Extreme Sports?


In all fairness, I have never been a fan of the X-Games. I just don't really see the appeal of extreme sports, but I appreciate that many do. In fact, some of the X-Games events have migrated to the Olympics — like snowboard events.

But after this week, it's fair to be asking the question what defines sport? In an era where player safety in the mainstream sports has been a huge focus — the the NFL and NHL asking hard questions about the long-term effects of playing on health — it seems curious that we're celebrating events that are more suited for an episode of "Jackass" than ESPN.

I'm talking, mainly, of snowboard jumping. First, a jump went wrong and the snowmobile lunged into the crowd. Thankfully, no one was really hurt, but it was still a problem. Then, Thursday, Caleb Moore, 25, died as a result of injuries sustained in a snowmobile jump gone wrong. So now, we're all asking whether it should be promoted as a sport.

My answer is no. While I respect the daredevil nature of those that wish to push limits, and I admire those with the skill to accomplish some of these feats, it's not even remotely within the bounds of safe. It's men flying through the air with a machine. One slight miscalculation results in major trauma or, sadly, death.

There are those that watch auto racing for the wrecks, and those that watch boxing and MMA for the violence. And they probably appreciate the death-defying nature of this sport, but this is not something we should be glorifying. Like it or not, all sports and athletes are adored by the public and, in many cases, emulated. What are we saying to the youth of America by uplifting something that is unsafe and just plain stupid?

I appreciate innovators and those that follow their passion, but safety and responsibility have to factor in. It's time for this blood sport to end before it claims any more lives.

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