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Why Marino fights for boxing

By David Gonnerman '90
September 20, 2011

"The great sportswriter Budd Schulberg once remarked, 'As much as I love boxing, I hate it. And as much as I hate it, I love it,'" writes Gordon Marino, professor of philosophy and curator the Kierkegaard Library, in a Wall Street Journal piece, "Why Boxing Is Worth Fighting For," that responds to a recent statement about boxing by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Boxing is a rough sport, which may explain why it is used so often as a metaphor for life," he continues. "It requires being able to move forward, take blows, and rise from the canvas. It demands acute self-awareness and respect for others.

"I know that the young fighters I've trained would say that they've learned a lot about life while in the ring. The question is whether those lessons will still be available to them a few years from now."

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.