Sophie O'Donnell Blog #2
Sophie O’Donnell
4 September 2020
UKC 114
I think gladiatorial games can be regarded as a sport because competitions include competitiveness to the death (unless spared), arenas full of fans, and professionally trained gladiators. Training gladiators to perform resembles many modern-day pro sports (basketball, baseball, football, etc.) along with the aspect of fans cheering on the gladiators and picking sides. This sense of competitiveness is what I think classifies gladiatorial games as a sport. I think the comparison between gladiatorial games and football is tenable because they are both played in front of large crowds, there are referees/ rules, they keep records of wins and losses, and both sports put their athletes under intense physical training. However, I think they are compared too often. Other American sports, such as boxing, resemble gladiator combat more than football does. It’s two people fighting in a more closed in arena and their moves resemble that of gladiators, unlike football. Boxing also keeps records and requires lots of training.
I think “cultural performance” means that the sport resembles something more than just the game. It provides a connection between the sport and society that spectators bond over. It can have a religious impact or be part of society’s daily life that impacts it economically and politically. The games were received in a way that was appreciated by all social classes. It was a way for gladiators themselves to have a chance at freedom and wealth. I think what the ancient Greek world got out of gladiatorial fighting is an opportunity for everyone to come together to watch or compete in the sport and gain a sense of community over the fights. There was a sense of pride for those who won and their supporters. I think we can look at American football as a cultural performance too because families come together weekly to cheer on their team and often consider themselves a “football family”, it impacts our media by constantly being broadcasted and generating many athletes that have become household names. By having such a big impact on society, American football has been incorporated into many American lives. Even if it seems as simple as watching a Sunday night game with one another, that experience sparks a tradition that contributes to one’s culture.
I think gladitorial games can for sure be regarded as a sport. The way these gladiators train and diet to focus and become great at there craft goes to the same way as modern day sports. The competition and the fans that are betting and arguing on who will win goes to the same thing as todays sports. It is tenable due to the amount of contact in both sports. Dr. Valeri and I discussed this during the class period on how some of the main differences are based soley on the rules alone and the way people get paid now a days. In the ancient greek world these top gladitors who won the matches but without killing anyone where considered celebrities, role models, etc. The people loved watching these games it was all part of there religion. The cultural performance of the greek world was all based on the religous fact of the games. They played for the greek gods and did this to honor them. American football is not a religous game but, it is apart of the American culture and that is the main sport in the US that we are known for.
ReplyDeleteThe question of “what makes a sport a sport?” has been widely debated and argued over for many years in the past and in all honesty will probably never be truly resolved. In the case of ancient Roman gladiators and the gladiatorial games, I believe that the gladiatorial games could be legitimately regarded as a sport. My reasoning behind this conclusion is due to the similarities between ancient gladiators and today’s athletes in training regiments, popularity/crowd support, and cultural impact. While I think that the gladiatorial games should be regarded as a sport, I do not think that the ancient gladiatorial games can be compared to modern day American football. I believe this for many reasons including a very important reason which is the objective of the two sports and those who play them. Beyond the obvious objective of one gladiator trying to kill his opponent, the gladiators were trying just as hard to please the crowd and provide entertainment to the spectators while also earning personal glory for themselves with each win. Football on the other hand is a bit different, players must work together and do whatever it takes to secure a win for their team. While it is tempting to be a star on the gridiron and produce highlight reel plays, it is ultimately a team effort that gets a win no matter how bad a team or players perform, the crowd gets satisfaction from wins, not individual performances. Another big difference between the two is with their respective audiences, the Romans may not have been as bloodthirsty as history has made them out to be, yet no one can deny the amount of violence and brutality of the gladiatorial games. In American football, the crowd likes the physicality of the sport and big hits are always crowd pleasers just as much as the men that deliver them are revered like Gods as crowds gather to watch them on Sundays such as Sean Taylor, Brian Dawkins, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed etc. However, no matter how much the crowd likes big hits, no one likes to see a player get hurt and when it is clear that a player has suffered a bad injury, the whole stadium will fall silent to be respectful even when it is a member of the opposing team. While it is easy to compare the two sports due to their overall physical nature and the risks that they pose to the athletes that compete in those sports, I do not believe that the comparison between American football and the ancient gladiatorial games is tenable.
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