Many news writers about sports highlight extraordinary victories, comebacks of disadvantaged people or shocking defeats. Sometimes these stories even praise the actions of the players, but overall they rarely denounce the serious violence that occurs on the field and in the stands. The following essay will discuss the impact of violence on professional players, the violence that occurs among fans, and how violence has shaped professional sports. Sports have been a part of society for a long time, such as the Mayan Ball Game which was the first team sport in the history of mankind and has been practiced for over 3000 years, it was a test of physical skill and mental toughness. Sports were a way to show that you or your team were the best and that you would put everything on the field. Some sports have brought people together, such as football, which is a global sport in which almost all countries participate. However, sport can also create bitter rivals and make a game mean more than just a game, it means war. With multiple rivals this creates a warrior mentality and can lead to the mentality of completely destroying the opponent at any cost. This cost can result in serious injury. An article titled “For too long sports journalists have overlooked football violence. I was one of them. by Leonard Shapiro said, An investigation into the NFL's mishandling of concussions shows how the league for many years failed to admit that on-field concussions could lead to harmful consequences for players both during their football careers that after…many of the players listed in a lawsuit or their dependents have claimed that former players suffer from dementia, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurological disorders (Shapiro 2013). win their favorite team and can harm other fans of the opposing team just because they wore the wrong type of shirt. A writer named Mike Lopresti wrote an article titled "Violence in America's Sports Stadiums Is Becoming All Too Common" that talked about a Raiders-49ers exhibition game and said, "The final stats from the Raiders-49ers game included two shootings in the parking lot, and a violent beating in a bathroom. Speculation is that the heated neighborhood rivalry between the teams could be a factor” (Lopresti 2011). These altercations between fans over a meaningless game are shocking. Someone could have been killed under the circumstances, and this violence among fans is not only limited to American football games, but also to professional football games and violence with these fans can have greater consequences.