Extreme Sports: Tempting Fate - News in review

The Nature of Sports
Extreme Sports: Tempting Fate?
Sport, games, and play are some of the most common words in
our vocabulary but not necessarily the easiest activities to define.
As you read the following information, think about how these
three words may have acquired new levels of meaning for you.
The Thrill Of The Hunt
When early human society evolved from hunting and gathering
to fixed agricultural communities, two things in particular
happened. With a steady food supply, humans acquired more
leisure time since they were not consumed with locating and
hunting prey. Subsequently, they did not experience as often the
thrills, risks, and rewards of the hunt. While the increased leisure
time no doubt provided opportunities for invention and artistic
expression, the absence of the hunt left a void. All human
societies have subsequently devoted some energy toward
creating games for entertainment, and a good proportion of
those involve testing our physical limits.
Undeclared War
Ulterior motives for sports have included preparing a society s
citizenry for war, either generally, as a way to keep physically fit,
or specifically through competitions that emphasized military
components. For example, the first Olympic Games featured
running events in which competitors raced in their full battle
armour weighing 20-30 kilograms. Pankration was a combat
sport at the Olympics that incorporated boxing and wrestling.