JOUR 420: B#6

A Love for Sports or Violence?

Times have changed greatly compared to the old mid-evil times and the gladiator days where Rome ruled all. One thing that has stayed the same since then is the popularity of sports, which were often violent and involved death. Crowds from all around would gather to see sport and death for entertainment. Although we are not as barbaric now, we still enjoy to watch violent sports, and as fans, can get violent if provoked enough.

So what factors separate sports and how we view them today compared to gladiator times? Here are the three main factors:

1. The Sports That Are Played

Sports sure have changed over the years, and thank God that they have. 

Ancient depiction of two Roman gladiators fighting.

In ancient Rome, the only sports that there was were "blood sports" which basically meant that there was some form of mortal combat, where the athletes participating had only one goal -- survive. Common sports back then included chariot races, gladiator duels (a fight to the death between two individuals), and survival rings against wild animals such as lions.

Today, sports are well-organized and highly respected. More than ever before, the health and safety of athletes is a concern and is taken into consideration for violent sports such as American football, hockey and boxing. Helmets and shoulder pads were created to protect both football and hockey players, and a boxing or MMA match is ended with a knockout, not death. As injuries such as concussions have arisen, people have been driven away from contact sports, fearing for the health of themselves or loved ones.

2. What Athletes Play For

Why do athletes play sports? The answers are simply. 

In the old days, athletes played for their life. It's as simple as that. Either kill to win and survive, or lose and die...those are some tough odds.

Clemson football teammates celebrate after winning the 2017 NCAA National Championship.

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson kisses National Championship trophy after victory over Alabama.

Today, high school and college athletes play for many things. They play for pride, for their team, for their family, for trophies, they play to be the best, and they play to win. For professional athletes, many play for a hefty paycheck, while others still do passionately play the game that they love.

3. Why We Watch Them

With all that said, do fans still enjoy violence? Of course they do! Are today's sports still violent? Of course they are! They just are not as barbaric as they once were.

In the mid-evil days, fans would gather around to see blood and death. If death was not involved, they would be disappointed and angered. Now, we watch sports for the stories, the players and the teams that we love most. 

However, as time as passed, new ways have been created to watch and follow sports, such as written articles, radio, television and social media. We are the spectators, and even if we can't attend the game or the event, we can still watch it and know what's happening.

According to Allen Guttmann of Sports Spectators, his definition of a sports spectator is "anyone who views a sports event, either in situ or through visual media such as film or television." (Guttman 5).

It is important to note that watching it at home compared to being at the actual game brings a completely different experience.

Whichever way we view it, one thing that sports has always been is entertainment.

Although we may have cleaned up our act as fans of sport over the centuries, we still are not very innocent. Thankfully, most sports fans do not want to see the death of an athlete, but do enjoy watching the brawl that may occur.

The whole premise of watching a boxing match is to watch people beat each other up; and many of us are attracted to fights. For example, that's why so many students make a big deal out of a school fight -- it causes excitement and an adrenaline rush for the spectator. Even if they are not actually fighting, they are involved in the fight. 

Many people watch football for the big hits and tackles, which are always exciting. And many watch hockey for the fights that commonly take place in between games after two opposing players get into a dispute.

To many, organized violence for sport is just a great form of entertainment. As a huge sports fan, I'm not innocent of this either, but I also have no regrets.