ABSTRACT
Since September 11, 2001, the increased threat of terrorism has brought risk management to the forefront of mega-sport-event planning and has resulted in a range of new security measures for sport spectators and tougher safety standards for organizers. Although there has been considerable scholarly enquiry into the causes and effects of terrorism as it relates to tourism and events in general, there has been a lack of academic research investigating the emotional responses of sport event spectators to the threat of terrorism and how this response impacts management. Atkinson and Young provide a general explanation of the nexus between sport and terrorism: For many reasons, individual terrorists or terrorist organizations might find suitable targets in athletes participating in games, spectators attending the events, or selected corporate sponsors of sports contests. Despite the numerous direct and indirect links between sport and terrorism, academic inquiry into sport violence has primarily concentrated on the causes and effects of player and spectator violence.
