Whose Game?

“Whose Game? is well written and compelling, and the research important and timely. The authors’ sociological examinations of fantasy sports make a convincing argument that this is a unique realm of fandom. In its gender analysis, Whose Game? is a strong, valuable contribution to the literature. The breadth and depth of the data make for a rich analysis that allows us to examine and understand patterns of meaning and experience. This book will have significant appeal to those in the fantasy sport world, including participants and organizers, as well as general sports fans.”—Rachel Allison, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Mississippi State University and author of Kicking Center: Gender and the Selling of Women’s Professional Soccer

“In this fascinating new study, Kissane and Winslow show us how often aging, non-athletic men can engage in fantasy sports leagues as to both secure a claim on legitimate masculinity and, importantly, to forge much needed emotional bonds with other men. Through careful research, Whose Game? documents the possibilities and perils involved in playing fantasy sports and issues an important call for thinking seriously about the way leisure and fun can reinforce existing gendered, raced, and classed inequalities.”—C.J. Pascoe, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Oregon, and author of Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School