To Rossco & Numbat - don't hold your breath for boxing to be banned anytime soon. Sure it is dangerous. So is motor sport, downhill skiing, rugby, horse racing, rock fishing. Sure it is brutal. Ditto some of the above. So what exactly is your objection? If you don't like it, do as I do and don't watch. And spare us you moral sensitivities and abuse.

Hey PK: I gave my opinion on the brutal "art?" of boxing. I do not watch, I could not watch it as I see it no better than a roadside brawl between two brainless thugs. Nor do I watch stupid inane thugby where it seems one main goal is to paralyse opposition players by spearing them into/onto the ground and breaking their necks - very civilized indeed. As I said it seems that thugby is "played?" by retarded, brutal, neanderthals and/or rock apes. numbat

Numbat, I don't call that an opinion, it's just a stream of invective. I suppose everyone has the right to vent, but stuff like that is pretty hard to engage with.

Numbat. Dave Smith takes kids from the side of the road and puts them in a structured environmnet and teaches them boxing skills. Often these kids gain the self esteem so that they don't become thugs bashing out on the side of the road. They no doubt wear protective head gear whilst training and so on. Bit like them meth. clinics.

You stick to ya' bowls old fella. And, if you throw your back out trying to nudge the white, and end up in a public hospital and fall out of bed whilst trying to get the Hep C covered Bible out the draw and crack your head on the floor and become brain damaged and then a few weeks later start turning yellow (jaundiced)I still wouldn't tell you that you were a "retard[ed]" so and so because you're entitled to play the sport of your choice - within reason.

Don't worry old mate not many sleeps 'til Tour de France. I suppose you want that banned too.

rancitus: I do not give a monkey's toenail if kids wear full body armour teaching them to belt the stuffing out of another kid is, in my eyes, bad. To me it is exulting brutality and even with head gear young bodies can receive substantial damage in a fight - believe me!
I deserve a peaceful life now and thank you for your concern for me -it really touched me!
Remember it's the little blue pills and do not take more than the recommended dosage or you may write another rubbishy puerile letter.
Boxing is for mentally retarded neanderthals and those who watch this brutality are worse, not unlike the Roman gladiatorial games. numbat

Numbat your bitter repost meant no doubt to wound.
"Remember it's the little blue pills and do not take more than the recommended dosage or you may write another rubbishy puerile letter."

Visit. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2006/s1645137.htm

I am not mentally ill, and so what if I was, I think your slag at mental illness was in poor taste and disrespectful to those who are. Yeah I know you dont give monkey's toenail. I can see that.
Here is an some of the transcript.

ANNE GARTON, SPEAKING IN CAIRNS AT CONCLUSION OF ‘GO THE JOURNEY TOGETHER – BRISBANE TO CAIRNS BIKE RIDE, 2005’: What I really want to say on behalf of all the riders is that I'm standing here and I have a mental illness, and I can stand here and I can say this without fear and without shame and without humiliation...

BRENDAN TERRY, COACH: It's been exciting to watch Annie, in recent times, travel and do a little bit of media work, letting people know about mental illnesses and helping people understand and be aware of mental illnesses.

Don't quit. Get out of bed, even when you can't. Push past the pain and the torture even when you can't and have hope even when you don't.

BEV GARTON, MOTHER: Well, when Anne started her public speaking I thought that was a really big step forward for her, because it's only by being open and talking about it and by people seeing Anne and seeing she hasn't got two heads or she doesn't do strange things willy-nilly, that people will have a lot more understanding on it.

ANNE GARTON: I want people with mental illness to know that recovery does happen. By recovery I mean that you find meaning in life and you learn...you learn that your illness is not everything in your life.

ANNE GARTON, SPEAKING AT RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP QLD MENTAL HEALTH FORUM 2005: So, don't judge us based on the stigma of mental illness. Just stand beside us, be our friend, 'cause we really need you, and mental illness is real