Map Critique: N.B.A. Fan Map

 

The image above is a map taken from a New York Times article on N.B.A. fan base.  Each color represents a team and the extent of their fan base, shown in varying shades depending on how dense the location’s devotion is to one team (Giratikanon et al, 2014).  As with most of the newspaper’s maps, it is intriguing to look at, but a close inspection reveals some problems.

The title is good; it draws the reader in by asking a question, then states what the map is about.  There is no legend however, so the reader must infer that each color on the map represents a specific team.  This can be troublesome because it isn’t immediately obvious that the Lakers are “America’s Team”, which is shown in shades of purple across most of the country.  (When I first saw the map, I thought the purple and gray areas didn’t have any strong fan base.)  Another problem is the source information isn’t displayed on the map; the article needs to be read to find it.  Also, the font is a little hard to read because of the color; oddly the Nets are by far the clearest to read, having a black font on a white background.  To make the map more legible, I would have chosen black for all the teams and not used it as a color on the map.

            The biggest problem with the map is its data source.  The writers of the article claim it was calculated by analyzing Facebook likes per zip code.  “We then applied an algorithm to deal with statistical noisiness and to fill in gaps where data was missing” (Giratikanon et al, 2014).  It isn’t clear what this means, and the idea of reporters modifying statistics isn’t a good one.  They should have gotten data from a more reputable source and been more transparent about the data collection method.  At least they acknowledged it is an imperfect method in the article, but then they justified it by saying “Facebook likes show broadly similar patterns as polls do” (Giratikanon et al, 2014).  Based on how consistently the map matches up with each team’s host city, the data might seem accurate, but there is no statistical information present in the article, nor is there a link to any.  The reader can’t tell if the map is showing solid data, or if it was made up.  It also fails to meet cartography standards because the source for the data cannot be found on the map itself.

            Another issue is that the map does not include the only Canadian team in the N.B.A: the Toronto Raptors.  This omission makes the map incomplete.  Thus, I would have included southern Ontario on the map, but not the rest of Canada because it is so big.  Including Canada on the map would have been it less aesthetically pleasing, due to the enormous amount of land that would supposedly favor the Raptors or Lakers.  My addition would give a fair representation to the Raptors and still keep the map in balance.

            There is a risk of ecological fallacy on this map, where the reader might assume that just because a city hosts a team, the region surrounding it will have a high fan base.  But if we look closely at the map, we notice several cities have relatively low fan bases compared to the surrounding region (Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats).  To guide the reader away from that assumption, I would have put more text in rural regions where the Lakers, Heat, or Spurs are more favored.  Being that the map was made in 2014, when the Heat and Spurs were in the N.B.A. finals, it is no surprise to see them as the favorites in much of the south-east.  To underline the importance of this, I would add a caption stating that this is a historical snapshot of the N.B.A. and not a current one.

            As for color, most of those on the map match the team logos and jerseys, making them familiar to fans.  The most glaring exception is the Miami Heat, which should be red.  I can’t imagine why they decided to use black, unless they were trying to match them up with the Spurs, who were also in the finals that year.  Also, I would have used yellow to describe the Pacers and Warriors, since that is their true color and purple and blue are already in abundance on the map.  The resulting higher variation in color would help to discern the boundaries between fan bases more.

            I think the message of the map is straight forward and there is no underlying one intended by the writers.  Perhaps an unintended message is that teams in the finals deserve more attention and that is why we see them more represented on the map.  Logically they would get more attention from Facebook’s algorithms, as the finals are a huge public event, and the algorithm boosts the popularity of newsworthy items.  More likes for these teams in rural areas seem inevitable, so eliminating them from the data in appropriate places might have made the map more accurate.  Regardless, I found it to be a fun and interesting look at where fans gravitate around the country.

 

Giratikanon, Tom, Katz, Josh, Leonhardt, David, Quealy, Kevin.  2014, October 19.  Which Team Do You Cheer For? A N.B.A. Fan Map.  The New York Times.  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/12/upshot/12-upshot-nba-basketball.html