players excel. In this study, it was demonstrated that spectators could undermine the excellence of players, which is the purpose of competitive sport, not only by booing/jeering but also by cheering. When spectators engaged in booing, jeering or cheering that reversed victory or defeat, the institutional identity of the contest was brought into question, thus creating “failed athletic contests”. It was suggested that excessive booing/jeering and cheering that led to reversal of victory or defeat would become problematic if the highest priority was to embody the principle of player excellence during a match and avoid “failed athletic contests”.
