Murderball

According to “From ‘Murderball’ to reluctant movie star” by Donna Freydkin, Mark Zupan, who has been in a wheelchair since he was 18 says his accident that put him in the wheelchair was one of the best things that has ever happened to him. Zupan does not allow his wheelchair to define who he is or how he should be. Although Zupan is in a wheelchair he still enjoys his life. Zupan participates in sports and sees his life as being just as normal as anyone else life.

            The article describes Zupan as a strong masculine guy. The article states that Zupan stated “I went to the gym and dropped a glove. And a woman says, ‘Oh, let me get that for you.’ I’m at the gym. I lift weights. If I can’t pick the glove up off the floor, what am I doing here?” The article also states that Zupan swigs beer, wrestles with his dog, and has many piercings and tattoos. Zupan is portrayed in the article as a very manly hardcore man. Zupan does not fit into the stereotype of an ordinary paralyzed man. Zupan doesn’t seem like he wants anyone to notice the fact that he’s in a wheelchair. Zupan seems like he doesn’t even want to acknowledge that he’s paralyzed.

My question for the author would be is Zupan trying extra hard to be normal? Would Zupan still participate in competitive sport if he wasn’t in a wheelchair? I wonder if Zupan had plenty of tattoos and piercings before he became paralyzed. It seems to me as if Zupan is trying extra hard to prove that he is normal. Does Zupan even believe he is just as normal as everyone else or does he hide behind a false hardcore image to paint a picture that he someone that he is not?

            In my opinion because Zupan is doing so much to prove he is normal many of his actions are not normal. In normal society when people drop something it is usually common courtesy to be helpful and pick it up for them. Instead of Zupan viewing the lady gesture to pick up his glove as common courtesy he decided to take it as a personal insult on him being disabled and unable to do for himself because he’s in a wheelchair.

I will be the first to admit that many times people do view people with disabilities as unequal and less than able to do for them self. Although many times people will view people with disabilities as not as able to do for them self I still believe that handicap people should not take people trying to help as a insult but as a courtesy. Even though Zupan is extremely dependent he still shouldn’t be oblivious to the fact that he is in a wheelchair and that when people try to help him it’s not because they feel he is helpless but because they are trying to be courteous.

It is hard for me to believe how Zupan could possibly consider the day he was paralyzed as the best day of his life?  My first instinct was that Zupan is in denial and likes to believe that becoming paralyzed was the best thing that ever happened to him so he can reframe from becoming depressed and feeling sorry for himself. Then I thought maybe Zupan was heading down a wrong path in life and becoming paralyzed saved him. I’m not sure why Zupan feels that becoming paralyzed was the best thing that ever happened to him but it is a question I would ask him if I was given a chance. I’m also curious to know why the author didn’t ask Zupan why being paralyzed was one of the best things that ever happened to him.

            I imagined that if I asked the author Donna Freydkin why she didn’t ask Zupan why he view the day he was paralyzed as one of the best days of his life. That her response would be that it is obvious because if he wasn’t paralyzed he wouldn’t be able to play Murderball or live the life that he now has. My response to that would be even if he wasn’t paralyzed wouldn’t he still be able to play competitive sport, have a live in girlfriend, a dog, tattoos and lift weights. I would like to know what makes Zupan life so special now that he’s paralyzed. What advantages do he feel he have now as a paralyzed man that he feel he would not have had if he was not paralyzed?

            A person like Zupan deserves lots of credit and should be looked up to.  Many people hide behind there disability and makes excuses for them self and how their disability prevent them from doing many things. Zupan does not hide behind his disability and does not feel sorry for himself or allow anyone else to feel sorry for him. Zupan knows that the rest of his life will be spent in a wheelchair but he holds no grudges and has no regrets. Zupan continues to live and enjoy his life to the fullest extent.    

           

            I would like to know if Zupan had this positive outlook on life as soon as he became disabled or if it took him a while to get use to his new condition. I’m also curious to know if Murderball and sports had anything to do with how he feels about being in a wheel chair. I wonder if Zupan would still be happy about being paralyzed if he could no longer play Murderball. I would ask Zupan what affects Murderball have on his self esteem and his person confidence in himself.

According to the reading “Conformity and Conflict: Wheelchair Athletes Discuss Sport Media” by Brent and Marie Hardin, research have shown that people with disabilities who participate in sport gain confidence and have a more positive outlook on life than those who do not participate in sports. Scholars believe that athletes with disabilities use sport as a way to claim their subjectivity, rejecting their assigned role of invisibility and objectivity.

Murderball is a very dangerous intense sport. The athletes who play Murderball work hard and dedicate time into practicing and being the best they can be at the game. Although the athletes that play Murderball are in wheelchairs they need to be respected for the hard work and effort they put into the game. It’s obvious that the athletes participate in the sport because they are passionate about playing the game.

I cannot deny that Murderball is a sport. Murderball takes lots of skill and dedication. I would say Murderball is one of the most competitive sports I have ever witnessed. Murderball athletes put their lives and health on the line every time they participate in Murderball. Murderball is very active and is a very physical contact sport. A person with disabilities participating in sport goes against the norm of sports. Sports have been socially constructed as an able body activity.

It is great that these athletes have this sport to dedicate themselves to. Many people would believe that people in a wheelchair are helpless and cannot do for themselves. Murderball proves that even in a wheelchair life goes on and that people can still have fun, interesting, active lives. When these athletes play Murderball they don’t use their handicap as a crunch but as a advantage to have the opportunity to play this sport they love.

According to the reading “Conformity and conflict: Wheelchair Athletes Discuss Sport Media” people with disabilities struggle against the generally accepted notion that they are biologically inferior, an assumption used to naturalize their oppression. People find ways to make themselves forget they are inferior and oppress the feeling that they are at a disadvantage compared to the majority of people in the world. Although people in wheelchairs do have a handicap sports give them an opportunity to be normal.

 It is great how sports make such a difference in so many people life. It doesn’t matter who you are or what handicaps or insecurities you may have sport gives people the opportunity to feel like they belong. Sport gives people the opportunity to fit in somewhere and also allows people the opportunity to let their alter ego come out. Sport allows the opportunity to forget about the stress that society puts on you. Murderball provides these wheelchair athletes the opportunity to express themselves and feel normal.

Handicap athletes are seen as a minority in sports. When thinking of an athlete many people would imagine a masculine, male, able-bodied, heterosexual. Sports make it very hard for anyone who doesn’t fit the stereotype to be accepted into the world of sports. Women athletes are slowly making a name for them self in sports but I would assume that it will be a while before handicapped athletes will be recognized.

It’s not right for handicap athletes to work so hard and not be treated as a real sport or not be given proper media coverage. These handicap athletes are very competitive and very good at their sports. I would assume that many people would be interested in watching handicap athletes compete and feel that handicap athletes deserve to be broadcasted and treated fairly in the media just as any other athletes.