The divine aura that envelops global tournaments like the World Cup, the Olympic Games etc derives in large part from the principle that we can put political di

The divine aura that envelops global tournaments like the World Cup, the Olympic Games etc derives in large part from the principle that we can put political differences aside and engage in friendly combat on a level playing field for a few days, whoever we are. It's a principle constantly under attack from people who believe that politics must infuse everything, that there can be no arena exempt from enforcing whatever is on top of their agenda. And that's ok - there are lines in the sand that must be drawn when amicable jousting is no longer an option. For every major tournament the question needs to be asked, has the host or any participating country crossed that line? And be aware that if we say yes; "the line is crossed", we also sully the divine aura to some extent.