Rage on the Field: The Decline of Sportsmanship in Sports Today

During a match in Colville, Washington, official Bob West was head-butted by a high school wrestler in 1996 and knocked unconscious. This incident, captured on tape, has been aired on every major network, been discussed on numerous talk shows, and is still used today to portray the decline in sportsmanship at every level of sports.

Rage on the Field chronicles West’s boyhood ambitions to become a sports official, the politics involved in his rise to the top, and the vicious assault that ultimately ended his officiating career. West discusses the assault and the issues surrounding sportsmanship today across all levels and types of sport.

West’s passionate story reveals never-before-seen aspects of sports officiating and speaks to the issues underlying the continuing problem of poor sportsmanship in today’s society.