The Sandspur

Issue date: 4/22/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: COURTESY OFMATTHEW ASHTON /GETTYIMAGES

Media Credit: COURTESY OFMATTHEW ASHTON /GETTYIMAGES GAME OVER!: Referee Markus Merk calls a stop to Champion´s League match after fans threw flares on to the field.

What is the world coming to? Sporting events were once the most noble and honorable of occurrences, but recently things have been going down hill. Just look at the state of sports these days. We've got basketball players racing into the stands to beat up fans, we've got baseball players lashing out at onlookers, but even those incidents aren't as bad as what's going on in Europe.

Football, or I guess I should say soccer, has had problems with violence and "hooliganism" for years, almost since the sport began. Fans, especially the English ones, are notorious for getting in fights with each other, throwing things onto the field and rioting after games.

Recently an incident of particular severity occurred during a Champion's League match between Inter Milan and AC Milan. Both teams were competing in the quarterfinals of the tournament and the stakes were high. AC was up 2-0 on aggregate, meaning that unless Inter scored three goals they would win.

AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko had scored in the first half to make the score 3-0 on aggregate (1-0 in the match). In the 73rd minute things began to go very wrong. A headed goal by Inter player Esteban Cambiasso was disallowed and Inter fans were not happy. They started throwing plastic bottles and flares onto the field. Over 30 flairs rained down onto the penalty area and one of them struck AC keeper Dida in the face. The keeper went down and had to receive medical attention. Meanwhile, referee Markus Merk herded the players off the field in an attempt to calm the crowd.

The match was suspended for 25 minutes, after which the players returned to the field. Play resumed for 30 seconds, but was called off again due to renewed crowd trouble.

The match was cancelled for the night and will be recorded as a 1-0 win for AC Milan, meaning they go through to the next round to play PSV Einhoven.

The UEFA association has decided to fine Inter £132,000, around $260,000. They have also decided to make Inter play six games without fans. The matches will take place in a closed stadium without anyone in the stands. The loss of revenue will probably cost Inter around 5.5 million pounds (over 10 million dollars).

Sports was once the realm of heroic deeds, loyal fans, and record breaking performances, but now it seems to have become a stage for conflicts between testosterone loaded players and fans. As wages rise and the competition for revenue becomes more important, athletes and fans seem to have fewer scruples. Hopefully, some time in the near future, players will go back to playing for the joy of the game, and fans will relax a little bit. We might keep seeing more violence until then.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools