Over the weekend, flipping through the channels, one of my favorite movies of alltime was on: “Gladiator”. As I watched Maximus slash his way to fame and adoration leaving body after body in his wake, I thought, only in Rome.
Fast forward to Sunday and the glory that is the NFL. Watching the Titans vs. Cowboys with two of my good friends I realized that when it comes to sports that our “civilized” society isn’t as far removed from Rome as one might think.
During the first half of the Titans game Albert Haynesworth tore the helmet off the Cowboys center, Andre Gurode, and did what any good gladiator would do, stomp his face with metal cleats leaving gashes that would require 30 stitches.
Watching the blood run from Gurode’s face like a river was almost surreal. Hearing the fans roar with a mixture of rage and delight as the replay of Hanynesworth’s heinous act was played throughout the Titans stadium would have made any Roman proud. I would say that even Maximus himself would be proud of Haynesworth’s handiwork in the name of Rome. Uh, I mean sport.
Ironically enough, even the Titans stadium is called The Coliseum. Seriously, you can’t make some of this stuff up.
Football, though the most popular, is not the only sport keeping the gladiatorial tradition alive.
Hockey, basketball, soccer and baseball all in there own special way give life to the barbaric ways of Rome. Just think about. Hockey is basically one big fight with a game that occasionally goes on around it. Basketball? Non-contact? I’ve got two words for you: Ron Artest. America’s pastime even has a dark-side. At least once a year you’ll see 60 or more players involved in a bench-clearing brawl over getting hit with the baseball. Zinedine Zidane showed the world with one head butt that even soccer, called ‘the beautiful game’, would bring Romans to their feet in applause.
As violent as these acts can be, it does nothing but fuel the ravenous hunger in the fans, making them numb to the severity of the situation.
Let’s be honest for a minute. It’s pure, unadulterated human nature to be amused by gore and tragedy. Who hasn’t driven by a car accident and almost broken their neck just to catch one more glimpse of the carnage. Sports work under the same context except most people don’t make that connection. I know I watch with baited breath every time a game comes on to maybe see something that will make me turn my head and I wouldn’t want my sports any other way. Hail Caesar!
What the @$#!

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