Philly fans and SEC football lunatics have nothing on Eastern Roman Empire chariot racing supporters. Constantinople chariot racing factions regularly rioted and murdered each other by the thousands. Rooting for a certain chariot racing team was so important that emperors had to choose which team they supported in order to gain favor with the masses. Chariot racing insanity came to a head with the Nika Riots, in which 30,000 chariot racing fans were murdered after they burned down most of the city.