sports // 18

World's most famous sports riots

» Don't hate—celebrate!

  
  

ai Julia Siedlanowska
| Staff Writer

ast week after the World

Cup Brazil v. Mexico game, a
friend of mine was celebrating
at a local pub. He remarked
that things were starting to get
a bit rowdy between the fans
of the opposing teams after the
game was decided. Fortunately,
the night ended only on
threats, but the reminder for
potential violence remained in
my mind.

As someone who has
virtually no interest in sports, it
is difficult for me to sympathize
with the ferocity that is
somewhat condoned as part
of the game. Mob mentality
excuses most of the individuals
involved in riots, and it amazes
me still how acceptable it
is to blame one’s actions on
alcohol. Socially unacceptable
behaviour becomes the norm
and is passed off under the
guise of fun and passion. I can
comprehend the excitement
fans feel regarding their
respective teams; however,

: human energy can have positive :
: outlets. Rob Flis states in his

: article “1o of the Most Costly

: Sports Riots in History” for

: the Richest, an online journal,

: that in combatant sports like

: martial arts “the incidences

: of violence are significantly

: lower” I understand the fun in

: playing and the fun in cheering
: fora unified cause, but what

: [cannot accept is the damage

: and violence that can result

: from an abandonment of our

: common codes of ethics.

: The rules of survival change :
: and things escalate in a crowd,
: but is it so silly to assume that

: the root of all these terrible

: incidents is in the hands of the
: individuals? Sometimes, it’s

: not that simple. Here are a few
: astonishing accounts of some

: of the most devastating sports
: riots in recent history.

Egypt 2012

: Only two years ago, more than
: 70 were killed while over 1,000

: people were injured after an

: Egyptian Premiere League

: football game between the Al-

: Masry and Al Ahly teams broke
: out into a riot. The country

: was politically unstable to

begin with, and some question

: whether the riot was more

: political than a simple sport

: rivalry. Knives, swords, clubs,
: bottles, and firecrackers were
: used in the attacks, and many
: questioned how spectators

: were able to enter the stadium
: with the weapons. The riot

: prompted an emergency

: parliamentary session, as calls
: to the government for greater
: security increased. After 21

: of the convicted attackers

: were sentenced to death, an

anti-verdict riot ensued. The

anti-verdict riots left at least

: 30 more dead and more than

: 300 wounded. The Port Said

: Stadium riot was the deadliest
: soccer riot in over 15 years.

Vancouver 2011

: With approximately 140

: injuries and $5-million

: in property damages, the

: Vancouver Stanley Cup riot

: is recent history to many

: of us. With the Vancouver

: Canucks playing against the
: Boston Bruins for the Stanley
: Cup, the stakes were high for
: both teams. When Boston

: triumphed, Canucks fans

: watching the game on large

: outdoor monitors near Rogers

: Arena began throwing bottles

: at the screens. Over the next

: few hours the action escalated

: and several cars, including

: police vehicles, were set aflame.
: Vandalism and violence

: escalated and spread to other

: parts of the city, including

: Granville and Robson Street.

: The police made 101 arrests on

: the scene and investigations

: continued long after the

: incident, with police using

: social media to catch many of

: the criminals. Investigations are :
: still ongoing.

Hillsborough 1989

: The Liverpool vs. Nottingham
: game of the 1989 FA Cup

: semi-final ended in what is

: now called the Hillsborough

: Disaster. Fans were packed

: into overcrowded stands in the
: stadium resulting in a human

: crush that took the lives of 96

: people. Some tried to escape

: by climbing or being lifted over
: the fences. Shortly after the

: game began, the barrier broke
: and stadium attendees began

: falling over each other. The

: incident is largely blamed on

: police for letting in too many

theotherpress.ca

: spectators, and isa black mark
: on British football history. Of

: the 96 casualties, only 14 were
: admitted to hospital.

Although in the case of the

: Hillsborough Disaster, none

: of the deaths were caused by

: fan violence, there is still a

: sense of social responsibility

: around all the incidents—be

: it the response of the police or

: medical staff. Part of the draw

: for sports is a sense of unity and
: belonging to a team; ina riot,

: perhaps it’s better to retain a

sense of individual sanity. It’s

: sad that in Vancouver, where we
: had neither political instability,
: nor inescapable overcrowding,

: fans chose to sink to random

: destruction. Although many

: Vancouverites took to the

: streets to help clean up the

: next day, the memory of the

: riot serves as an ugly reminder

: of what happens when we

: sacrifice our values toa mob

: mentality. When dealing with

: large numbers, 96 casualties is
: a difficult number to wrap your
: head around. What’s easier

: to comprehend is the value of

: even one human’s health and

: happiness, and your individual
: impact on it.

 

First and long

» NFL notes from June

Eric Wilkins
Sports Editor

M sports
@theotherpress.ca

 

A the NFL off-season drags
along—every fan blowing
their team’s chances for the

real stories are hard to come
by; but that’s not to say there
aren't any. Rookies are adapting
to their new pro systems as
previous unknown injuries
surface, coaches are creating
fake competition, and the
Jimmy Graham “What is he?”
saga continues.

Jadeveon Clowney constantly
pointed to his less-than-stellar
stats in his final season at

it appears there may have been
more to it than just defences
game-planning against him.
The 6’5” Houston Texans pick
underwent surgery for a sports
hernia injury a few weeks ago,
and it was recently revealed
that he played through that

: reportedly thought that it was
: just a groin issue. The convert
: to linebacker is unsure if he'll
be ready for the start of training :
; camp.

Zac Stacy put up an

incredible season for the St.

: Louis Rams last year, recording
: : just short of 1,000 yards in
Super Bowl out of proportion— : hig rookie campaign while
: only playing in 12 games. The

: running back with a bowling-

: ball-like style bashed and

: bruised his way into the hearts
: of Rams fans and left many

: salivating as to what he'll be

: able to accomplish ina full

: season’s worth of work. Those

. : fans were visibly shocked when
Detractors of physical freak : offensive coordinator Brian

: Schottenheimer announced

: that the starting spot was open
: to competition—alluding to

South Carolina in attempting to : tphird-rounder Tre Mason.

knock down his draft stock, but : Fantasy football players in
: keeper leagues need not hold

: their breath though. As is

: custom this time of year, in

: order to make sure no starters
: are too comfortable resting on
: their laurels, some coaches are
: trying to create competition

: where there very clearly isn’t

injury during the year. Clowney any. Cases like Stacy’s are

: hardly unique and are merely
: intended to keep players on
: their toes.

The New Orleans Saints

and Graham appear to be no

: closer to getting a deal done

: as the debate about whether

: he’s a wide receiver or a tight

: end rages on. The star figure in
: New Orleans is still fighting for
: recognition as a receiver, which
: would grant him $5-million

: more on the franchise tag than
: he would receive as a tight end.
: While drafted asa tight end,

: Graham’s role in the Saints’

: offence has been primarily

: to line up outside, and the

: numbers reflect it. Regardless

: of what the arbitrators decide,
: the Saints can ill-afford to

: lose one of the most dynamic

: weapons in the game, despite

: the prowess of Drew Brees to

: be able to even make a pylon a
: 1,000-yard receiver.

Asa final note, Chad

: “Ochocinco” Johnson has

: caught on with the Montreal
: Alouettes of the CFL in his

: swan song. His chances fora
: strong season though? Child,
: please.

issue.

Must haves:

experience

 

 

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