If you watch, you’ll also see heavy promotion on television for corresponding Web properties during NFL and MLB games as well as the NCAA Tournament.

With regard to Jacqueline’s comment, I think you’ll also find there’s a growing social and two- or three-screen experience involving sites accessible from mobile phones and other electronic devices.

1) And, as you suggest, I am always online at the same time as watching my games. This isn’t so much a need to connect, but rather a need to know what is happening all across the country at that very moment. Some stations (such as ABC) are really good about scrolling scores and giving updates from other games. Other channels though (such as FSN, who hosts most the games from my conference) rarely give updates from other games. In a sport like NCAA football – which has no playoff system – every weekend is the equivalent to the playoffs. What happens in other games has a major impact on the ranking of my team. So I set ESPN.com to auto refresh every 15 seconds to know what is going on in almost real-time all day long. And yes, I also get online to look up stats etc.

2) The need to be connected becomes evident by the number of text messages I send and receive on game day. My phone is going off nonstop all day, and especially during my team’s game. My dad, friends, and college alumni buddies, and I text all day giving commentary on the game, updating each other on what other team’s are doing, “screaming” during moments of tension, and hooting and hollering during moments of celebration. There is the occasional phone call, but for the most part it’s all texts b/c they are easier to do while still watching the game. I don’t know how I could watch an OU game without my cellphone – wouldn’t be the same.

In sum, I think you’re right – sports fandom and how it relates to both the internet, but also other forms of instant communication, deserve more attention.