If I wanted to watch violence for recreation, I would tune in to an episode of professional wrestling- a sport in which aggression, violence, and fighting is not only expected but encouraged.

For other sporting events, like football or hockey, I tune in to witness friendly and entertaining competition in which I can choose a side to cheer for, trusting both teams will play safely. There’s nothing better than watching a Giants’ game, enjoying the friendly competition and reveling in the warm embrace between Eli Manning and his adorable little girl at the end of the game.

Violence in sports not only reflects poorly on the players, but its repercussions; potential injury or punishments are simply not worth it.

If I am watching a professional football game, and I watch Tom Brady shove another player, I instantly lose respect for him. I understand and admire being competitive. However, physically hurting the opponent is going too far. It is one thing to use anger (from a bad grade or a large fight) as a driving force to perform athletically, but to transform that competitive nature into something harmful, where safety is at risk, is unnecessary and is just not going to help the team win.

Take, for example, the game between the Texans and Titans when Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan got in a fight. They both ended up getting fined around $2,000 for the debacle. And, if that isn’t enough to teach them how unnecessary the fight was, they should consider all the innocent teenage girls, like me, who winced from their savage brawl and had to turn away from their television sets.

Yelling at the ref, or throwing a punch at the defensive player is only going to give the team a sore-loser reputation; it won’t make the ref take back the call or undo the goal that just occurred. Sometimes it is a player from the other team who initiates the fighting. I would think higher of a player who walked away, choosing to not partake, than one who fights back simply because “they started it.”

If the lack of an honorable reputation is not enough to cause a player to refrain from using violence, perhaps the rules are. Players could get carded by a referee, suspended from their next game, or ultimately suspended from the team. Depending on the severity of the violence, all the players involved could face severe ramifications for their impulsive actions. Therefore, it is better to not participate at all in order to secure their playing time and a spot on the team.

As a person who gets an extreme adrenaline kick from a simple gym game of “capture the flag,” I know what it’s like to let competitiveness take over. I just make sure to remember the kindergarten rule ingrained in all of us, “keep your hands to yourself.” No fans want to cheer on the Andre Johnson (who I will now refer to as “the crazy Texan”) punching others. I can’t imagine fans actually supporting a fight occurring in front of them; that’s messed up and quite frankly is what fight club is for. Moreover, that player could face punishment detaching them from the sport they feel so passionately about in the first place, or they could receive a $2,000 fine.

Violence should not occur in sports matches because of the physical and reputable damage it does. No matter how unfair the ref is, or how rude the smack talk from the goalie is, be the bigger person and don’t let your temper get the best of you and your athletic ability.

Plus, athletes are too cute to have scars and bruises.