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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alan20 · M

That's something I've wondered since early childhood and I think the main reason why I've never had any interest in team sports; I appreciate there are other aspects, like the development of social co-operation. There may be an analogy with nationalism and more obviously racism. Violence is wrong except in clear self-defence and defence of loved ones or those who are definitely the victims.

SW-User

@alan20 It's becoming less of social co-operation and more of another reason people have to get all worked up and violent. Unfortunately.

alan20 · M

@SW-User It seems to be a confusion of the two extremes - love and hate. Showing your own "gang" how much you love them by attacking another. On a more basic level it's ignorant perversion, like the bully looking for someone weaker to prove his or her greater power. I expect it comes from a deep feeling of inadequacy. I wonder if it has increased or was always so.

SW-User

@alan20 I wonder too. When you put it like that, you can see that behaviour on here too on a lower scale when someone is being verbally attacked and herds join in, a lot out of hearsay. So perhaps it is an inherent trait in us.

alan20 · M

@SW-User I can't see you as a member of a posse demanding a lynching but American western movies used to condemn such behaviour more than they do now - I think. Possibly social media has increased the public appetite for gossip, rumours, victimisation. If so it's a poor comment on what society has come to. And leads back to your original question !