An online fundraiser started by the Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin registered more than $4 million in donations just hours after the NFL star suffered cardiac arrest during a game on Monday.
Click here to read the story at npr.org.
Discussion Questions:
- What is fandom?
- Are there different levels of fandom?
- How does fandom impact the business of sports and entertainment?
- What are you fan of?
- How does that impact the sports and entertainment products and brands that you consume?
- What is the Bills Mafia?
- How might this story illustrate the concept of fandom?
- Is fandom always a positive thing? Why or why not?
- Bills Mafia also donated to support an opposing player’s charity (Bengals’ Tee Higgins). How might that represent the overall influence that athletes and entertainers have to make a positive impact on the world?
- How do you think athletes and entertainers could tap into the fandom around them to make an impact in the future? Do they have a responsibility to do so? Why or why not? Be prepared to discuss your answers in class.