This Game Of Ours

There are obvious physical benefits of playing sport. Sport is fun and enjoyable. Sport also helps improve fitness in maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.

There are also the psychological benefits of playing sport.  Sport is full of ideals, principles and morals. It is a teacher of self-confidence, teamwork and accomplishing goals; not only in sport but also for life in general.

Sport is an outlet in life for many people.

Sport is a privilege, not an obligation. Not everyone has the blessing to have the opportunity to play sport.

However, Sunday night was a disappointing reminder of when that privilege is abused.

There were sickening scenes on Sunday night that were reminiscent of the “Malice at the Palace” when Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson ran into the stands to fight with spectators in sparking a massive brawl between players and fans.

On Sunday night, our team, Maccabi played the Trailblazers. We had established a 31-17 lead before the Trailblazers cut the lead to 33-27 with 2 minutes remaining in the game.

Throughout the game, one of the opposing players was constantly cussing and arguing with officials in disputing almost every call. After numerous warnings from the officials, he was finally awarded a technical foul shortly before halftime.

However, rather than composing himself during the halftime break, his repulsive behaviour continued. With two minutes remaining, it all culminated after he disputed a sideline call and our team coach, exasperated by his antics, called aloud that it was nowhere near going over the sideline.

This somewhat meagre comment sent him into a frenzy as he repeatedly directly threatened our coach. Maybe our coach shouldn’t have even said anything. Maybe he should’ve just minded his own business. Yet, it doesn’t come close to justifying the brawl that broke out.

Our coach was punched over the sideline before I managed to step in and pull the opposing player off in an effort to separate everyone. While I thought that it had ended I released him to only go back and continue the altercation. After he wrestled our coach to the ground, I once again tried to break up the fight only to find myself head locked by another player from the opposing team. Mind you, this was in front of family and friends in the crowd including the distressed and terrified children of the player initiating the altercation. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.

After the brawl was ended, the opposing team continued their protest over the officiating in attempting to rationalise their actions. League officials and organisers presided the matter by ordering the opposition into the administrative office.

Despite being informed that adequate penalties and lengthy suspensions would be assigned, the opposing team decided to accentuate the event by remaining outside to confront our team upon leaving. The police were called as a precaution for any event. Thankfully, they left before the police arrived.

So much for expecting an apology.

I have no tolerance for violence in society. I cannot begin to tell you how many near fights I have broken up. However, I understand that playing sport can lead to frustrations boiling over. There is nothing wrong with a good-natured stoush on the odd occasion. Sport is a focal point of proving masculinity.

What I take issue with is that he and the opposing team made multiple efforts to instigate an ugly brawl involving a coach that could have lead to dangerous violence. Furthermore, it was over a matter that was so trivial that it would not have mattered nor remembered after 5 minutes let alone 5 years.

As my friend and fellow sports connoisseur and purist expresses, “sport is an expression of our freedom; a time to zone out…entertainment as a distraction from the real world. (It is) an outlet to divert from grief and as a temporary source of joy to momentarily shield us from the folly of our modern world. Sport is a vehicle for fun and games”.

Don’t forget that.