Sports and Violence: Dirty Play or Criminal Acts?.
Imagine you are watching a high school basketball game. The competition is fierce, the.
clock is running down, and the coaches are red faced and screaming at the players. Suddenly,.
your attention is directed to center court. A player is down. You think you saw an opposing.
player intentionally elbow the injured boy's face. The boy is severely injured, but the referees.
have not called a foul on the offending youth. It's your call. Do you think there is sufficient.
evidence to bring criminal charges against the young man who caused injuries to the other.
player? Where does bad sportsmanship end and criminal conduct begin? "It begins here," says.
Mark Luitjen, District Court Judge of Bexar County in San Antonio, Texas. He sentenced the.
offending player in this particular incident, Tony Limon, a senior at South San Antonio High.
School, to five years in prison for his actions. What's even more disturbing is that Limon told.
reporters that coach Gary Durbon approved of his hitting the other player. "He told me it's about.
time someone shed blood,"Limon said . Not surprisingly, the coach denied making that.
statement. Limon's case has fueled debate over whether athletes should be held accountable in.
criminal court for what they do in a game(Shannon,2000). This is just one example of what is.
happening in the realm of sports in recent days.
According to Dr. Brenda Bredemeier, sports psychology consultant at the University of.
California-Berkley, the level of hostility is changing, and this points to a problem within our.
society. She goes on to say,"It seems that there is increasing acceptance of violent acts directed.
towards others. Coaches, umpires, teammates or opponents. The norms are changing." Dr.
Bredmeier suggests that there are two kinds of aggression coming in to play. One involves using.
learned skills and strength to win and the other is a more vengeful reaction of anger and is about.
