[Bread-Baking Typewriter] 'Goyeonjeon' Weekly Gathering of American Enthusiasts... "Sports Fans Are Not Alone"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The highlight of the regular rivalry matches (annual rivalry games) is basketball. Every year, five sports?basketball, soccer, baseball, ice hockey, and rugby?compete over two days. Just as even soccer novices watch the World Cup once every four years, students from the two schools, who are generally unfamiliar with sports, watch the annual rivalry match once a year. Even if they don't remember the game details or scores, they vividly recall the expressions of the people they were with.

Sports Doekhu Era is filled with stories of people who watch rivalry matches weekly or daily. And these are American rivalry games. They laugh and cry watching games of American college sports teams like the Utah Utes (football), Michigan Wolverines (football), and Duke Blue Devils (basketball). They even show boldness by invading enemy territory to cheer for their own team. One author, after having a beer at the rival team's away stadium filled with blue uniforms of the Utah Utes, boldly entered the enemy territory wearing a red uniform and nearly got beaten up.

Is Sports Doekhu Era just a "simple book" listing stories of sports enthusiasts? Absolutely not. Even the table of contents is unique. It meticulously categorizes various types of "doekhu" (enthusiasts) such as sports communities, study abroad life, sports travel, enthusiasts of a single sport or field, and those who have aligned their hobby with their profession (doek-eop-ilchi). A doekhu refers to someone with passion and interest beyond that of an expert in a specific field. When we think of a "mania," it tends to be limited to watching games or analyzing matches. However, the authors of Sports Doekhu Era are enthusiasts who go beyond mania?they make a living and earn money through sports.

One author, currently working as a management consultant in Korea, still watches Michigan Wolverines games early on weekend mornings. Michigan University's football rival is Ohio State University, and these two schools face off once a year. On that day, the author immerses in memories watching the cheering of about 100,000 fellow students dyed in "cornflower color" (the book emphasizes it is not yellow). The Michigan Wolverines' home stadium has a capacity of 109,901, making it one of the largest stadiums in the world.

Another author, a national university professor, became a fan of a team from a mountain valley in Colorado during six grueling years of studying abroad in the U.S. A fan of the NBA's Detroit Pistons, he flew to Colorado to study and, after watching the local university team's games, became deeply attached to that team. His friends, originally from Texas and California, had no prior connection to Colorado before meeting at school. They still share stories about the Colorado mountain valley team on social media.

There are also authors for whom sports became a livelihood. Stories include graduating from a prestigious law school and joining a "perennial last-place" professional team’s front office to help lead them to a championship, an ordinary four-year liberal arts student working for six years on various stages in the soccer industry and diligently handling match operations for FIFA-sanctioned tournaments, and conversations under the theme of Croatian youth national team players and Croatian footballers that resonated and even led to celebratory lifts?all of which are included in the book.

What message do the authors want to convey? They do not want to be seen as "successful careerists" or "sports worshippers." They emphasize, "Regardless of social career, such diverse sports enthusiasts breathe life everywhere," "Just like cultural and artistic performance enthusiasts, sports enthusiasts can be dignified and serious," "Unlike Korea, where college (academy) and professional sports are experienced separately, we hope insights can be found from the American case where both sports are integral to citizens’ lives," and "Although some consider sports a waste, it is an excellent educational tool to learn fairness, effort, and passion essential for personal growth, so it is never a waste."

They say, "Doekhu are not people isolated at home or secretly indulging in 'deokjil' (the act of enthusiasts exploring and enjoying their interests) in the shadows." Sports enthusiasts are tightly knit as "otaku, maniacs, or intellectuals and brainy men and women," living their realities. Sports fandom is not just an act that builds a 'pathetic' image but a reason and driving force that helps overcome the fierce realities of daily life and live a better life.

(Sports Doekhu Era / Ju Janghoon et al. / Pakyoungsa / 13,800 KRW)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.