It might be hard to tell from those thumbnails up there, but those fans are rather perturbed and they would like to show their collective displeasure by destroying property. Now, it should be noted that not all sports riots are created equal. Each one fits into a distinct category.

Soccer riots and their traditionally epic scale deserve a category unto themselves. They’re so pervasive and dangerous that, in most countries, they spawned a whole underground community of brawlers called “football hooligans”. (Other parts of the world call it football, for some strange reason. What, just because you play it with your feet? Real creative, Rest of the World.) European and Russian soccer hooliganism has been decried by various governments for years without abating the fights that are sometimes more important than the teams or even a winning record. South American soccer riots seem to be motivated more by spiteful fans unhappy with a game’s outcome, and they’re inarguably the world leaders in all-time bloodshed statistics. There’s a very real and tragic precedent: in 1964, more than 300 fans died and another 500 were injured in Lima, Peru in a riot that ensued during an Olympic qualifying match between Argentina and Peru. Basketball games have been known to cause some pretty epic riots in these countries, as well, but they don’t happen with nearly the same frequency and intensity as the ones that futbol and/or football incites.

Of course, sports riots don’t just occur because of unbelievable strife and anger; sometimes sports fans just riot because they’re happy that their team won. There are few better ways to show your support for the team than through the destruction of property! It’s pretty commonly accepted that the fans of any team that wins a championship, especially here in the States, is expected to have a pretty sizeable contingent of drunk buffoons willing to tip over cars, set things on fire, and try to climb onto street lights in order to say “Woo hoo!” before falling awkwardly back down onto the sidewalk. In conclusion, sports riots are an asinine and unbelievably primitive institution that ain’t going away any time soon. Now, get out there and practice your squad-car-flips before next season starts! Next year is our year! Wooo!