Book excerpt: While rivalries are a key aspect of the sports world, they are not well understood. It is essential to study how rivalries influence fan behavior in order to predict and identify their effect on social interaction, consumer behavior, and the entertainment industry. Understanding Rivalry and Its Influence on Sports Fans is an essential reference source that discusses what causes and influences rivalry, as well as how it impacts sport fans. Featuring research on topics such as bracketed morality, competitive sports, and social identity, this book is ideally designed for academics, students, and researchers studying the rivalry phenomenon across such disciplines as psychology, sociology, political science, sport and entertainment, consumer behavior, and marketing.