Athletes’ displaced dissent on social media: triggering agents, message strategies, and user-generated responses

ABSTRACT

Organizational dissent is ubiquitous in task-oriented groups, including sports teams and leagues. Yet, how and to whom that dissent is voiced and the responses to dissent can vary extensively. This study investigates how professional athletes enact displaced dissent and how the public reacts via sentiment analysis of Trevor Bauer’s YouTube channel. Findings identified 53 triggering agents that were consistent with those of subordinates in traditional workplaces. A novel triggering agent of external stakeholder management was also identified, which addressed Major League Baseball’s focus and consideration for its public, their interest in baseball, and relationships with athletes. Bauer expressed his dissent via 94 messages, mainly featuring a combination of rhetorically effective strategies and emotional release. Sentiment analysis of commenters’ 1,612 replies revealed rhetorically competent messages were either unassociated with or enhanced negative sentiment, but positive sentiment was created through entertainment (i.e. humor and pressure), inclusion (i.e. coalition building), and shared ideals (i.e. inspiration).

KEYWORDS:

• Displaced dissent
• organizational dissent
• sentiment analysis
• social media
• sport communication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. This manuscript was conceived and the data were collected before the sexual assault accusations against Trevor Bauer, in the Summer of 2021. In the wake of these allegations, the Los Angeles District Attorney refused to file formal charges against him, but he was released from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. He remains a free agent as of the time of this manuscript’s submission. However, these serious allegations did not affect the data examined nor what can be learned about organizational dissent within sports, as they occurred after data collection. Descriptions of Bauer’s appeal and reputation within this manuscript are contextualized within the study period, which also pre-dates the accusations. The authors emphatically emphasize that the selection of Bauer as a case study is not an endorsement of his alleged immoral and predatory behaviors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gregory A. Cranmer

Gregory A. Cranmer (Ph.D. West Virginia University, 2015) is a sport communication scholar, who studies organizational processes within sport. He is an Associate Professor of Communication at Clemson University, Fellow with the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, and Research Fellow with the U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport.

Spencer Peltz

Spencer Peltz (B.A. Clemson University, 2022) is a digital marketing and branding specialist.

Brandon Boatwright

Brandon Boatwright (Ph.D. University of Tennessee, 2020) is a sport communication scholar, who studies social media within public relations and sport. He is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Director of the Social Media Listening Center at Clemson University.

Jimmy Sanderson

Jimmy Sanderson (Ph.D. Arizona State University, 2012) is a sport communication scholar, who studies social media within sport. He is an Associate Professor of Sport Management at Texas Tech University and Research Fellow with the U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport.

Angeline Scheinbaum

Angeline Close Scheinbaum (Ph.D. University of Georgia, Terry College of Business 2006) is a consumer behavior scholar in marketing. She is the Dan Duncan Endowed Professor of Sports Marketing and Associate Professor of Marketing at Clemson University.