Summer of sports chaos: 2024’s major tournaments fell short – The Miami Hurricane

With 19 major tournaments taking place and streaming on TV across the globe, the summer of 2024 was supposed to be every sports fan’s dream. As summer comes to a close, though, not all of the events turned out as planned. Many problems interfered with the fun of watching the games.

Disruptions across France, chaotic crowds at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium and terrorist threats on Long Island left attendees and viewers disappointed while watching their beloved sports. The tournaments didn’t turn out as planned, detracting from the enthusiasm and fan experience. 

The dream for this summer was iconic sporting events across the globe, but the reality was far from that. 

The Summer Olympics

The biggest event of the summer, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, seemed to have hosted as many problems as it did athletic events.

A coordinated arson attack on France’s rail network took a toll on thousands of local and international travelers leading up to the opening ceremony. This attack not only stranded fans but also brought into question the effectiveness of France’s security measures and its ability to keep athletes and spectators safe during the Games.

Bad turned to worse when the Olympic opening ceremony was riddled with issues. Aside from pouring rain that seriously dampened enthusiasm, the celebrations were widely criticized. One scene depicted drag queens and dancers seated along a table, which many thought referenced Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” painting. 

The Christian community responded with anger, claiming the scene was insulting to their religion. Despite Creative Director Thomas Jolly denying the connection, the Vatican raised concerns surrounding the drag depiction of a religious artwork.

As the Games went on, athletes competed against an additional opponent that haunted the last Summer Olympics: COVID-19. About 40 Olympic athletes tested positive, including Team USA’s track star Noah Lyles. After winning the 100-meter race, he was expected to take the 200 meters, his strongest event. Instead he ended up with the bronze medal and needing immediate medical attention after the race. Other athletes, such as Australian swimmer Lani Pallister, were forced to withdraw from their events due to the illness. 

As a result, fans who traveled from all over the globe or carved out time in their schedule to be in front of the TV couldn’t watch their favorite athletes compete to their highest ability or compete at all due to this unforeseen outbreak.

The French government’s ambitious and extremely expensive attempt to to clean up the River Seine also fell flat. Despite spending about $1.8 billion in the effort, multiple athletes fell ill after their open water swims in the iconic river. Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen suddenly became very ill and was rushed to the hospital after swimming in the men’s 10-kilometer event. Portuguese triathlon athletes Vasco Vilaça and Melanie Santos also became sick following July 31 and Aug. 5 events in the Seine.

Copa America

Back home, the U.S. hosted the biggest soccer tournament of the Americas, the Copa America. After player’s complained about field conditions throughout the opening games, the fans brought more problems in the final two games. 

In the semifinal match between Uruguay and Colombia in Charlotte, North Carolina, a brawl broke out between players on Uruguay’s team and Colombian fans in the stands. Uruguay players claimed their families were in danger and security was ignoring it. Multiple Uruguay players were suspended and the team will also pay fines up to $20,000. 

Besides the infamous 2004 “Malice at the Palace,” players almost never brawl with fans in American sports. Even more uncommon is a stampede into the stadium.

In the tournament’s final, at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, thousands of fans breached the stadium and attempted to trespass without tickets. Fans were scaling stadium walls and climbing through stadium vents in an attempt to get in. This led to extensive property damage, with 27 arrests and 55 ejections being made before kickoff. 

The Cricket World Cup

The U.S. and West Indies hosted one of the first major international sporting events of the summer — the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup — in early June.  

Before the tournament even started, the Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder said the event received an ISIS-linked threat. More specific threats towards the June 9 match of India vs. Pakistan at the Nassau County stadium in Westbury, NY followed. 

While New York State Governor Kathy Hochel said the threats had no credibility, New York officials increased security and took safety precautions. The increased security, prospect of threats and exorbitant ticket prices created a far-from-ideal fan experience. Nonetheless, a record breaking 34,038 fans attended the game, with the lowest of the ticket prices costing around $500 and the highest about $10,000. 

It was disappointing to see the games turn out as they did. Viewers had a hard time enjoying these tournaments as issues took attention or their favorite athletes away from a match or event. Fans and players also encountered numerous problems at these events creating a disappointing summer of sports.