This is an essay discussing conflict theory in sport.

Essay by shellyUniversity, Master'sA, December 2002

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Americas favorite pastime is sport. Millions and millions of dollars have been spent publicizing sport, and on the same token millions and millions of dollars have also been spent watching it. Children grow up idolizing sport. Parents have been obsessed with sport. In Texas football is valued very high- from high school football to the NFL there is an obsession with the sport.

The Dark side of the Game discusses a conflict theory perspective on the high stakes that surround the players in the NFL. Fame and fortune can be short lived for some players who are pursuing that American dream, and may be forced into retirement with their bodies left mangled and used up.

The NFL is seen as pristine with cutting edge competition. The fact beyond the fiction is that the common person in society looks at sport with rose- colored glasses. It is no lie that some athletes do live out the life that they have dreamed of, but many also suffer by compromising their beliefs and morals.

The Dark Side of the Game starts with the beginning aspects of playing in the NFL. The Combines,or the process by which the players are medically examined and given an intelligence test is the gateway to the NFL. Your health is a determining factor in whether your stock in the upcoming draft will drop. Next comes training camp. Most fans look forward to training camp; it is the time to get pumped up about the upcoming football season and watch your favorite teams get prepared. To an NFL player training camp can be a month of hot torture. Days start at seven in the morning and can end at nine at night, leaving players weak and tired and with a loss of appetite. Training camp is especially hard on...