Snape--Abusive?

[Amanda]

No: HPFGUIDX 114904


Kethryn now -
> 
> Ok, I am going to have to object to this particular sentiment 
> expressed in the above paragraph which, to me, seems to be a rather 
judgemental thing to say. In particular, the "potentially lethal" 
games the kids are "allowed" to play by their parents. Hello? You 
think football isn't potentially lethal?  How about baseball? Ever 
been hit in the head with a ninty mile an hour  fastball? Did you 
hear about the girl who was watching a hockey game two years ago  
with her family and died when a stray puck hit her in the head?

Casey again:
> Children playing in sports have all kinds of precautions, helmets, 
> padding and such. Quiddich is played 20 - 40 or more feet in the 
> air, with no protection from a fall. No helmets to protect against 
> bludgers and such. As far as that RL little girl, she was a 
> spectator not a participant. Those hockey players have a hell of a 
> lot of gear on. (Go Redwings, if they ever play again.) No one can 
> be protected 100%  from a freak accident. 


I don't know why on earth the teams don't wear helmets in Quidditch 
but I am reminded that hockey players have only recently begun 
wearing face shields and helmets weren't enforced by the league (NHL 
that is) until sometime in the 70's I believe (but I can't find a 
definate date on the 'net and my hockey books are at home).  Soccer 
players still don't wear helmets and, having done this, I would say 
that being smashed in the head with a bludger probably hurts as much 
as slamming heads together when going up for a header ball.  Heck, 
according to 
http://www.uidaho.edu/clubs/womens_rugby/RugbyRoot/rugby/Rules/LawBook
/law04.html (and note, this is women's rugby) helmets are 
specifically prohibited.

As for the no protection from a fall, the only fall that we have seen 
(and Lynch didn't fall in the World cup, he merely dove into the 
ground) is when Harry fell off his broom in PoA and Dumbledore caught 
him.  So, from that example, I think we can assume that if any player 
actually fell off his/her broom (and did not dive into the ground) 
that the other wizards and witches (either as referees or as 
spectators) would slow down the fall enough so that it would not kill 
the player or, indeed, even cause a serious injury.

Sports are dangerous, all sports are.  Even if you wear a helmet when 
you play a sport, the helmet can still come off and you can still get 
hurt.  Jeremy Roenick of the Philidelphia Flyers last year took a 
puck to the face off a slap shot that put him out of the game and 
into the hospital with a shattered jaw and a concussion.  Had a witch 
been nearby, he would have been back out on the ice the next play 
but, instead, he was out for four months (I think).  So I guess 
basically what I am saying is that while the WW sport of choice is 
more dangerous than our sports (I dunno though, ever watch kids 
skateboard down rails?), it is acceptable because their health care 
is a heck of a lot better than ours and because they have magic to 
aid themselves out of sticky endings.

You know, I grew up with dangerous playgrounds with real metal screws 
that were not capped, with jackets with the strings on the hoods that 
I could have strangled myself on, heck I used to crawl under the 
barbed wire fence to play in the cow pasture where there were real 
cows, not to mention sneaking into the barn with all the rusty farm 
implements...it is a miracle that I grew up at all.  Of course, had 
we had magic, I wouldn't have barbed wire scars on my back and a bum 
knee.

Kethryn - rabid hockey fan who hopes the players get it together and 
talk to the league so she can once again scream, "Go Blackhawks, Go 
Rangers, Go Thrashers and BOOOOO Redwings!!!