AA Intervention: Violence

By: Anthony Atkinson
Contributing Writer

The University of Miami’s football team has been at the center of two very violent acts during the course of this season. Not only were they involved in a brawl with Florida International, but one of their starting defensive tackles was also shot and killed earlier this month.

College football is not the only sport that has seen violence in the sport, recently. Soccer, baseball, basketball and even NASCAR, has seen violence. So many young people in not only the country, but also the world see these people as role models. When a young person sees what took place between Miami and Florida International, Ron Artest and a fan in the stands or even Zinedine Zidane’s head butt of an Italian player in the World Cup, he or she might think this is behavior that is deemed socially acceptable.

These players need to think about why they play their respective sport. Whatever happened to sportsmanship? What ever happened to shaking a player’s hand after the game and saying “good game?”

In the past, when you played a sport with your friends, whether you won or lost, you said good game and went on with the rest of your day. I understand that some of these college athletes are playing to play professional and get rich, but this does not excuse their acts of violence.

Trash talking has been a part of sports for a long time, but it used to be about the sport. Michael Jordan used to tell his opponents how bad he was going to beat them. Now players are talking about other players’ moms or about race or religion. I do not understand what players hope to gain by this. Go out and play the game, respect the game and most of all, have fun! Sports were supposed to be fun.

Yes, winning is great and no one likes to lose, but when you do lose, lose with class. Do not go swinging your helmet around, or head butting opponents. Whether you win or lose, shake your opponent’s hand, he or she is playing the same game you are. With all the violence in sports, it makes me ask the question, “Aren’t sports supposed to be fun?”