Greek-American accused of stabbing
During my various sojourns in other parts of the world, one of the things I've never been able to understand is the near-fatal devotion to soccer. During an English Premiership match at Fulham Broadway between Chelsea and Manchester United, I was astounded at the amount of barbed wire in the stands. Of course, without it the supporters from each side would have been at each other's throats. The sport of gentlemen, my ass....
Of course, if you have nothing else to look forward to in your life, I suppose basing your self-image and self-worth on the fortunes of your favorite team might make a bit more sense, but to be willing to kill over a kid's game?
ATHENS, Greece -- One man died and several were injured Saturday as Greek and Albanian soccer fans fought across the country after a loss by European champion Greece in a World Cup qualifier, and Athens police fired tear gas to disperse crowds.
A Greek-American man was arrested early Sunday, accused of stabbing to death an Albanian man and critically injuring two others.
The stabbing came hours after host Albania upset Greece 2-1 in Tirana on Saturday. Violence also was reported in the Greek northern port city of Thessaloniki, but no arrests were made. Minor clashes occurred in various parts of the country until morning.
"The government condemns unequivocally and in the most absolute way the acts of violence that took place yesterday in the sidelines of the game," government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said. "Acts of violence are foreign to the spirit of sports."
Panagiotis Kladis-Xifitas, 22, of Chicago, is suspected of stabbing to death a 20-year-old Albanian on the Ionian island of Zakynthos. Two more Albanians were hospitalized with knife wounds. The suspect was to appear before a public prosecutor late Sunday.
In Athens, police used tear gas to break up hundreds of fans descending on the city's center. At least two cars driven by Albanians and heading to Omonia Square for celebrations were attacked by a group of Greeks, causing serious damage. Several riot police squads were deployed to prevent further violence.
Albanians are the largest immigrant group in Greece.
Look, Red Sox and Yankees fan may collectively be morons (or they may not), but if a group of Yankee fan were to celebrate a victory in the stands at Fenway Park, would a knife fight break out?
You'd think that with all of the other problems facing Greece and Albania these days that someone would realize that this game is only meaningful on the day that it was played. The next morning, you will still be living in poverty, just as you were before your team was upset. Sports is not a metaphor for life, nor is it a substitute for reality. It's a game. Twenty-two scantily-clad men chasing a ball up and down for 90 is nothing but a game. Get a grip, already....
