Violence in Sports - Has It Gone Too Far?

I remember a time when the worst fights you had to deal with in sports were in regards to hockey squabbles and were expected. While I never thought that this type of brawling was right, I accepted it for whatever reasons I had been given at that time. But now we hear about different 'fights' breaking out at games on the news and I can't help but ask, "has the violence in sports gone too far?" Here are a few examples of violence I've seen within the last year on television and in the papers, making me ask others what do YOU think, have we gone too far?

Child sporting events have been in the news a lot lately and unfortunately, not for the right reasons. What would classify as a good reason to be in the news? A team winning the child version of the World Series, or a child making some sort of record for the year. Not for parents on opposing teams fighting in front of these children for whatever reason sets them off. Even worse, parents trying to pretend they know more than the coach When a child is benched or pulled for whatever reason, that is because the coach knows best. Maybe it's time to let another child take a turn in a sportsman-like manner, however parents sometimes get a little enraged at this choice and decide to attack the coaches in both a verbal and physical way. What does this teach our children? That if you don't get your way or play every moment of the game it's acceptable to cause a fight in order to prove your rightness? If anything I feel the example being shown is violence being acceptable as a part of life. Which we all know it isn't.

Another big display of violence in sports are teams fighting each other when they don't like how something was called by the referee, or how they feel another player reacted to something. While squabbles do happen and are by no means bad at all, the actions as a result OF these squabbles is definitely in need of looking at. When do these little fights go too far? While I can understand a player being frustrated and flipping the 'bird' at someone, that is even considered unacceptable. After all, children do watch these events and that's not a proper display for them or anyone, in all honesty. However, players do cross the line when punches are thrown and the chance for innocent spectators to be harmed comes into play. It isn't too long ago that I remember viewing a news story about a basketball fight where you see a woman nearly get hit in the face by these players throwing swings and shoving at each other. This, if anything, makes me not want to go to these sporting events. You should never have to fear for your own safety at these kinds of things, but now it seems more often than not you have to be careful.

What can we do to make these instances less likely to happen? Surely we can't bench a child from playing as a result of their parents actions, however coaches can be fined and the fighting parent blocked from going to games. That's easy. Now what about big time sporting events? Are punishments not enough, the small fines charged and expelled from games just a mild threat? That's like being sent home from work for a week and still receiving pay. It's a mild sting on the hand. You still make your money and there's no lesson to be learned. For once, I feel that there is a dire need for more strict punishments. Yes, expel these players, however don't pay them. It's like receiving a paid vacation for being in the wrong. Let them learn the lesson just like you'd learn in court: If you do the crime then you do the time. Revoke their pay for the games they don't play and let them see just what will happen if they don't straighten up. Add this atop a fine and they may just honestly realize what they need to do is curb their anger.

Maybe we need to start having seminars about how to be a good player and respect other teams even though there is that rivalry. Teach them what healthy competition is and maybe even display what can happen in the worst case secenario when there are these fights.

While what happens to players and parents or coaches responsible for these fights is not left up to me, I leave you the reader with one final question: what do YOU feel we can do to get this kind of behavior out of the sporting arena and make viewing sports both in person and on television pleasurable and safe again?