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  • Essay / Violence in Sports Law: Pros and Cons

    On September 15, 1997, Nick Kypreos suffered serious injuries after his opponent, Ryan VandenBussche, punched him in the face during a mid-match brawl hockey. Not only did Kypreos suffer from post-concussion syndrome for years, but his career was effectively cut short due to his injuries. If this had happened off the ice, it would have been considered assault. Yet, despite the severity of his actions, VandenBussche continued to play hockey and enjoyed a full and successful career. This situation illustrates the degree of erroneous violence that is increasingly prevalent in professional sports. This level of violent conduct far exceeds the necessary level inherent in contact sports. Violence in sport has become a societal problem and must be regulated more strictly by laws that properly sanction violent acts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The problems surrounding prosecution of violence committed in sports have existed for a long time. The main problem is differentiating between “lawful” and “illegal” behavior. Currently, most incidents occurring in a sporting arena are considered legal and therefore not criminal. In 1980, the Violence in Sports Act was introduced as a proposed federal regulation against violence in sports. This bill did not pass due to its ambiguity in defining what constitutes excessive violence. Specifically, the bill does not clearly define what level of violence would be acceptable without compromising the competitive goals of the sport. Although this bill failed, it is not the only attempt to regulate violence in sports through legislation. In 1983, another bill was created called The Sports Violence Arbitration Act, which proposed the creation of an arbitration board to deal with violent behavior. This bill also failed because it required self-regulation of the conduct of players and sports leagues. Given the failed attempts to regulate violence through federal legislation, very few athletes have been prosecuted for their violent acts during competition and the current disciplinary guidelines followed by major sports leagues are not sufficiently severe measures to significantly curb violence. Understanding the role of the various professions involved when tackling violence in sport is essential to understanding where the differences lie in the fight against police violence. Michael D. Bayles discusses the concept of essence and claim. In this regard, each profession considers itself the appropriate body to set the rules governing matters that arise within its respective profession. In this case, professional sports leagues, such as the NHL, have established a set of internal rules that dictate disciplinary procedures for their athletes. These rules, however, have not proven adequate to control violence between players, due to the inherent fact that sports leagues encourage violence between their players. It could be argued that no sports league should be the sole disciplinary body responsible for suppressing violence. If an athlete is reprimanded by their respective sports league, this should not prevent them from receiving additional criminal sanctions. One author, Daniel R. Karon, looks at the issues surrounding violence in sports and states that the current level ofblatant violence is intolerable. According to Karon, violence in sport is no longer limited to the arena and has effects that prove detrimental to society. The author argues that a workable federal standard is necessary to eliminate pervasive violence in sports. The proposed solution is a federal law that imposes criminal penalties on athletes engaging in such brutality, both at the professional and amateur level. In the bill, key terms are defined to address the ambiguity that caused previous laws to fail. The regulations would divide the intent requirement into two elements. The first requirement of intention would differentiate between intentional and unintentional contact. In this proposal, any incidental contact would be defined as "contact that results from a player's inability to stop his own momentum and forces him into the contacted player." Violent actions that meet the definition of the primary intent requirement would not result in criminal liability. The second intent requirement would only include contacts in which there was a clear intent to cause physical harm or injury. This excludes contact consistent with the rules of the game. According to the author, there must be a criminal sanction for athletes who commit a violent act under the second intention requirement to ensure that a change towards less violence in sport occurs. The author believes that this proposed action would preserve the integrity of the game in various sports while eliminating unnecessary violence. I strongly support the solution proposed by the author as a way to eradicate the type of violence that has become so destructive to our society. Sports competitions are seen around the world and, therefore, the events taking place there should be recognized as having an influence on spectators and society as a whole. Given their status and importance in society, professional athletes often serve as role models for children who, in turn, seek to emulate their favorite players. If professional athletes encourage and participate in violence, it is undeniable that young athletes will engage in violence at a non-professional level. Additionally, the level of violence currently tolerated during competitions results in significant physical harm to athletes. This damage can cause debilitating injuries, such as brain damage, and thus lead to a shortened lifespan. This level of harm far exceeds the danger inherent in the sport. Excessive violence in sport not only causes physical harm, but can also contribute to psychological harm to athletes. Their career demonstrates that violence is acceptable and there have been several instances in which this violent attitude has manifested itself outside of the arena. Applying criminal sanctions for acts of excessive and frivolous violence would send the message to athletes and society that this type of behavior is unacceptable. Given the importance of sport in society, it could be argued that eliminating violence would have a negative impact on fan attendance and viewership. It is not uncommon for fans to be seen encouraging fights during matches and demonstrating aggressive behavior towards each other to support such behavior. Consistent with this view, the NHL has said it is concerned that measures against violence could make fans less likely to watch competitions. Furthermore, one could argue that it would be extremely difficult to control police violence since violence has long been an integral part of sports games. Furthermore, criminal law aims to protect the..