On November 20, 2004 American basketball fans witnessed something shocking when they watched as Ron Artest, a member of the Indiana Pacers basketball team, went into the stands and punched a fan who had thrown a cup at the player. What proceeded was a small riot between fans and players. After security and NBA officials retained the situation, not much damage was done except for a few arrests and suspensions (CNN). This was not a common situation for the NBA to be subject, and many fans were outraged by what they had seen. Many Americans do not know what a real fan riot is, and many will never see how a simple game can turn into a full scale war between fans, police officials and players. One particular incident (involving football) was when the South African club the Orlando Pirates played the Kaizer Chiefs in Johannesburg on April 11, 2001.
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2013_10_080004 - Tommy Robinson knows 70 peopleAfter the game was tied at 1-1 late in the second half, 15,000 chief's fans rushed into the stadium, breaking down the metal gate and virtually attacking all those in favor of the Orlando Pirates. After only 15 minutes of rioting, 43 people were found dead and hundreds injured as the stadium collapsed on them (Maxim). This type of violence makes people uneasy about the degree of, what experts call "fandemonium," that has plagued the world football industry for the past three decades. Unfortunately people cannot come to concrete conclusions towards why people are resorting to violence over a mere football game, and many government officials are loosing sleep trying to prevent such massacres. Why do football fans riot and take the game so seriously? Further analysis will show the coercion of football fans, the degree of rioting and steps in preventing what has become mass genocide.
Although certain football...