Lacrosse

In the warrior-dominated society of the Plains Indians, the spirit of competition flourished.  Within the daily rounds of village tasks, time was always found for games and sports (on which players and spectators alike bet with gusto).  Favorite sports were horse racing, archery, and wrestling.  But the most intriguing and dramatic of all games was the mass mayhem to which the French traders gave the name "Lacrosse" (referring to the webbed sticks used to carry and throw a wooden or deerskin ball).  In the Choctaw version of Lacrosse there were hundreds of men on a side, each barefoot player carrying two sticks.  

The Lacrosse game began with a thunderous rush.  One observer remarked, "An instant struggle ensued between the players, who were some six or seven hundred in numbers, and were mutually endeavoring to catch the ball in their sticks and throw it home and between their respective stakes."

Quite often the game resulted in mass fights.  Compared to the Native American Lacrosse, pro football of today seems like a child's game.