Madness, sheer madness

One of the nice things about sports is how it brings us together — except when it kills us.

In Northern Ireland, Protestant backers of a Scottish soccer team beat to death a Roman Catholic man — on Sunday, no less (how perfect).

Witness said more than 20 supporters of the Glasgow Rangers — many of them wearing the team colors — drove into the Catholic area of Coleraine following their team’s clinching of the Scottish Premier League title.

The Associated Press account continues:

“Billy Leonard, a former policeman and politician from the Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, said several carloads of anti-Catholic extremists came armed with clubs ‘and literally attacked the first person they came across.’ ”

That turned out to be 49-year-old Kevin McDaid, who was bludgeoned while his wife, Evelyn, and a 46-year-old Catholic neighbor, Damien Fleming, were both injured

Seven men — I use the word men advisedly — have been arrested.

A detective said the victim had four children, did volunteer youth work in the town, and “had been encouraging local Catholics to cooperate with Northern Ireland's traditionally Protestant police.” McDaid, he said, was “a man who would do anything for anybody.”

Rangers fans should be proud.