Sunday, October 16, 2011

Violent Sports

On Sunday, two-time Indy 500 winner, Dan Wheldon tragically died in a car crash at the Las Vegas 300. Car racing has a history of a considerable death toll as does boxing. In fact, football was so violent that 18 players died playing football in 1905, leading President Roosevelt to urge reforms in the rules of the game. Sadly, this past weekend a high school player from New York died in a game.

At what point do these sports become too violent? Does society have a responsibility to demand safer working conditions for athletes? Or should these sports industries be free to make money at any expense?

Keep in mind NASCAR and the NFL are both billion dollar a year industries. Is there a cost for our demand for violent sports?

7 comments:

  1. hello its olivia...
    big sports like the NFL and Nascar are part of what make our country so patriotic.but there are factors that can make a sport too violent, like driving over 200 miles per hour, or hitting someone so hard on the field that it can dislocate parts of your body.it is not the responsibility of society to step in and make the sport more safe, but its the players and drivers of the sports that can prevent injuries and deaths such as Wheldon. everyone is in a certian buissness to make money,but should the enjoyment of a sport really be so costly? ask Dan Wheldon's family that question, and i guarantee that they will say the demand for the sport is not worth the cost of irreplaceable lives.it was a shocking and tragic event that happened Sunday, and i think the only lesson to be learned is for the players of the sports themselves to be more cautious, and realize that an honorable win is not worth a dishonorable death.
    -O.F.

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  2. Big companies like NASCAR and NFL are exactly what they are, just businesses. Theyre here only to become rich and succesful and to get ahead in the game of life. Deaths occur in many sports because the need for competition forces us to create these games with rules to where people will get hurt. being violent is part of our primate nature. yes there are people out there who want to change the rules of these games to where it is safer for everyone, but the odds agaisnt these people are far greater than they can imagine. Even though yes these businesses are making money from players injuries but they also are just trying to survive in life. that is also why they have the drivers or players sign contracts that state that the driver or player may get injured or result in death. Sincerely Jeremy DeBlois

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  3. Alex Abbott
    period 2

    I dont think it is the sports that become violent. i think its the players. so if there is a safety issue then maybe that individual should be cut from the team. accidents, on the other hand are different, those are merely accidents and can not be avoided in my opinion. i dont think any rules shoul be changed.i understand the hazordes working conditions of a meat packing industry but not of playing sports. Though both of those activities/ carreers are their choice so i dont really think that society should have to provided safer conditions for sports players.
    it should be the players responsibility.
    thanks for your time:)

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  4. Sports are sports, its the athletes who like the sport that decide to play it. They already have good "working" conditions, they have HECKA money! Although they are violent sports, they know what they are getting themselves into. Why change the rules now? Cheerleaders have died, broken their backs, necks, arms, legs, etc. that doesn't make me want to stop cheering! Ask any football player, most people like the sport with its violence or maybe BECAUSE of it violence. Boxers choose the sport and really good boxers have nothing to worry about as long as they hold their guard up. Plus, they have so much money, they just pay for a nose job and their good to go. There are rules in place about these sports, some people just dont follow them. Bad things happen everywhere, but as long as the athletes like what they do, why should anything change?

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  5. in my opinion i dont hink is the sport that becmes violent its the players that start playing violent against each other. Society shouldnt demand or be responsible for better conditions for the athelte because its their choise if they want to play the sport or not.
    -
    adriana ramirez

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  6. I dont think that it is up to society to regulate on how violent a sport like boxing or football gets, its up to the players and the sports franchise. Obviously boxing is dangerous, the people who enter that buisness know it but still want to box, we shouldnt stop them because they can think for themselves and decide what they can handle. I have heard of people say that they intentionally wanted to break someones knee or leg or wish that the athelete would break his/her neck just so they cant play anymore. thats not right at all but if you involve yourself in anything there are people who want to see you succeed and people who wat to see you fail.

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  7. These athletes (If you can call a driver an athlete) know well before they even become involved in a sport the risks of injury or even death. If they are perfectly willing to put their body at risk for the sake of becoming famous and making the big bucks, that is completely their choice, not society's.

    However, I don't believe it is fair that these people are paid so much for their jobs. It is completely unfair that their talent can make so much money. Other fields, such as musicians or artists, almost never make much money. What it comes down to is what people want to see, and football and NASCAR are very popular. But the racers and players shouldn't get cut such a big check; They do as much work every day as anyone else in the job field, overlooking the physical aspect of it all. They should be payed well, but not the amount they are now. That's what keeps them in the dangerous business. Take that away, and see who's truly in it for the love of the sport.

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