LONDON — When the calendar clicks around to global events, the Olympics in particular, it could almost be argued that all sport is tribal, at least from the vantage of the world’s couches and bars that provide the virtual stadium for those unable to finagle a ticket to Rio de Janeiro.
Why else would viewers on this side of the Atlantic, four hours ahead of the Olympic time zone, stay up into the small hours to watch their nation’s representatives in events that otherwise have highly limited appeal — omnium cycling, say, or dressage?
Global sports events challenge fans to vacate their cherished comfort zones — normally framed in this country by soccer, cricket and rugby.