Sports Bullies: Are The Days Of Fearing A Defensive Player Long Gone?

Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz. Bill Romanowski. Charles Oakley.

Remember when there were certain athletes who just struck utter fear into the heart of their opponents and rival fans alike? Romanowski used to patrol the middle of the field looking to take opponent’s heads off. Oakley was basically a bodyguard for his team’s star players. And The Hammer was the original hockey enforcer.

Players of that type are, if not long gone from the world of sports, certainly close to it, and it’s a shame. While not every ‘bully,’ ‘goon’ or ‘thug’ was a supremely talented athlete, they each played a very significant role for their teams: they caused chaos and threw the other team off their game.

That was their job; rough up the other team — particularly the other team’s best players — take opponents out of their rhythms and disrupt their game plan. Their mayhem provided a spark for their own team, shifting momentum their way.

But this seems to be a lost art in sports today. One extra hit, little bump or “statement-making” foul or penalty may change the entire course and attitude of a game or a series. Lance Stephenson garnered national headlines and internet memes during the 2014 NBA Eastern Conference Finals for blowing into LeBron’s ear during foul shots, and was labeled a dirty player. For blowing into his ear! What happened to gamesmanship?

Of course, the crackdown on rough behavior could partially be traced back to November 19, 2004 — the night of the infamous ‘Malice at the Palace,’ better known as the Pacers-Pistons brawl that spilled into the stands. That incident forced all professional leagues to reexamine player behavior, and sports haven’t really been the same since.

Whether it’s called gamesmanship, toughness or simply being a goon, how much extracurricular or hard play should be allowed on the field, court or ice? Apparently, not much.

The trend nowadays in sports is more focused on finesse, with harsher penalties enforced on the rougher behavior we used to see. Obviously, an important reason for that is player safety, as rougher play typically means more injuries. But while injuries are always a concern, and everyone enjoys the pure talent and finesse parts of sports, it feels like we may be losing an edge to our athletics; an edge that played a meaningful and important role.

Brute force, strength and cunning used to be a huge factor on defense. There’s a reason people love Lawrence Taylor’s stories of messing with opponents in their hotel rooms the night before games, or the way Ronnie Lott and Scott Stevens used to absolutely terrorize opponents who came over the middle of the field or ice. It’s great that scoring is up in most sports leagues, but sports aren’t supposed to be all offense. And while defensive players are learning good positioning and fundamentals, there’s a whole aspect of the game they’re missing out on.

Ronnie Lott and Bill Romanowski couldn’t exist today. Just look at the NFL’s crackdown on contact with receivers. Without the ability to be physical, cornerbacks are at a huge disadvantage against receivers. Even the vaunted “Legion of Boom” — though rightfully feared — is being neutralized by the NFL’s stricter rules.

Just imagine the pain Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor would have inflicted in the NFL of the 80s…

Is it necessary to weed out the bullies, goons and thugs from sports, or should athletes still be allowed to put fear into their opponents? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Author Bio

Travis Armideo, marketing manager at Gladiator Custom Mouthguards, is a lifelong ice hockey player. He began playing for various clubs at a young age and continued onto junior teams, while also playing lacrosse at the collegiate level. Travis is still heavily involved in athletics, coaching high school and youth ice hockey athletes, as well as playing men’s league ice hockey on a regular basis.