Monday, August 13, 2012

The Friendly Games

Now that the London Olympics have drawn to a close we can perhaps reflect on the sporting achievements. Women's boxing made its debut as an Olympic medal sport this year and Great Britain gained a gold medal. Another of the gold medalists was 17-year-old American middleweight Claressa Shields. The  NBC TV presenter asked her why she chose to become a boxer and her answer was as honest as they come.

"I just love fighting. And I love beating people up."

4 comments:

pete21 said...

Link doesn't work?

Stuart said...

Loving fighting in the ring has got fuck all to do with anything – I don't know but I'd be willing to bet that Claressa is more friendly, more comradely, more aware of the value of solidarity and team spirit, of how to "fabricate the spirit of discipline, group attachment, respect for others as for self, and autonomy of the will", than anyone you'll find in socialist parties. Look at Nicola Adams, the Olympic gold medalist, in interviews – is it possible to find a better example of kindness and goodwill and joy shining in a human personality? Still, as is usual for this blog, please don't let the complete ignorance of what you're talking about hold you back when it comes to opinionating.

http://www.somareview.com/socratic.cfm

Anonymous said...

@ Pete21 - Tested link, works fine. Try again!

@Stuart - No opinion offered in the above, only fact. The quote has been taken from the linked piece. No-one above criticised boxing. What is of concern however, and the point of the post, is how 'The Games' and sport in general is passed off as friendly competition, but from the actions and mouths of the participants, the exact opposite is often true. No-one in their right minds should 'love beating people up', or do you think they should?

ajohnstone said...

Professional boxing is one of the few sports that the purpose is to deliberately inflict brain damage in the shape of a concussion or unconsciousness, disguised as a 10 second knock out. Actions causing or likely to cause injuries in most other sports, even if accidental or inadvertent, much less done on purpose, are punishable under the rules. Other contact sports in the martial arts are sparring for points rather than a KO which amateur boxing also shares but we all know that the Olympics is merely a stepping stone to professional fighting.

If the British Medical Association had its way, both professional and amateur boxing would be banned. I see little reason to challenge their informed view.

"It has been debated for quite some time whether Olympic (amateur) boxing is hazardous to the brain. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, joined with colleagues at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linköping University and the Swedish Boxing Association in conducting a unique study of 30 top-level Swedish boxers and 25 reference persons. What they found was that boxers even in amateur bouts with headgear had brain injury similar to Alzheimers.Their study shows that repeated blows to the head in the boxing ring can produce a release of brain injury markers to the brain fluid, similar to what is seen with after other types of head trauma, as well as in neurological illnesses such like Alzheimers."
http://www.science20.com/news_articles/even_amateur_boxing_can_cause_brain_damage-89512

I find it strange that someone believes that there exists "entertainment" where the poor are encouraged to escape their poverty in gladitorial contests of controlled violence, driven by hopes of fame and fortune. After all we rarely see the rich competing in pro boxing. I find it stranger still for a socialist to try and justify the brutality of the boxing ring. No one disputes the bravery, the camaraderie and the commitment of participants, just their wisdom in needlessly sacrificing their well-being and health. Perhaps Spartacus should have chosen to have remained in the arena. Maybe we will have full-contact cage fighting for the next Olympics.