February 6, 2014
Maria Luisa Olaez
Periods
I, II
Field Sport or Blood Sports?

Across the world, millions of people enjoy watching or even taking part in sports such as boxing, wrestling, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, hunting and a whole range of other unsafe sports. However, others think that these sports should be strictly controlled or even banned completely. In this essay I will describe why I think it is a mistake to ban dangerous sports, and why people should be able to enjoy the sports they want. It can be difficult to understand why people like dangerous and risky sports so much. In boxing, for example, many people are killed or suffer brain injury every year. Mohammed Ali one of the most famous boxers of all time, has severe medical problems even as a result of boxing. In addition, some people do not understand why blood and danger is so important. They wonder why boxers need to hit each other or why Formula
1 racers have to crash or risk serious injury in order for other people to enjoy this sport. A third point is that sport is now a big business.
Companies, television stations, and sponsors spend a large amount of money on these sports instead of safer alternatives such as swimming or running. However there are many reasons why people should be allowed to do whatever sport they want even if it’s dangerous. For one thing, even if something is forbidden, people will still try to find a way to do it. The sport will go underground, like cock­fighting in Mexico and most European countries. Secondly, there is almost no activity which does not have some danger. For example, swimming, running and even walking can all result in injury. But the main reason is that people will always be attracted to sports where they can move faster or go further. Even the motto of the Olympics is ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius,’ Latin for ‘Faster, Higher, and Stronger.’ It is part of human nature, and sportsmen and sportswomen are aware of the risk in their sport. Just because medical associations don't like something, it doesn't mean they have the right to determine what individuals can and do choose to do with their recreation or work time. Given the scant medical evidence against dangerous sports, it is highly hypocritical of medical association which supposedly worn on an evidence based