This is the last time you will ever hear my complain about this

This is an essay a wrote last semester for my sports writing class, and this is the last time I’ll bring up how much I hate when people spit on the turf, promise..

Spitting, hackin a lugi, blowing a snot rocket.

All things that in the heat of a game can be that second of relief the athlete needs to clear their airways and push themselves through. Something so miniscule, yet so dangerous. Not to mention gross.

Players are put at risk everyday because of the spit left on the turf that can enter the body through open wounds. In 2005, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that athletes who play on turf have shown higher rates of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. This is a type of staph bacteria that can cause life threatening infections.

When someone spits on the turf, they are putting everyone at risk for infection. Turf is rougher than grass and therefore it is easier to break the skin when you slide or fall. Turf burn is caused by the friction of skin and turf which generates heat and removes layers of skin. Also known as raspberries, turf burn is painful and a gateway for infection; perfect for saliva to seep into and make the raspberry look even more attractive.

Many communicable diseases find passage from one person to another through contact with saliva. Major diseases include the common cold, the flu, tuberculosis, mono, Hepatitis B and bacterial meningitis as well as many others. Anything that is in the human body that is subject to effect the immune system can find its way out through any bodily fluid, including salvia. All of these diseases could side line a player for days, weeks or even months.

According to LiveStrong.com, because a body in motion is under a variety of stresses during a workout, more saliva or mucus will be produced. The production of saliva increases when athletes begin working their lungs and cardiovascular system. As the body warms up, it will produce more saliva. There are many factors that effect this and sometimes make is necessary to remove the excess liquid from your system. When running outside in cooler temperatures,(a.k.a every time you step on the field in Plattsburgh)  your nose must warm and humidify the air you breathe before it reaches your lungs. This action produces mucus in your nose and throat, and the mucus acts as a humidifier to condition the air before it reaches your lungs.

The problem with spitting it out during a game however is that is it has nowhere to go but the top of the turf. Astroturf does not absorb liquid like a grass field. So when someone spits on the turf it sits right on top for the remainder of the game or until it gets swept away.

Ponder this for a second; if someone starts to bleed on the field or on their jersey, it gets cleaned right away because everyone is worried about the spread of disease. You are not even allowed back on the field until you have on a new, clean jersey and your cut is properly cleaned and bandaged. Yes, blood is a bittt more potent than spit, but shouldn’t the same type of precautions be taken? Many of the diseases that can be spread by coming in contact with blood, you can get by coming in contact with spit. Crazy right? No one wants to skin their knee on the field to stand up and find moist liquid mixed in with the blood and skin. That’s disgusting.

 

So pay attention the next time you’re playing a game on the turf. Watch for how many athletes relieve themselves on the turf you’ve come to know and love. Please think about this next time you want to have a spitting contest with your teammates during warm-ups. If you want to be the jerk that gives your team mono by hackin a lugi, by all means, be my guest.