Violence Among Our Young People
September 4, 2009 by Barbara Jacoby
Filed under Creating Happiness, Domestic Abuse
I don’t know how many of you may have seen the incident following the Boise St. / Oregon college football game last evening (see video below) but I can’t tell you how shocked and saddened I felt. Oregon player LeGarrette Blount punched a member of the Boise St. team at the end of the game. It was horrific to see but it was his continuing actions that really scared me. Immediately following the incident, other of his team members and coaches and even several policemen tried to get him under control but he hit them also and threw them off of him like they were rag dolls. He was completely out of control and his actions and demeanor were those that I recognized as the same as those of my own abuser.
This young man, who is a college senior, has been suspended from the team for the rest of the season. For the incident to play out on national television is something that everyone is talking about today but the sad part is that I believe that very few people even think about the fact that this young man is in serious need of help. It may be very interesting to see how professional organizations may look at him because they may see that incident as being something like a true fighting spirit that would be an asset on the field. After all, if you look at what is happening in the pros, the violence continues to increase there as well.
I recently heard the results of a survey done among high school students wherein a full 50% of them admitted that they were either in an abusive relationship or knew another young person who was. This survey didn’t even include abuse that they may have suffered or seen in their own homes. And I am pretty sure that every one of the students surveyed was not completely forthcoming with the full truth. If this is the experiences of so many of our young people, why should every one be so surprised when an incident like the one witnessed last night is finally viewed.
I am the first person to tell you that I really, really love to watch college football. I love to see a good “game” and that is what we should be seeing on the field. However, football games have become such a commercial enterprise that younger and younger children are being taught that they must be willing to win at any cost if they are going to succeed at the next level. And this “tough” competitive mentality is destroying our young men and women. They are being taught that they are expected to win at any cost and that it doesn’t matter what you do or say to the opponents as long as you don’t get caught. For them, the game of football is no longer a sport but rather a means to get ahead on the field, in their work and in their homes. They are being taught that the end justifies the means and if they don’t want to measure up at that level, there are plenty of other people who are willing to do so. And there are plenty of people in the adult community that are more than willing to teach them this lesson.
I truly hope that this incident will make people stop and think about the tragedy behind it and that everyone will take a look at the young people around them to see if there are any signs of violent behavior. The young people can’t handle this epidemic of rage and violence by themselves. It is about time that we all step up and help them before it is too late and another generation has perpetuated this destructive lifestyle.
I would really love your input on this matter. Please share your comments.
I think often because we’re so caught up in technology… we must forget that we don’t deal with people as often anymore, and then we lack patience in person. Or maybe we want too many things, and we don’t spend the time with our children because work seems to take more importance.
I saw this on the news and was shocked by his anger. I commend his coaches for taking a tough stance against violence. To let him continue to play would tell the younger kids that violence is OK in sports. And clearly it is not. When I see people act in such a violent way, I wonder where they came from. I’m sure abuse could have played a part in his life along the way. Somebody showed him that anger and violence was OK. I hope that LeGarrette Blount gets the help he needs. It’s very sad that his future could be ruined from this. But if that’s what it takes to stand up to violence, then so be it. Thanks for sharing your view on this incident.
Thank you so very much for your input. You are so right that someone showed him that anger and violence are okay. I truly hope, as do you, that he will get some help. Oh, I also wanted to share what I have now heard regarding his future in the pros. Apparently, this whole incident will change the likelihood that he will be drafted in either the 1st or 2nd round of the draft but rather push him to the 5th or 6th round. And that isn’t because of the incident itself but rather because he won’t be getting the experience from playing this year. So I guess it really won’t ruin his future football career as many have initially speculated.
It was sad and put a bad mark on all of us Oregon Duck fans, and the other Oregon players. What LeGarrette did was his own choice, and a horrible one at that. He is being punished for his actions. I just hope that the rest of the USA doesn’t think that all of the Oregon Ducks are that way. Yes, it embarrassed those of us who live in Eugene (Duck Town). But please don’t take it out on everyone else.
I don’t believe that the actions of that one person defines this team. It was an incredible response from that team and the coaching staff that they did NOT enter into the melee but rather tried their best to stop that one person from pushing things farther. In addition, the quick response from the coach, backed by the school today, was total class. They could have suggested suspending him for a couple of games as he could have made such a difference to the overall outcome of the season but they didn’t. That is a class act and a class program at Oregon and I don’t think that there is anyone who believes that your program is reflected by the actions of one individual. GO DUCKS! His actions shouldn’t embarrass anyone but LeGarrette himself.
I agree with you, what he did was a bad thing. As far as judging him how can we? Was this his first time to act like this? Was it one of those one time things where he was just in the heat of the moment and went off. In no way am I trying to defend this young man’s actions, but when your out on a field playing such an already full contact sport then you have someone getting in your face and yelling, as the guy from the other team did and I think he even pushed his shoulder or something, well tempers will flare. I don’t think this is something this young man should be judged for as far as his whole life and future go. Do I think he should get some counseling for this incident, yes I do, but if the media blows this thing into something bigger it will just affect him more. I believe there was something mentioned about how this seems to happen a lot in college football. I don’t agree with that. College football is something I’m a huge fan of and watch religiously every year and I can say I have not seen this a lot. You get little pushing matches here and there, but to say the punching and things like that happen all the time, they don’t. I do appreciate this article and agree with many things said, but this young man shouldn’t be marked as an abuser for the rest of his life.
I thank you so much for your comments and I appreciate your point of view. I just want to say that I am not labeling this young man as an abuser or judging him. And I agree that tempers flare and players are penalized for their resulting behavior. But, this incident was not limited to that single punch. Had it been only that one punch, his punishment would have more than likely been limited to a game or two suspension. Even before the NCAA handed down any punishment, his coach, backed by the athletic director and school administrators, suspended him for the remainder of the year. I seriously doubt that the school would sacrifice such an important player for the remainder of the season without believing that this was really major and who knows what went on after the cameras were no longer able to follow him. And for what it is worth, for anyone who has experienced abuse, out of control behavior, the look on his face and the super strength that he exhibited are all things with which we are very familiar.
I”m totally in shock that they would even air this on TV. They should not encourage this behavior by showing it on ESPN. It just makes people think they can act this way because the news or papers will take notice. It’s a shameful act weather it is man on man or man on woman. Violence is violence
Oh, you are so right that violence is violence. I was watching the game myself and saw the violence on the spot. That is what made me feel so badly. I am hoping that as a result of this horrible happening. more people will stop and take a look at situations like these. I couldn’t believe the commentary that I heard tonight whereby this guy’s future in the NFL may have moved him from a 1st or 2nd round pick in the draft to a 5th or 6th round pick next season. This guy needs help and needs it now. I can only hope that it happens. Thank you so very much for sharing you comments. So many people need to take a different look at violence and I appreciate your help in pointing this out.