When it comes to sports, people do tend to lose all perspective. And it's not just a problem with Europe and soccer, it happens here as well.
I realize that it's not exactly what the article is about, but my two cents:
A ton of stories came out of Green Bay during these playoffs about idiot fans (the guy who tied his kid to a chair, the parents who abandoned their kid in a room with tuna fish and a bucket while they went to watch the game, the guy who snapped and shot a random woman with a sniper rifle). Granted, these are isolated incidents but there are those people who go way too far with it.
I'm sure we'll read some stories next week about Pats fans getting beaten up in bars in New York (and the other way around), and it's sad. Just points out that some people are big idiots.
Everyone should remember that it's just a game. It's supposed to be fun. Don't kill yourself (or anyone else) over it.