Should good pacifists (Friends) be fans of pro football and hockey?

Fellow members of the peace churches, I am in  a quandary. I love to watch professional football (American) and ice hockey.  But both sports have their violent tendencies whereby it is considered good form to tackle a football player carrying or catching the ball as hard as one can (hoping to dislodge the ball, perchance to knock them out of the game?) or smash a hockey player with the puck up against the boards to try to wrest the puck away.  Multiple concussions seem to be happening more and more even though the leagues have instituted many new rules. In football players are watched more closely if they suffer a first concussion, but there is evidence that many players hide their concussions so they can keep playing.  Multiple concussions close together can be fatal and over time the syndrome of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which leads to a dementia state not that different from Alzheimers. Recently there have been lawsuits by formal NFL players against the league for allegedly hiding and/or ignoring evidence for CTE.

As for hockey, in addition to the inherent violence in the sport with speedy heavy players skating on ice and slapping hard rubber pucks at the goal and each other, there is fighting. Not allowed in collegiate or international/Olympic hockey, but very big in junior and minor league hockey as well as the NHL (major league).  A recent series in the NY Times highlighted the story of Derek Boogaard, a hockey enforcer, who sustained multiple concussions over six NHL seasons and many junior and minor league seasons as well. He died of an overdose but was showing clear signs of an encephalopathy along with his addiction. His brain at autopsy showed clear evidence of CTE.

To glorify violence and be a non-violent person who abhors all war is quite philosophically inconsistent. I love pro sports perhaps because I am still a boy at heart, I don't know....but I am having to seek clearness on this for myself.

But the fighting is too much. These sports are dangerous enough. I say maybe fans should boycott NHL until they outlaw fighting and continue to call for good referee calls of excessive force in the NFL.

Wall Street protestors have a great role model....

Mitakuye Oyasin

I just watched a recent 20-20 show on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where I spent two years in the late 70s. The show was about the children, their dreams, the poverty and alcoholism. Moving to say the least. The land is hauntingly beautiful as are the people and their views of the Earth, the Great Spirit (Wakan Tanka), and the sharing of wealth....not all of this was covered in the story...the story brought back my memories.

Here is the link to the ABC news, you may need to do some clicking around because it will no doubt move on the site...

I had some moving spiritual experiences during my times at Pine Ridge, and read several great novels that make me wish us white men (wasicuns) had tried to listen to our Native American brethern before we took their land, commited mass genocide and even worse abuse Mother Earth in our incessant industrial evolution. The books were The Wolf at Twilight by Kent Nerburn and Black Hills by Dan Simmons.

and this TV show brought it all back ..

Mitakuye oyasin is Lakota. It means "All My Relations." It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life. Hard to disagree with that