Violence in sport is physical but also verbal and psychological. Beyond the contacts, sometimes disrespectful of the rules, there can be overflows on the part of the players: general fights due to a controversial arbitration or antagonisms not related to the sport; shots between two players; throwing projectiles from the spectators, altercations with the police at the end of the stadium ...
There is also verbal abuse: insults to the referee, between players, towards journalists in post-match .... Let's take two examples:
• in 1995, a spectator insulted Eric Cantona, player of the Manchester United football team. He gives him a terrible kick.
• In 2006, the finals of the World Cup are played between Italy and France. Final wasted by the insults of an Italian player, Materazzi, Zidane who responds with a whim. These two "heroes" of the sport see their image damaged and at the same time gain a reputation of rebel (in the case of Cantona, its image of rebel was strengthened).
These situations are problematic because there is a strong identification with these modern heroes who sometimes do not convey good messages.
To these violence is added racism. In addition to the xenophobic insults, in some stages, spectators shriek monkeys when a black player touches the ball. In response, more and more often, players interrupt the game.
In addition, let us not forget that harassment is very present in sport. In fact, during a survey of athletes, 31% said they were harassed in their discipline. We think of Isabelle Demongeot, tenniswoman, raped by her coach.
Finally, it would be interesting to note that doping, dangerous in the long run for the health and life of the person who practices it, can be considered as violence against oneself, prompted by the continual search for performance.
You are so right. Some of the verbal and emotional attacks can be brutal and need to be monitored.