The Origin of Sports Journalism: Literature and Boxing - Article Example

 LITERATURE AND BOXING Introduction Currently, championship boxing can be said to be pretty lucky because it receives half to full column section of sports pages in most magazines and journals. In the past, this was not always the norm would least be mentioned anywhere in the field of literature. Many people often considered this sport to be quite unethical, something whose story would not appeal to many people thought to be the targeted audience. Many of the crowds that would gather around the boxing rings did not often feature writers or even journalists. Instead, most of them would prefer to take interest in golf, baseball and other sports that seemed to have audiences that would be interested in reading literature composed about these sports. Compared to any other kinds of sport, boxing often calls for muse in the writers and journalists and other news reports, this is not an issue to surprise many (Kimball 2011, 25). Places or systems that have risks, often have drama, many boxers end up putting their lives at risk compared to athletes, golfers and some other sports. Within an evening, boxers often have rolled dice with their health as well as marketability and their sense of identity. If it happens that one is not lucky enough in the ring, then one can be forced to stay of action for even a week or a month, having to recover. For this reason, one has to be effectively prepared in order to be the best in the game. Boxing can therefore be described as a bad and risky game, which can at times be crazy (Boddy 2009, 23). In fact, various incidences have been reported of people who died while in the boxing ring. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the sport has been attracting few interested writers on it. This paper examines the aspect of literature and boxing, showing how the sport has slowly been attracting few people interested in writing about it in the many kinds of existing literature. Literature and boxing In essence, boxing and literature are not expected to go together. This is because, these two fields are very contrasting in the way they approach their goals and objectives. On one hand, we have a field that has the main goal of refining people’s consciousness, enabling them to understand how various systems operate in the social, economic and political angles. On the other hand, we have another system that seems to clobber an individual into unconsciousness as swift and artful as possible. One that gives more injuries and causes harm to the other is declared the winner and celebrated. However, it is interesting to note that of the writing that is done on sports in modern times, boxing, with the entire negative attributes it attracts, it has inspired many of the best pieces in literature and the field of journalism. Compared to decades ago, people’s perceptions and preferences for literature and sports has changed, while in the past, the failure of the writing field to pay attention to boxing seems to have hit a wall. Many people often want to read about this sport, with some trying it and others developing an interest of watching and taking part in it for leisure. Some of the journalists and authors that have shown great interest in writing about boxing explain that these fields do not have many differences as it has been earlier thought (Boddy 2009, 45). Writing often happens in some kind of isolation while it could be possible that a greater solitary feeling often exists in the boxer as well, having stripped to his/her waist and ready to take to the ring before a cheering crowd that is baying for his blood. Journalists and writers that have been celebrated in sports journalism and reporting have often emphasized that boxing and writing are fields that require a lot of discipline (Crowe 2004, 53). In this case, one can perfect his skills and expertise only by taking training seriously. Whenever, a boxer is knocked to the ground, he is expected to rise up, train harder and appear in the ring once again, it is not a game for the faint-hearted. This is also a special way that one can adopt when looking at the field of writing, where many journalists and writers have to keep perfecting their stories until they can be accepted. This is not different from other fields, for one to success, persistence is always the key. A sport like boxing often offers some rich lessons that writers and other people can often borrow from. The sport often has an abundance of various enduring metaphors related to life, fear, power and even death, which have in the past struck a chord with the many writers that have shown interest in composing stories and various kinds of literature for people to read and learn from them (Crowe 2004, 65). Some of these writers have been renowned, often described as heavyweights in the field; they include Keats and Both Byron, who were boxing fans and later became writers in the same sport in the 1820s, Bernard Shaw in the 1830s as well as Sherlock Holmes among others in those years. These writers often engaged in writing about boxing for the mere aim of making it popular and making many more people to gain interest in the sport. They were not interested in getting any financial benefits from the literature they composed about boxing. Few people developed the interest of reading their journals and literature about boxing. However, their efforts in writing can be said to have been quite instrumental in the spread of popularity and awareness about boxing and associated sports. The motivation of being a sports journalist The motivation to be a writer in sports, especially in boxing is often very diverse. Some journalists and sports fans have ventured in this kind of writing for the mere aim of popularizing the sport. On the other hand, some writers have tried testing the real action in the actual boxing rings before resuming writing about this sport. It is important that some people may think of being male writers in order to feel the allure. This is not often the case, Carol Oates; a female written writer has been spectacular in writing about thrilling sports literature, where she has often described it as the “America’s tragic theatre” (Oates 