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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Ynotisay · M

I was just thinking about that. And the answer is I have no idea. Identifying so closely to athletes competing, while you're nothing more than a passive observer, is nonsensical to me. In the U.S. there might be a fight in the stands by drunk idiots but soccer overseas is a completely differently animal. It's the only sport that consistently has the type of outcomes like in Indonesia. What the U.S. excels in are "celebrations" that result in huge property damage. Anyone caught up in mob mentality, over something they had nothing to do with, is emotionally weak. I'll never understand it.

SW-User

@Ynotisay that's it. How being a passive observer can create such a reaction in people is really confusing.