Violence in Sports Is a Common Phenomenon , Research Paper Example

Introduction: Violence in sports is a common phenomenon that has existed for many decades. These acts of violence are often attributed to cultural expectations and assumptions regarding athletes and their sense of egotism and selfishness that exists because of their position.

Thesis Statement: “In order to remove excessive and intentional violence from sports, the culture surrounding how we think of athletes and the games themselves will need to be changed. Incidences of violence in hockey, football, and basketball are evidence of the need for change.”

Main Point 1: There is an association between violent acts and how they are punished.

Examples: The Steubenville rape case involving football players and the rape of a 16 year-old girl made national headlines.

Main Point 2: Violence is acceptable because it is part of the sport and its identity.
Examples: Hockey is a contact sport where hits and checks are a common practice and are completely acceptable in the rules and by the fans, but a recent spinal injury has questioned these acts and whether or not they should be acceptable.

Main Point 3: Pro football players use their celebrity in violent means, such as shootings and robberies.

Examples: Ray Lewis and Ray Curruth have been subject to murder charges, thereby enabling the NFL to develop an anti-crime policy.

Conclusion: Violent acts throughout and related to sports are commonplace; however, they represent a serious challenge to many types of sports and that athletes that play for them. For example, the NFL has experienced many acts of violence, but some other types of sports, such as professional basketball, have witnessed fewer incidents.

Reworded Thesis: The cultural identity of sports must be addressed and modified as needed in order to accomplish the desired objectives in reducing violent acts throughout these activities.

Other Ideas: Changes in culture must come from the top down and involve all players in order to demonstrate that these behaviors will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Clincher Ideas: The use of game bans and violence clauses in contracts are key possibilities to demonstrate the serious nature of violent acts in professional sports.