1987, 13). Her literature have been read by many people not only in the United States, but also in other parts of the world. Some writers have in the past seemed to combine writing and boxing at the same time without conflict of interest. Some have been successful in writing a few exposes in sports, not just in boxing but in other disciplines as well. In fact, some films have been produced in order to highlight the actual experiences in the ring as much as sports literature and journalism is concerned. What is interesting among all this is that some writers have seemed to fancy themselves by taking part in the ring experience. This is often a personal choice, whose outcomes often encourage of discourage the particular participants in the particular field. Boxing in art, literature and Film Besides being a brutal and ruthless trade, boxing has risen to attract several writers and artists, all of whom have shown an interest in turning down the prospects of sports journalism and literature. In fact, it seems accurate to point out that the seemingly naked display of aggression in boxing is what actually causes its particular appeal. If life can be described as the Darwinian power and power for survival, the boxing has all the characteristics that make it qualify for the same. Boxing has been known to foster and perpetuate most of “manly” virtues of fortitude and discipline, something that many other kinds of sports often do not have. Boxing is known to have the ability to keep up with the natural and undaunted forms of intrepidity and bravery, something that has enabled armies to many of the hard battles they have engaged in both locally and in other parts beyond the country’s borders. In as much as the sport has often had much blame for the ugly scenes witnessed in the ring, it has played a significant role towards inspiring admiration and wonder from many people and journalists alike. This has pushed many artists to take up their pens, brushes, camera and other tools in order to collect and document stories about the sport. It is the stories that have been collected and documented by people that have developed their intrinsic motivation into it that has made the sport popular across the world. it is therefore no wonder that boxing has been accepted as a sporting career that many people have engaged in order to improve their social and economic welfare just like other kinds of sports. Many of the books, films and other kinds of literature written in favor of boxing and other kinds of sports have attracted many writers and journalists, who have been motivated by changing the old perspectives that people often had for this sport and continues to have them in other places across the world. Historically, writing and other kinds of literature about journalism started early in the Roman and Greek civilizations. These civilizations often depicted boxing and other kinds of sports in various ways. The Greek vases often portrayed postures and blows that artists used in the process of undertaking their boxing (Frederick 2012, 123). These images and portraits illustrated how people of as far back in the 1st century used to involve in the sport (Frederick 2012, 78). The national museums in Rome show some of the ancient literature that explain how the boxers would use their hands in the boxing exercise. These ancient literatures indicate images of people with battered faces, cauliflower ears as well as broken noses after taking part in boxing and other associated sports. It is important to note that the various sinister kinds of Romancaestus, also known as gloves in that culture appear most of the times in small bronzes as well as in different Roman mosaics. In this regard, it is important to note that writing and related activities as far as boxing and other sports are concerned are not a thing of the recent past, but spans several centuries back to the earliest forms of civilization. However, during this time, most of the literatures that were created aimed at preserving the culture of these communities. Conclusion It is important to note that literature relating to boxing has really come a long way. Right from the 1st century, these literatures faded, resurfacing again in the 17th century with different writers and artists emerging in order to gravitate on it. Many of the British boxers were the first to be painted as champions after the 17th century when writing about boxing had just began (Gardner 1969, 31). Soon after, many exhibitions were set up in order to illustrate the success that had been achieved by the boxers and pugilists in London. Currently, it is important to note that the love for boxing and other sports has grown significantly, with many people looking for information that can enable them engage in these sports for social and economic benefits (Kimball 2011, 54). It is this growing need that has prompted the huge demand for literature on boxing and those other sports. In addition, this writing has been known to help people build on their talents and benefit from them. Many institutions and academies have been created with the main aim of sensitizing people and training them on various advantages associated with engaging in sports. (Matt & Nelson 2011, 68). These academies and institutions often depend on literature created in order to train the young people and others interested in boxing and other kinds of sports (Gardner 1969, 76). In this case, it is evident that the rising interest in literature on boxing and other sports has found proper basis and foundation in these growing institutions and many others. Bibliography Boddy, K. 2009. Boxing: A cultural history. Reaktion, London. Crowe, C. 2004. More than a game: Sports literature for young adults. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Md.. Frederick, S. 2012. Boxing. Creative Education, Mankato, Minn. Gardner, L. 1969. Fat city. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York. Kimball, G. 2011. At the fights: American writers on boxing. Library of America, New York.  Matt, A & Nelson, K. 2011. A nation's hope: The story of boxing legend Joe Louis. Dial Books for young readers, New York. Oates, J. 1987. On boxing. Dolphin/Doubleday, Garden City, N.Y. Read More