Soccer in Colombia: When Is Too Much Passion a Sin?

Throughout sports history, fans have flooded stadiums with their passion and belief in their favorite team.  Being a fan has its ups, like when your team beats a hated rival or wins the championship, and it has its downs, like when your team loses to a rival or loses a championship.

Either way you, as a fan, will always continue to believe in your team's capabilities and will continue to worship them as if it was your own child.

But when is it a problem to have too much passion for your team?

In soccer, we see fans from all over the world and witness the different attitudes in which they present themselves. We see hooligans destroy city streets and cause havoc in the stadium, we see fans in Latin America throw objects onto the field of play to try to harm the opposing team's players, and we see fans destroy local businesses and throw glass bottles and rocks at local police almost all over the world.

So is soccer the most passionate sport—or the most dangerous sport?

Passion can be considered a great characteristic in any person, but also has its limits. A recent game in Cali, Colombia witnessed the passion of local fans at its worst when they trashed the city (and other civilians) after their team lost and was delegated to Colombia's second division for the first time in their 84-year history.

America de Cali has been one of the most successful soccer teams in Colombia since their creation. They have won 13 league titles and have played in more than one Copa Libertadores final. They have brought great pride to their city and their country, but what was witnessed after their loss to Patriotas was shameful and a disgrace.

After the game finished, fans on the South end zone began throwing objects at police stationed around the playing field, which forced them to bring out numerous personnel of the riot police. People began running out of the stadium, fearing that something worse would happen. As people began exiting the stadium, it was apparent that all the commotion had been inside the stadium and everything would be calm outside.

To people's surprise, it would have been safer to stay in the stadium than come out. As people flushed out of the stadium, police barriers began to come down as fans began to riot in despair that their team had just been delegated.

Fans began arming themselves with rocks and empty beer bottles that they found on the street. Grown men were not just sad, they were crying like a little kid when you don't them something they want when you go to Toys "R" Us.

Police were positioned outside the stadium to prevent any action that might happen after the game, but what is a police officer with a stick going to do when 20 rioters are throwing rocks and glass bottles your way? Well, they literally ran for their lives. 

Rioters threw rocks at local business and cars passing by that had absolutely nothing to do with their team losing. These fans were absolutely out of control, and there was nobody that could stop them. Anti-riot tanks were stationed right outside the stadium, but remained there even when rioters continued to march across the city.

As rioters threw rocks at cars and businesses, police officers simply stood there and watched as people's windows were being broken and some people were even getting pegged by the rocks.

How is an underdeveloped country like Colombia, which is on its way up, going to keep progressing and reach the levels of the U.S. and other worlds powers if people react this way after a simple soccer game?

Even worse than police officers refusing to do anything to stop the riot, the next day's newspaper focused on what America's loss meant for the city and the fans.

There was no mention of how terrible the reaction after the game was, and what the city and team were going to do about it. If fans react this way after the Yankees lose to the Red Sox, the story would be all over the news and there would be multiple sanctions against the team and the city.

People react in this way more often in soccer than any other sport, and it really is concerning. In Colombia, especially, people should be worried about the consequences if they ever react in that way.

Whether it is the Federal or local government, they need to solve this problem, which wouldn't be a problem if they had dealt with this in the past.

Colombia had been in International news after they hosted a great U-20 World Cup, and were being considered by FIFA to be a candidate for a future World Cup. Fans had behaved wonderfully during the tournament, and had set an example for other countries. They had proved to everyone that people can change and could enjoy a soccer game without losing their emotions.

After this debacle, I can't imagine what FIFA president  Joseph Blatter must be thinking. These fans have brought absolute shame to their city and have, to some extent, ruined Colombia's chances of hosting a World Cup.

These fans showed absolutely no class, and the Colombian Soccer Federation should look into suspending entrance for any America fan or increasing security during and after the game. Either way, their reaction has no place in the world of sports and in society at large.