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Why do you need to be so aggressive?
The Advocate
A popular conversation these days is aggression in sports. Some athletes just have too much pent-up emotion in the middle of the game and have an outburst, while some may be trying to create an image on the field versus off the field.
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But then came the outburst from the University of Oregon running back LaGarrette Blount, punching a Boise State player after losing the opening game. That was followed by the outburst from tennis player Serena Williams in the semifinals at the U.S. Open where she lost due to her anger being taken out on a line judge. Until all this, I never thought about how aggression played a role into today’s sports world.
Before I started thinking about it, I always thought it was okay to have aggression in sporting events because it made the game more exciting. But after recent events, I’ve changed my mind. Now I believe that what needs to happen is a return to an old coaching philosophy that has been around for ages: controlled aggression, the art of being centered and taking your aggression out on a play rather than another human being.
As a society, we have started to embrace the fact that instead of watching a clean game, some fans just want to watch the fights, as in hockey.
How many fans actually go to a Winter Hawks game these days for the hockey? I know it’s not because of the great action and puck movement and team chemistry. It’s because every game is a guaranteed fight.
Players need to realize that aggression is not okay. One way is through what the commissioner of the NFL is imposing. If you screw up, then tough cookies, buddy. He is going to take care of the person starting the fights or playing dirty. Essentially, he’s trying to clean up the game.
For example, look at instances of unchecked aggression like the “Battle in the Palace” with Ron Artest running into the stands to fight with a fan during a game. This could have been avoided with a little better management over the game. When these players have no reason to fear consequences, their actions reflect it. They can act poorly because maybe they get slapped with a small fine or suspended for a couple of games. What does that show?
That they can just pay a little itty-bitty fine compared to the multi-million dollar contract they signed? The sports world needs to start cleaning up the acts of players.
And it has started.
The suspension of Blount for the season is a great way to start dealing with athletes with too much aggression.
If coaches want to have hotheads on the team — just because they can run the ball with power — then they need to step up and teach these athletes how to channel their aggression into something a little more useful, instead of letting them get an assault charge.
If we try to go back to when the game was pure and athletes had controlled aggression, we wouldn't need to have athletes dragged off the field by police.