Kramer has been suspended for a week

[BSB]

>>If there is an American character flaw.....................................................................we have to make them HURT to do it well.<<

It has nothing to do with America and everything to do with mankind in general. There are rough games played all over the world. Ever been to an international Rugby match? Ever watched Australian football? Been to the running of the bulls in Spain? Been to a bull fight? Seen hundreds of people trample each other at a soccer game? Seen Thai kick boxing?

BSB

[Xavier_Onassis]

It is also a potential human character flaw, but it is suppressed, or people outgrow it, in many cultures.
There was a time when it was needed for survival, of course.

It does not seem to be a part of the Tao or many varieties of Buddhism. Boy Scouts are taught not to harm others.

[Plane]

  Perfection is the worst enemy of good.


   Improvement is great, zero tolerance isn't improvement.

[Christians4LessGvt]

When I was in the ninth grade, I had this competitive spirit and all that folderol. When I graduated, my friends weren't playing, and I had no reason to get excited about unknown jocks playing with balls. I could not bring myself to care.

Great for you.....but why the need to throw the "put downs" towards
the millions of people that do enjoy watching competitive sports?
Why cant you just say "umm not for me". You often throw barbs
if you dont enjoy something or if you dont buy certain products.
What causes that kind of insecurity? I dont find ice hockey enjoyable
but I certainly wouldnt feel the need to tell people that enjoyed hockey
"ahh what a stupid sport".

I have hated bullies all my life

So have I....and I have always enjoyed counterpunching with them.
I sometimes stood up to the bully for some that couldn't.
Most of the time....just vocally.
"Hey dude why ya picking on Matt just because he is really short & has funny ears...are you perfect?"

and no desire to hurt anyone

If what you are claiming is true....then why do you do it?
There are many ways to "hurt" people.
You often throw out demeaning insults/comments about stuff that others treasure.
You purposely irritate people by slamming something they love.

I think that the desire to hurt others is a trait that American have in overabundance:
"Teach 'em a lesson".

Speaking of traits....I think America Bashing is an auto-response trait of yours.
But if it is an "American Trait" I guess it's a lot of other places trait too.
There's been wars for centuries before the US every existed.
Hockey a sport full of blood and fighting started elsewhere.
World Cup Soccer hardly an American founding is full of violent fans not from the US.
Boxing, wrestling, and rugby hardy began in America.
Honking horns is pretty tame in the US compared to many countries.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I hardly think saying that my opinion is that football is dangerous and dumb actually hurts anyone to any degree.

If you like to watch it or to play it, go ahead, have fun. Knock, as they say, yourself out. I hardly think that my comments are likely to ruin whatever jollies you get from playing or watching sports.
 
My uncle got a football scholarship in thew 1930's to play football at Marysville State College. He hurt his knee so bad in training before playing in any game that he lost his scholarship and had to drop out. Apparently, he inherited a bad knee, and injured it so bad that he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. He was never able to run again.
Strangely, he encouraged his grandson to play football, even though the kid was 5'7". My uncle by that time was easily a millionaire. He made a bunch of money in real estate in Tarzana, CA. But he encouraged his grandson to play to get a scholarship. The kid wrecked his knee (which I guess he inherited from his grandfather) and will now walk with a limp for the rest of his life, unless I suppose he gets a metal replacement. The grandson decided to study sports medicine, so I suppose that it may have worked itself out in that rather bizarre way. When my uncle died, he left his money to his daughters's families, and the kid can afford to go to any college he wants. It would have not affected my uncle one bit had he just paid for the kid's tuition at the U of Oregon rather than get him all gung ho about an athletic scholarship.

It is my uncle's and his grandson's business what they do, and I never mentioned this to either of them, but it seemed very illogical what happened.

I was only criticizing the desire, expressed by CU4 that he got pleasure from knowing he hurt someone. I simply offer the opinion that this is sick, and far too prevalent an attitude in this country. Hockey and Boxing are perhaps worse,and I am sure that there are other sports where young men are injured for life.

 

[kimba1]

don`t know about football but I greatly encourage everyone to go into sports of any kind that involves a team. I did in college and it helped me alot in taking alot of punishment and in a business enviroment I`m more likely to stop inhouse fighting. I tend to encourage a team enviroment in my jobs. sadly that also causes me to be promoted alot

[BSB]

Rough play is in our genes. Kids, usually boys, love to play rough. All sorts of young mammals like to play rough with each other. We grow very slowly compared to the other mammals and have the brains, imaginations, etc., to come up with and play all these games before we have to get down to business. A bear cub is off on his own at what, 2? And the next time he plays around with another bear it may be to kill it.

Having said that, yes, some of these games are more dangerous than we thought. As time goes on many of those games will be modified or stopped. I would say football is in trouble. Boxing should have been stopped years ago. Some other lesser known sports, at least lesser known here, are famously dangerous. European downhill races are insane.  They water the course down the night before to ice it and hit speeds during the race of up to 100 mph. Ha ha, they're bleeping nuts. But if you ever get the chance to see one in person, see it, you won't believe your eyes.


BSB

[kimba1]

not sure it`s wise to take the danger out of sports. it sounds insane,but I believe there some kind of need for it. I can forgive 14 year olds from getting hurt from shopping cart races, but not 22 year old . but that still happens.
ex. jack-ass tv shows. these sports maybe the only viable release valve to cut down on these acts.

[Christians4LessGvt]

Having said that, yes, some of these games are more dangerous than we thought. As time goes on many of those games will be modified or stopped. I would say football is in trouble. Boxing should have been stopped years ago. BSB

Football is in trouble?......How so?
Football at all levels is bigger now than any time in history.
Boxing has not only not been stopped...(nor should it be)
it has morphed into something that is wildly popular...
called "ultimate fighting" which in my opinion is even more violent than boxing.

[kimba1]

the one sport that is in trouble is basketball,i might be wrong but even the fans are somewhat disapointed how the games got cancelled for the season.

one or the more harsh facts of these sports is it`s people watching millionaires play a game so it`s hard to get support for pay dispute

[Amianthus]

the one sport that is in trouble is basketball,i might be wrong but even the fans are somewhat disapointed how the games got cancelled for the season.

Interest in baseball is waning as well.

[sirs]

Indeed.  I'm one of the biggest baseball fans, but outside of those organizations of Yankess & Bosox, attendence is WAY down.  Even at venues like Dodgers' & Angels' stadiums, though its completelyunderstandible while Dodgers attendence is down

[Xavier_Onassis]

Consider it from a statistical point of view. At any given moment, half of all teams are losers. By the end of the season, all are losers but one team. Of course, if life is a victory, we all are losers, because in the end, we are all dead.

So seeing things from a competitive viewpoint is basically an exercise for losers. It is what happens before the inevitable loss that we must consider to be the important part.

[Christians4LessGvt]

Of course, if life is a victory, we all are losers, because in the end, we are all dead.

speak for yourself
i firmly believe in life after death

[sirs]

ditto