Have you heard of Rick Mahorn? Back in the 1980's the Detroit Pistons earned the nickname "The Bad Boys" Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn were on that team and as enforcers they were known for protecting teammates, intimidating, provoking, fighting with, and even disabling opponents (Coakley, 2007). Click here for a video of The Bad Boys. This tactic is a strategy frequently used in sport. What are your thoughts on using intimidation as a strategy in sport? What are some other examples from different sports of enforcers?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Violence as a Strategy in Sport
Have you heard of Rick Mahorn? Back in the 1980's the Detroit Pistons earned the nickname "The Bad Boys" Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn were on that team and as enforcers they were known for protecting teammates, intimidating, provoking, fighting with, and even disabling opponents (Coakley, 2007). Click here for a video of The Bad Boys. This tactic is a strategy frequently used in sport. What are your thoughts on using intimidation as a strategy in sport? What are some other examples from different sports of enforcers?
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This will sound like a broken record soon...but intimidation is part of the game, and a necessary part at that. I loved getting the green light to play as hard as necessary to stop the opposing team's top scorers. Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez, as well as many other power pitchers are enforcers, known for brushing back right after a homer, later in the game, and then two seasons later just becuase they don't like the player anymore. From a theorist standpoint that type of gameplay can seem questionable, but if I were a big league manager I would love to have an enforcer on my pitching staff.
ReplyDeletei believe it depends on what type of sports you play. in basketball the game is dynamic and forever flowing. the adrenaline is pumping and the use of enforcers is fine in my opinion (so long as the statements made are not too personal and insulting). it makes the game more exciting and unpredictable and players become more determined to win. the famous Haka, the new zealand rugby team war dance. they always perform it before a match and players and fans love it. by far one of the most intimidating things in sport today. intimidation is important in physical sports, i always try to intimidate my opponent, to make him afraid at running at me with the ball, knowing that im going to put him on the ground hard.
ReplyDeleteI think that being an enforcer and using intimidation is just part of the game. Basically, if you cant take the heat, get off of the court. But it also comes down to whether you are physically injuring your opponent. If you go as far as disabling opponents or perhaps hitting them in the head with a "brushback" pitch, then you have gone too far. Scaring your opponents into turning the ball over is one thing, but causing physical harm to them is another. When I think of enforcer, one person comes to mind: Dennis Rodman. Although he was a great rebounder, I think that he was brought to the Chicago Bulls for his toughness more than anything. You definately didnt want to mess with him, and that worked in his favor.
ReplyDeleteI personally love the feeling of being able to intimidate people on the other team, only in the game of course! It makes me feel like more of a competitor and gives me confidence in my athletic skills. Intimidation is part of the game. Simply, a tactic to promote fear in another player. I think intimidation is safe to do as long as it doesn't involve any physical harm against another player. My grandpa told me about Bob Gibson,a fierce pitcher in the MLB back in the day, was a guy who that was known for his fast inside pitches and never smiling. I found a quote from Hank Aaron that describes this about him, “Don't dig in against Bob Gibson, he'll knock you down. Don't stare at him. He doesn't like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don't run too slow, don't run too fast. If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don't charge the mound, because he's a Gold Glove boxer.” How's that for intimidation?! I know I would be frightened if he tried a brushback pitch on me!
ReplyDeleteIt's part of the game. In practice there were guy's I didn't want to guard especially when I was an underclassmen in high school. They were a lot bigger than I was and they talked a lot, but I feel like not only was I practicing my physical skills in practice, but I was also gettign prepared mentally for what to expect on the court for an actual game. Intimidation defnitely has you thinking a lot more and it does what it was purposed for, to throw you off your game. The quote in the above comment by Hank Aaron kind of summed it up that when you are playing someone who is an enforcer and earns that monicker they definitely will have you thinking more about your actions. An example that I can think of off the top of my head is probably Brian Dawkins or Ray lewis, I would hate to go across the middle with those guys waiting to decleat me and then hear about it as I walk back to the huddle, if I could still walk.
