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IAN's World of Sports

VIOLENCE IN SPORTS

Some argue that any action in sport is morally and legally allowable—because it’s “part of the game.” For example, in boxing, you can punch someone, but at the supermarket you cannot. You can knock someone over on the football field but not on the sidewalk. Why? What violent actions, if any, should not be permissible in sport?

Is it wrong to punch someone in a basketball game? Is it wrong for a pitcher to intentionally throw a baseball at a batter’s head? Is it wrong for a hockey player to intentionally hit someone on the head with their stick?

Once you determine whether or not certain types of actions are wrong, determine what—if anything—should be punishable by law in sports? Should athletes be able to be punished for violence in sport? If so, which actions?

Some argue that certain sports have an unspoken level of acceptability—an “ethos”—that others outside of the sport cannot understand. Should we allow sports to police themselves or should we allow the outside courts to become involved? The sports leagues all have their own sets of rules and punishments—some punishments occur within the game (i.e. fouls, penalties, and even game expulsions) and some occur outside (i.e. game suspensions, fines, etc.). Should that be punishment enough?


WHAT IS A GAME? HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM A SPORT?

Do they each require that the participant have fun? If they are not having fun, does it cease to be a game or a sport? What about the involvement of luck? Skill? How do you define these and what makes them different? What makes them different from other activities such as work, education, leisure? Can you make a list of qualities that separate games from all other activities? How is a game different from taking an exam that is graded on a curve? How is it different from earning a raise at the office? From driving home?

Are the following considered games? If you disagree with someone, on what grounds do you disagree?
1. Frisbee
2. Russian Roulette
3. Boxing
4. Patience
5. Bull Fighting
6. War
7. Olympic Ball Room Dancing

If we can’t agree on the list of qualities that distinguishes the class of “games” and we can’t agree on how the term is applied (to the above cases, for example) then how do words like “games” get their meaning in the first place? If words are not exact, then what problems might we encounter in our daily lives?