February 7, 2003

Reducing the Riots After the Games

To the Editor:

I find it hard to believe that a full-length article about riots after college sporting events had only one passing mention of alcohol: "Alcohol, a standard accompaniment at sporting events, inevitably loosens inhibitions" ("Reading and Rioting," December 13). That's like analyzing barroom brawls without alluding to alcohol and drunkenness.

Certainly, a violent society and sports filled with violence contribute to such riots, as do large crowds and the anonymity