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Violence in Sports
around and disciplines them for it, when it's their starting positions and livelihoods at stake." — Sally Jenkins, Washington Post sports columnist
Time to get serious about NBA violence
Writes Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist: Why not make the financial penalties so severe that no player would think of throwing a punch? Why not delay a player's suspension until the playoffs, when each game matters? Or automatically dock a team that's involved in a fight five games in the standings? Or make fighting an automatic six-week suspension? For insight on who's to blame besides the athletes, see "These punch fines are bad joke," Carol Slezak, The Chicago Sun-Times, October 29, 2002.
Time to get serious about NFL violence
For two in-depth looks at the culture of violence in the NFL and the debate over where and how to draw a halt to the dangers without destroying the nature and entertainment value of the game (including an interview with Darryl Stingley, the victim of a paralyzing hit), see "N.F.L. Needs to Crack Down on Dangerous Hits," Mike Freeman, The New York Times, November 1, 2002, and "Hit list," Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, October 27, 2002.
In a new effort to stem helmet-to-helmet hits and hits on defenseless players, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has sent a memo to all 32 head coaches informing them that "they could be fined for condoning such hits, and that teams could incur serious sanctions if it can be determined they have paid the fines for penalized or suspended players." See "Tagliabue Emphasizes Safety to Coaches," Leonard Shapiro, The Washington Post, November 4, 2002; Page D14.
"Woman's Word and Athletes' Honor Are at Odds"
For an in-depth look at what's involved and what's at stake when a coach vouched for athletes accused of rape and other wrongdoing, see "Woman's Word and Athletes' Honor Are at Odds," Selena Roberts, The New York Times, October 20, 2002.
Nearly 25 years ago former Lakers Kermit Washington's punch nearly killed Rockets Rudy Tomjanovich, an act that left deep and far-reaching scars on both players and on the game. For a story of contrition and remarkable forgiveness, see "25 years later, all is forgiven," Jonathan Feigen, The Houston Chronicle, August 23, 2002.
Largely written by sportswriter and author Alexander Wolff, Sports Illustrated's "Special Report - Munich 1972" remembers the events that ended in the tragic deaths of eleven Israeli Olympians at the hands of Palestinian terrorists. Inching inexorably to the grim shootout, Wolff leads us through the plot, the takeover, and the standoff and then rests us on his shoulders as he looks back at the attacks from the present. His feature article, "When the Terror Began," is bolstered by four sidebars; two — "The Mastermind" and "Striking Back" — are also penned by him. The others are Brian Cazeneuve's "The American," and Don Yaeger's "A Painful Visit." For further perspective, Sports Illustrated gives us four flashbacks: Kenny Moore's "Shootings in the Night" and "Munich's Message," Jerry Kirshenbaum's "A Sanctuary Violated," and E.L. Doctorow's "After the Nightmare." To see these articles, click [next page]