When sport turns tragic

The recent soccer riots in Egypt remind us once again just how vulnerable sport is. While the situation and tragic results of the riots in Port Said seem to be more about political unrest and political regime change in the wake of the “Arab Spring,” they do nevertheless shine a spotlight on spectator behaviour at sporting events and they have certainly given sport another black eye. Still, soccer hooliganism does have a long and rich history, dating back to the 13th century in England. In many respects, we might refer to soccer hooliganism as nationalism or tribalism “gone...