VIOLENCE IN SPORTS

PHED 1007

FEBRUARY 11, 2015

OVERVIEW

Examine violence in sport

Look at specific types of violence:

• Men and women

• Commercialization

• Spectator violence

WHAT IS VIOLENCE?

• Violence: Use of excessive _________________, which causes or has the potential to cause harm or destruction

• Is it always “bad”?

RECALL DEVIANCE…WHEN IS VIOLENCE CONSIDERED ________?

Different Types of Deviance and Norms

Normally accepted range of action

Underconformity Overconformity

TYPES OF VIOLENCE

Against Social Norms: _______________

Extreme Methods of Social Control/Overconformity: Moral righteousness

When in sports do we have: • Violence that is based on rejection of norms? • Violence that is with norms and is considered

appropriate?

VIOLENCE IN SPORT

Four Types of Violence in Sport:1. Brutal body contact: May be considered extreme, but not

illegal or criminal. E.g.,

2. Borderline violence: Violate rules of the game, but considered by most players and coaches as conforming to the norms of the sport. E.g.,

VIOLENCE IN SPORT

Four Types of Violence in Sport:3. Quasi-criminal violence: Violate formal rules of game,

public laws, and informal norms used by players E.g.,

4. Criminal violence: Clearly outside the law, condemned by athletes, may be prosecuted by law enforcement officials as crimes

SHOULD IT BE A CRIMINAL CASE? • Feb. 21, 2000: Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

• Marty McSorley (Bruins) clubbed Donald Brashear (Canucks) on the head with his stick

• Braschear: unconscious, grade 3 concussion

• McSorley: Match penalty & game misconduct

• Vancouver Crown prosecutor: filed charges, assault with a weapon

• NHL: Suspended for the rest of the season (23 games)

• Court found him guilty: 18 month conditional discharge

• Should this have become a criminal case?

COMMERCIALIZATION AND VIOLENCE IN SPORTS• Violence is an important “selling” feature of many sports

• E.g., Don Cherry’s Rock ‘em Sock ‘em video series • Normalizes violence and desensitizes us• Does it take away from sports or enhance it?

• Yet, important to note that violence is not ________ (at least completely) by commercialization

• Is there a theory that commercialization of violence in sport falls under?

VIOLENCE AND MASCULINITY

• Note: Violence in sport does not exclusively occur in males! – however ___________ more into boys

• Violence socialized as a normal part of (some) sports for young males

• Involvement in violence = prove masculinity, avoid social labels such as “sissy, wimp, etc.”

VIOLENCE AND MASCULINITY

“If you take out fighting, what comes next? Do we eliminate checking? Pretty soon, we will all be out there in dresses and skirts”

~ Tie Domi on new rules for partially limiting fighting in the NHL in the 1990s

VIOLENCE AND MASCULINITY

“If you don’t like the fighting, go into the kitchen and make a cup of tea”

~ Don Cherry

VIOLENCE AND GENDER

How do we view it when women are violent in sport?

SPECTATOR VIOLENCE

Noncontact Sports: Spectators rarely engage in violence

Contact Sports: Spectators more vocal/emotional; greater incidence of violence

Why?

SPECTATOR VIOLENCE

_________________ Violence:• Most serious and destructive crowd violence occurs

during celebrations by spectators

• Injuries, property damage• Often coincides with drinking

Seahawks fans after Superbowl victory (February 2014).

SPECTATOR VIOLENCEOther “Crowd” Violence:Can include:

• ______________ throwing (bottles, batteries, etc.)

• Use of firearms/weapons

• Field invasions

• Property destruction

• Fighting

• Disorder

• Post-event riots

FACTORS RELATED TO VIOLENCE AT SPORTS EVENTS• If spectators ___________ players’ actions on the field as

violent they are more likely to engage in violent acts

• If event is hyped by violent images, spectators are more likely to perceive violence during the game

FACTORS RELATED TO VIOLENCE AT SPORTS EVENTS

More likely to occur if:

• ____________________ travel to the game in buses/train

• Tickets relatively cheap

• Younger age

• Alcohol

• Arena/stadium is crowded

• Young men

• Special rivalry between teams

FACTORS RELATED TO VIOLENCE AT SPORTS EVENTS

Emotional ________________:

• People synchronize their personal emotions with the emotions expressed by those around them

• New norms are formed rapidly

• “Crowd” mentality

CONCLUSION

Violence in sports has several different meanings within the field of sociology of sport