Tweets of Self-Presentation: Assessing In-Game Sport Consumer Behavior via Twitter.

Scholars have studied the self-presentation techniques of sport fans in a variety of contexts, however an empirical investigation of such behaviors via social media is absent from the literature. In this study, we examine self-presentation of sport fans via Twitter. Data were collected during multiple points of a mega-sporting event involving two traditionally passionate and highly identified fan groups. Twitter activity was used to identify general themes of self-presentation for the pre-game, halftime, and postgame time periods. In general, basking in reflected glory (BIRGing) and blasting were reflected in numerous forms based on the game situation and individual affiliation. Examining selfpresentation through social media is especially relevant as the popularity of the medium grows. Further, the real-time nature of Twitter and other platforms allows researchers to capture behaviors immediately after a positive or negative event during an athletics competition. Finally, a number of theoretical and practical implications are identified and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]