Really?  Drunken masses of angry fans incite violent behavior?  What’s next? Televised golf puts people to sleep.

So for those of you thinking this ain’t rocket science, it was interesting to an economist who also figured out that violent movies=less violence.   So why the difference? The article covers it, but I think you may have guessed it already.  Yes, that’s right, our little friend alcohol might play some role in why football fans tend to do some stupid things to their own towns.

The argument is that if violent movies take people off the street and into theaters - which in turn decreases crime for a few hours.  So why then, do you run and hide in Columbus when the Buckeyes get beat at home?  My guess, is that if people were drinking for several hours before the movie started, that you might, just might, not have the same result.

I think the most interesting part though is that the violent outbursts really don’t happen when your team is supposed to lose the game.  I guess in that case the alcohol is more for your sorrows than for your enjoyment.

• Does College Football Cause Higher Crime? (Freakenomics)