Sporting spirit?

I am not a regular sports fan, but I probably am like a huge block of people in the country, the fall baseball fans, taking interest in the playoffs and the series only, even though they have a casual favorite or interest in the regular season. I cherry pick from the sports smorgasbord, (to mix my metaphors). Basketball is even less on my radar screen, mainly because it has become such a physical game, relying on slam dunks and push push push hubris based contest of monster players. I sincerely hope and believe it is not a racial thing going on with me, but the dominance of the game by these huge muscular monster players does not make it more attractive to watch. It just is not interesting to me. For instance since I moved to Connecticut, I have loved watching and following women's college bball, with a national champ team up here. The girls are athletic but otherwise regular people, you feel that you might meet on the street. Great fun and rivalries, and skill levels more like I remember from high school. I know it's not fair to compare them to NBA players, but it is a big difference. It's a totally different sport.


This current NBA brawl controversy shines a spotlight on the issue that I think really is at the heart of this. These athletes have been plucked in many cases (not all) from a very crude and low point of culture which values fighting for your imagined honor, defending your manhood no matter what. Charles Barkley was interviewed about this. He has proven he will say his mind without fear of holding back. But probably reflects what others would say and think, but hesitate to say. He said that a player who has been hit or thrown at, or whatever by a fan has a right to "beat the hell out of them" no matter what "to defend his manhood.". He has NO concept of a gentlemanly, lofty alternative position of civilized men who rise above things by turning away from something like this, in everyday life let alone in a player/fan situation. (How a drunk fan throwing a drink, or a punch, or a cuss threatens someone's manhood, It's not clear).


This ghetto/macho "I'm gonna be badder than you, mf" mentality is embedded in these offending players probably because of their upbringing and background. Just because they are plucked out and paid three million a year to be stars doesn't change their mindsets overnight. Who knows, maybe it is this macho drive that makes their success in such a physically driven sport possible. In any case, it should not be tolerated, and our society should make a statement that it will not be tolerated.

It looks like NBA has done this with suspensions, very responsible actions, but the silly defenders of the players are coming out of the woodwork. They range from players, to announcers to pundits. Oh, they say first that the players were wrong and all that, then they launch into a defense, saying the fans started it, and they should be accountable too, and you can't blame these guys (even thought they made a mistake) for being worked up, etc. Baloney! Yes, if a fan crossed the line they should be ejected, fined, arrested or whatever if appropriate. But not by the players! What nonsense. And it's not just that the fans are paying millions to see these players, just because it is the civilized thing to do. The fans must be dealt with by security or whatever, geesh! Even if it can't be quickly done. The players should turn the other cheek, run from it, rise above it, take it like a man, not defend it like a pseudo macho man. Period.