Ryan ChartrandIt’s a place where friends are rivals and rivals are friends. Huh?
There is a new Web site called FanSpot (www.fanspot.com) geared toward the sports fanatic.
FanSpot is organized similarly to MySpace, where patrons sign up for membership to design a Web page of their own. Members choose the look for their page – whether they want an Air Jordan or Lakers logo for their background image – it is up to them.
In addition, members can invite friends and add rivals of their team as friends.
FanSpot went live July 29 and currently has 1,666 members, according to Elon Werner, FanSpot’s director of communications. Membership is free, but users must be 18 years old to sign up.
So far the most popular sports fan is the football fan, with the top teams represented being the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders.
Peter Gudmundsson, the CEO of Beckett Media, a sports publishing company, saw the need for a sports network to promote fandom where people from all around world could come and rant or rave about all sports.
“MySpace has become more music and social than about sports,” Werner said. “FanSpot is the ultimate destination for any sport, to promote a team and interact with other fans.”
Although designed in the likeness of MySpace, FanSpot offers other items, such as creating photo albums, blogs, friends and rival networks.
Members can also choose the challenge type, whether it is about a team or player, pick the bet stakes, define the challenge and pick an ending date.
These challenges can be one-on-one or consist of the entire FanSpot community. A member can challenge a friend or a rival or any or all members of FanSpot on any particular topic.
Cash, cash equivalents and other items that are deemed “absurdly dangerous” by FanSpot, are not accepted wagers. Once in a challenge there is no way out. The stakes can be modified, but “when you’re in, you’re in.”
If those involved in a challenge can’t agree on a winner, then the challenge is put on a public forum where members vote. Wins and losses are tabulated on the member’s profile.
A similar option, also offered by MySpace, is the creation of groups. A group can be created for a team, player or any other item members want to start.
Some Cal Poly students liked the idea of FanSpot, but confessed they hardly keep up with Facebook.
“Cool idea, (but) realistically I don’t think I would use it,” said Grant Zanini, 21, an ag business major.
Others thought FanSpot was a great idea.
Kinesiology senior Jennifer Dooley, 22, played basketball for Cal Poly for four years. She said although she might be biased toward basketball, she would use the site.
“I know a lot of athletes from other colleges and it would be neat to see their stuff too,” Dooley said.