While I’m throwing BBS ragewar grenades, why not toss this one in there: http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-17/ama-wants-boxing-to-be-banned-after-death-of-braydon-smith/6325956
A 23 year old boxer is dead. He collapsed 90 minutes after a fight despite a post fight check over from a doctor. He fell into a coma and his life support was eventually switche’d off.
His family defend the sport, which merely says to me they’re fucking worthless shitbags.
I’ve always regarded boxing as some sort of primal throwback to some of our most basic and vicious instincts, and thus basically immune to any effort to ban it, much like Americans running around with guns, thanks to the long-standing tolerance for it up to now.
That the AMA thinks it has a snowflake’s chance of making this happen says less about boxing and more about the moronic wowser steak in the Australian character, IMO. This, from the country that decided to put helmets on all cyclists and horrible nocebo imagery on cigarette packets, but can’t be arsed to tackle the booze or junk food industries.
It’s as if unintended consequences weren’t even a thing. Hey, if we ban boxing it won’t go underground and result in worse outcomes, for sure.
FTW sir.
Horrible imagery on cigarette packs I can get behind as well as plain packaging. I sometimes buy cigarettes and couldn’t care less what they come in. Booze is ridiculously taxed compared to other places but as Micalef hilariously pointed out on this week’s Mad As Hell we have an idiotic binge drinking culture that even that clown Abbott seems to think is a funny joke.
I’d have serious questions about the integrity of any ‘medical association’ that wasn’t against a sport that is entirely built around inflicting serious head trauma.
On the other hand, I’d have serious questions about the sanity of any medical association that thought it had a chance against a popular blood sport that only kills a relatively small number of (mostlyish) willing participants; and serious questions about the pragmatism of any medical association that spent whatever influence and time it had on that issue, rather than a wide variety of other options.
It was the AMA of Queensland, where the fight took place. If a guy dies from a fight it seems like a pretty reasonable time for a statement to me cause when otherwise would the message get any airtime?
I also don’t particularly care what consenting adults do, though I’d argue that without being properly informed one can not give proper consent. My biggest problem with these bloodsports is the audience who are, generally speaking, drunk rabid morons.
We have boxing because Constantine made everybody stop feeding people to lions for entertainment.
Oh, I have no problem with them making a statement, and I didn’t mean to imply that they were on a Quixotic crusade; I just wanted to emphasize that, while being against boxing is a highly sound position for them, being able to prioritize your sound positions is an important virtue in any entity that would engage in public advocacy.
Given the circumstances, timing, and location, this is an ideal chance for a statement; but I suspect that there are numerous less doomed causes that might prevent more morbidity and mortality, so I hope that they spend more typical circumstances going after those.
Considering that almost all of the sports I’ve done carry a far greater risk of death than professional boxing and greater still than amateur boxing, I suppose it’s only a matter of time before some bunch of wankers tries to legislate them out of existence as well. 
Yay! Bubble wrap for everyone!
After the first several KO concussions, I’d expect that most previously informed and consenting boxers start losing competency.
There’s definitely a point where the sport’s main goal is successful enough to render a pugilist totally incompetent, intellectually to consent to getting bashed in the head.
What sports are you talking about?
It’s sad that you’re cool with a society that celebrates that shit, but I know you’re into it. Weren’t you recently taking issue with me driving stoned? Now you’re claiming this is me wanting to bubblewrap society.
This raises some interesting questions.
Should a medical association observe primum non nocere by completely refusing to take part, as the American Psychiatric Association has advised when it comes to interrogation and torture?
Or should the medical professionals take a harm reduction approach, like as has been done for serious drug use, and call for improved safety standards in equipment (e.g., helmets, gloves) and scoring (e.g., reduce importance of KO/TKO)?
Certainly, consenting adults can and should do what consenting adults want to do.
For me, boxing (and MMA) as a profession seems an awful lot like rich people exploiting the youth, recklessness, and desperation of those with limited options. In that sense, pro-fighting is as much of a public health issue as dog-fighting is a PETA/Humane Society issue.
To be clear, I don’t want boxing to be banned any more than I want a vegan to take away my bacon.
It is. And the links between pro boxing and organized crime are well-known.
But there’s also the other side of the equation, down at the amateur and lower pro levels, where local boxing gyms gave people self-respect, discipline and a feeling of value. A chance to get away from crime and gang-related violence for someone who may not have many other options.
It’s difficult to explain without over-romanticizing it, but if you’re poor, marginalized and have had the education system fail you then something that gives you pride in yourself, goals to work towards and motivation is very powerful.
The macho element to it helps attract people who want to also be seen to be tough, as well as some gain some measure of self-protection. It’s a similar form of attraction as gangs have, but with a better outcome. And once you gain some self-respect and feel like you actually are able to achieve something with your life, you can see more alternatives.
Not sure how relevant this in today’s world, but if you’re growing up in a poor and dangerous neighbourhood, it can be a force for good. Or at least was. Dunno what it’s like these days, I’m long removed from all that shit.
Dunno quite what I’m getting at here. Probably that there’s a bit more nuance to things, or something like that.
Three words. Cold. Greasy. Fingers. 
< hug > you know I’m playing a character stolen from Rocky, right?
Oh.
Maybe not. Then let me say.
There’s no such thing as over-romanticizing a path to a better life.
But the profiteers, yeah, I gots a problem with them.
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