Article on Sports Fans Is "Right On" Concerning Clay's Fans

Rainlover at the Clayboard has found a very interesting article with a Clay mention. WebMetricsGuru's article, "What Motivates a Sports Fan", deals with the topic of "how to measure engagement for a Sports Fan".

Where does Clay come into such a topic, you may ask. Well, the author is discussing what motivates a fan to have the passion and devotion to a sports team. He suggests in the article the following concerning Clay:

I find Octagon's research could be extrapolated to cover the Fan Worship of stars such as Jessica Simpson and Clay Aiken. Actually, Clay Aiken would be more a case in point as so many people feel passionately, one way or the other about him, both his singing ability and his life. I know this first hand because my wife is fan of Clay Aiken.

I will say that Clay Aiken generates the kind of Fan Devotion that Elvis did/does - but how do you measure the Devotion of a Fan (not the "Measure of a Man" but the "Measure of a Fan")?

Obviously, I think the author has hit the nail right on the head. If only other people understood that the amount of passion a fan has for the person/thing of their "fanship" is directly related to the amount of time and energy they put into that person/thing and how strongly they continue to be involved. Clay fan devotion is rare and unique. Not only are they fans of the talent of Clay, but their support of Clay's foundation and other charitable pursuits spring from this fanship. Care and concern for the man himself and his well-being, as though he is a close friend or family member, also is born of this devoted fanship. As the author ends his article by saying:

I don't think enough thought has been put into have to measure engagement - but if we look at it as how to "measure" how much a "fan" is a fan - or the Measure of a Fan, I think we get pretty close to what engagement really is ....Passion for something or someone...and that's what we need to measure.

I wish more people thought just like the author.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible