Why do competitive sports and games elicit so much violence from their fans?

174 people dead and 180 people injured in a stampede in Indonesia over a football match.
I think some weeks ago Hindus in UK were being attacked following a cricket match.

Why are people so identified with a team that they resort to such violence against other humans?

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SW-User

There was riots in Vancouver years before when Vancouver lost the hockey playoffs. They had to shut down the subways. This in a nation mostly considered calm; Canada. Couple that, Vancouver has one of the lowest violent crime rates in Canada, but they lose the playoffs; havoc and mayhem? What for?

SW-User

@SW-User It just really stumps me!

SW-User

@SW-User Coincidentally, about three years back, our whole country got together and cheered on the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA championship. I wonder the outcome if they lost, Toronto has a higher crime rate (still not high), but for some reason I expect it would have been less, basketball is not our sport (though a canadian invented it), yet I think the celebration of them winning was larger than most hockey teams can say to have? So if we are talking sports, what gives? It has somewhere to do with identity.

JimboSaturn · 56-60, M

@SW-User Same when my brother was in Montreal, he was downtown helping to protect his friends shop and he said people were acting like complete morons.

JimboSaturn · 56-60, M

@SW-User The funny thing is that your "home team" comprises of players from elsewhere, they have nothing to do with you. You don't know them. Its a crazy identity thing.