The good, the bad, and sport

The contemporary and orthodox view of sport is that it is unequivocally positive. Events such as the Global Sports Forum (taking place in Barcelona over the next three days) appear to celebrate what sport can achieve, while the legacy plan of the 2012 London Olympic Games is clear about the positive impact that sport can have on economy, society, health etc. However, some people question this view; sport can be aggressive, divisive, confrontational, and may sometimes lead to crime and even war. If one reads Ryszard Kapuscinski's book 'The Soccer War' or Joe Humphrey's book 'Foul Play', the negative effects of sport are clear. On this basis, should we simply accept the currently prevailing view that sport is all good?