The following is the third in a three-part series examining violence in sports, and its role in society.
Many have argued that mixed martial arts’ (MMA) recent popularity is an indicator of our society’s demise, that this rising sport is nothing more than a barbaric spectacle that insatiates violent fans’ bloodlust. In fact, when I interviewed mixed martial artist, Travis Lutter, he made it a point to say this about American fans and how they compared to fans from Japan:
Well, I’ve never fought in Japan. I’ve been to two or three Pride (FC) shows with Guy Mezger when he fought (in Japan). I cornered him, and that’s a totally different ambiance, to sit in there and have those guys, they way that they kind of, they appreciate the technical kind of things that Americans don’t. Americans want to see blood, guts, and heads rollin’, stuff like that. Whereas the Japanese, they want to see good technique. (Fighting for Acceptance, p. 142).
As sports fans, do we really hunger for violence? Do violent sports bring out the worst in us?
In most cases—heck, in the vast majority of cases, the answer would be no. Considering the innumerable sporting events that transpire every day and the lack of serious altercations between fans at those events, it’s difficult to argue that an epidemic of violence exists among sports fans.
Perhaps the most glaring example of violence initiated by an American fan occurred in 2004. No doubt, readers all recall that Detroit Pistons fan who threw a drink at then-Indiana Pacer, Ron Artest, prompting Artest to engage in a fairly serious brawl. In the aftermath, Artest was suspended an entire season, while teammates Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal also received hefty suspensions.
While this incident was shocking to Americans, it was far less eye opening for sports fans across Europe, who are more familiar with extreme fan violence. Angry European soccer fans too often riot in inappropriate forms of "protest" that have resulted in mass injuries, and even deaths.
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