ReplyDeleteI think intimidation plays a big role in many sports and as long as it does not go too far it is a perfectly acceptable part of the game. Part of being good at a sport is being mentally tough and not letting the small things get to you. Players taunting their opponents and playing physically is something that is to be expected, but if it gets to the point of serious injury or the words cross too many lines than I think it has gone too far. A brushback pitch in baseball, a hard hit in football, and a fearsome bump in basketball are all parts of the game that the players expect to see from time to time. Like I said before as long as the point is to intimidate and to not do serious bodily damage than it is fine. Players taking intimidation to this next level is what gives it a bad name and makes people say it is unacceptable. Sport would not be what it is without the intimidation factor, so participants need to be prepared mentally and physically for whatever it might throw at them.
ReplyDeleteIntimidation is a part of sport, in football you want guys who are bigger stronger faster than everyone else, those guys create an aura around them that strikes fear into the opponent. Mental Intimidation is part of the game, but when does Intimidation go too far? Physical Intimidation like the Bad Boys of Detroit is unacceptable because their purpose was to hurt someone. John Chaney from Temple used a goon to break someones arm!! that is terrible when someone performs a purposeful act to harm it is a crime. they call it assault! I can accept talking trash to gain an edge because it is all fun during the game but when serious injuries happen that is crossing the line.
ReplyDeleteIntimidation plays a huge role in sport, and it can often be a great strategy if used correctly. For example a couple years ago the Anaheim Ducks won the championship in hockey and intimidation was a huge part of their game. Their players were physically intimidating because they were huge, and their fourth line's sole purpose was to bring energy onto the ice, talk trash, and be physical with the other team. These factors largely shaped their playing style, and it affected the other teams mentally. Intimidation is very common in sport and most players come to expect some form of it to occur during any given game. They key part of intimidation I believe is maintaining the ability to control it and not allow it to get out of hand.
ReplyDeleteAs the designated intimidator on every team I play on, I totally agree with intimidation as a tactic. Trash talking and hard hitting are part of sports. Every hockey team has a player known as the bruiser. They protect the team’s star player and usually lead the team in penalty minutes. Gary Peyton used to trash talk the opponent in basketball. The other team was intimidated and Peyton prospered. Joey Porter trash talks in football. As does Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson. And although 85 stunk last year, in his prime intimidation worked to his advantage. Intimidation is a part of sport culture, but does not fit in culture outside of sports.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with using intimidation as a strategy in sport. Personally, I think it adds much needed intensity and more competition to the play. I just got back from Pittsburgh where I watched two hockey games and I saw many instances where the "enforcers" were used. For example, after the NHL leader in points (Evgeni Malkin) scored a goal for Pittsburgh, the crowd was chanting "M-V-P" over and over. During his next shift, one of the big guys from the other team followed him around shoving and getting physical. It clearly upset Malkin mentally as he attempted to retaliate. In addition, I intimidate people to the highest degree when I play sports. So I believe intimidation is a great strategy, if used effectively, in sports.
ReplyDeleteIntimidation is part of the game, it always has been and always will be. I think it adds to the game, when you have people that are scaring and intimidating others it makes it fun to watch. I know this is a pretty obvious example but when the sport of slamball was still around, they actually had players called enforcers whose sole job was to physically hurt anyone trying to dunk the ball. I could tell that some of the smaller players did hesitate when they were going to try and dunk, because they knew that if they jumped they could get hurt.
ReplyDeleteI believe that intimidation in sports is completely common and is not a bad thing. It is a part of the game that brings excitement and strategory to sports. The raiders are known to the the "badasses" and their tactics of playing dirty. It is all apart of what sports are. I remember playing against a team in high school where a girl on the other team was known to be nasty. She actually got suspended for pulling a girl down by her hair. Yeah, she prob took it a little too far, but I was completely intimidated to go up against her, not only was she 6' 8", but for the fear of getting hurt. Trash talking about brutal play is a part of sports and I hope that it will never go away because it makes it so interesting and fun to play and watch. There is nothing like 2 guys battle it out of the court, trash talking after every point they score. Ahhh, i love sports.
