Violence on field in sports
John Bracewell, coach of the NZ cricket team, has threatened to sue Brett Lee for bowling a beamer at Brendon McCullum, citing as precedent an
incident in rugby league.
There is an increasing trend to prosecute sportsmen for onfield transgressions. Todd Bertuzzi, an ice hockey player in the NHL, was
prosecuted for a vicious on-ice attack on an opposing player. This follows Marty McSorley (Gretzky's protector during his golden years with the Edmonton Oilers) being found guilty for a high sticking incident against Donald Brashear in 2000. Recently, 5 Indiana Pacers players have been
charged for their roles in a crazy oncourt brawl with fans.
While this growing trend of prosecuting athletes for onfield incidents is inevitable as the athletes become faster and stronger and hence cause more serious injuries to others, it is not always easy to judge intent in these incidents. Ponting is claiming that the field was wet and so the ball may have slipped from Lee's hand. John Buchanan, the Aussie coach, claims that bowling at the pace Lee does can cause some loss of control and that Lee didn't bowl an intentional beamer. However Lee has bowled 5 or 6 beamers in this season and maybe skirting with the law. He needs to be careful, which is sad beacuse an unfettered Lee bowling upwards of 150 KMph is a great sight.
Athletes have to become more wary of the long arm of law and try not to be reckless. Sadly this will take way a bit of the instinctivess that makes sports so unpredictable and entertaining.
incident in rugby league.
There is an increasing trend to prosecute sportsmen for onfield transgressions. Todd Bertuzzi, an ice hockey player in the NHL, was
prosecuted for a vicious on-ice attack on an opposing player. This follows Marty McSorley (Gretzky's protector during his golden years with the Edmonton Oilers) being found guilty for a high sticking incident against Donald Brashear in 2000. Recently, 5 Indiana Pacers players have been
charged for their roles in a crazy oncourt brawl with fans.
While this growing trend of prosecuting athletes for onfield incidents is inevitable as the athletes become faster and stronger and hence cause more serious injuries to others, it is not always easy to judge intent in these incidents. Ponting is claiming that the field was wet and so the ball may have slipped from Lee's hand. John Buchanan, the Aussie coach, claims that bowling at the pace Lee does can cause some loss of control and that Lee didn't bowl an intentional beamer. However Lee has bowled 5 or 6 beamers in this season and maybe skirting with the law. He needs to be careful, which is sad beacuse an unfettered Lee bowling upwards of 150 KMph is a great sight.
Athletes have to become more wary of the long arm of law and try not to be reckless. Sadly this will take way a bit of the instinctivess that makes sports so unpredictable and entertaining.
posted by Rajagopal at 2:54 AM
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