ReplyDeleteSport is all about finding an edge on your opponents. If that edge involves intimidating them, then by all means use it! It adds a great factor to the game that fans enjoy being involved in. However, the intimidation factor should never lead to violent acts being carried out in play. It is one thing to sabotage an opponent mentally, but taking it out physically is different. In rough sports such as football, the use of intimidation might be the difference between a winning team and a losing team. Intimidation instills fear in the opponent and confidence in the mind of the user. A linebacker that threatens to take a receivers head off if he crosses the middle is only improving his chances of winning. Now that receiver is thinking about being hit rather than catching the ball. As long as is doesn't lead to violence, intimidation is merely a part of the game!
ReplyDeleteAs a strategy, people employ intimidation, provocation, and physical contact. It is a good tactic in sport, but sometimes it can lead to physical harm, which can hurt the game. In high contact sports such as football, basketball, and hockey, professional leagues have enforced new rules that prevent hard hits, intentional fouls, and fights during games. Yet the problem is that these strategies have become a part of the game. They have the ability to make a difference in the game. Tennis is a non-contact sport, and your success heavily depends on your ability to hit groundstrokes. The best ways to gain an advantage are intimidation and by getting into your opponent’s head. I tried to be aggressive with my shots. I aimed my shots towards the opponent’s body. I also tried my best to show no emotion. Whenever I could, I used intimidation as a tactic to gain an edge because there was no physical contact to alter the game. Intimidation is not exactly common in tennis, but it was useful as an additional tactic to win the match.
ReplyDeleteIntimidation is definitely an important part of sports as the psychological aspect of the game can be very powerful. However, it is also important that intimidation tactics are kept within the rules. The problem with using violence to intimidate opponents is that it increases the risk of injury and often escalates. Leagues are aware of this and have began creating more rules to eliminate excessive violence. Every sport seems to have different acceptable forms of intimidation. Baseball has inside pitches, football has hard hits, and intimidation in basketball can come from a good blocked shot. In this sense of the word enforcers would be players like Roger Clemens, Brian Urlacher, and Dwight Howard.
ReplyDeleteIntimidation is part of the game. Without it I think sports wouldn't be as much to watch or play. I believe it can be taken to far. Taking it to far goes to the point of a disabling a player for intimidation purposes is just not right. The players should always want the best competition playing that they can. Plus I agree with the penalties that sports hand down for intentional fouling or trying to intentionally taking someone out. The only sport where I really like something that could fall into this category is hockey. Hockey without fighting, just isn't hockey any more. I really hope that part of the game never changes. Enforcers in over sports Sean Avery, Steve Burtusi, a lot of other hockey players, Olin Kreutz (Bears center, he enforces the players on his team and as well as if anything bad happens on the field), there are numerous others.
ReplyDeleteIntimidation is part of the game. When you get to the professional level all of the players are at the top of their game and so any advantage that can be had should be taken. I think that people like Ali, and Kevin Garnett are great examples of people who have used intimidation to their advantage. There are penalties for those that want to break the rules and the rule breakers know that so I think it becomes sort of a non-issue. These athletes know what they are doing when it comes to intimidation and like I said in todays sports many athletes will use whatever advantage they can use.
ReplyDeleteI think on using intimidation as a strategy in sport is very important part of the game. It might be not a fair play but sometimes it is needed to win the game. The intimidation might change the other team's atmosphere which would affect on the game. Most of sports are mental games. Teams with good atmosphere are having wins and make records. However the intimidation would change that. If it is not physical intimidation like Detroit Pistons, I think the intimidation during the game is really needed to win
ReplyDeleteI think intimidation is a good strategy in tough sports such as football and rugby. I remember watching a video in class where the rugby perform an intimidation dance to show how superior they are to their opponents. For less contacts sports, I beleive it's considered unnessary. It creates tressful images towards fans and players.
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