How can vegans/vegetarians be sports fans?

think about it...





soccerballs are made NOW with synthetic leather...but were originally made from full grain leather..PLUS the shoes in most sports is leather to some degree...





baseball? -all gloves are leather as is the baseball cover itself..





tennis/racquetball..the shoes/racquet handle is leather





football-the ball is pretty much called pigskin for a reason..and it has leather laces at times as well. again don't forget the shoes..


basketball- the best basketballs are made from leather and the shoes are as well...





golf? -leather handles on the clubs, golf shoes etc-possibly golf bag as well..





ok so pretty much EVERY sport needing shoes...is out





I guess I am going by the thought process of...did we kill the animal witha face for sport? if so..then the vegan who won't even eat that animal..really cannot be a sports fan with the exception of those sports that promote the same "thoughtless" killing for sport...let alone eating..





am i wrong on this?

How can vegans/vegetarians be sports fans?
I'm a vegetarian....


As for the sports, in regards any anti-animal product supporters, there is the question of enjoying the sport without having to enjoy the sneakers. I'm sure each has their own opinion.


I love football, soccer, golf, baseball, tennis, raquet ball as well as others.... playing much more than watching on any of them.


But I don't know about how vegans or other vegetarians feel... you'll have to hear from them. We are individuals you know.
Reply:Paint balls are made of gelatin.
Reply:Very good point and thats quite interesting. We dont go to places with animal entertainment because they harm the animals, or wear fur or leather, so why would vegetarians be fans of something that uses what we don't approve of??
Reply:I have a tennis racket...it doesn't have any leather on it. Neither do my shoes. Also badminton rackets don't have leather on them...





Also what about paintball? Is there something non-vegan about paintball, not that I play. And what about bowling? Not all the shoes have to have leather. What about ping pong? Dodgeball? Maybe you should think about more sports. Also basketball, I thought most balls were made of rubber? The kinds you buy in stores anyway. Maybe they just play themselve without watching it? Also what about professional swimmers?





Anyways, as a vegan I'm not a sports fan at all. Even before I was vegan I hated sports. I do have a badmitton set though. Nothing in it is made of leather. It was pretty cheap actually, but it's nice.
Reply:What does being vegetarian have to do with sports? You don't eat the soccer ball, do you? Not all vegetarians are animal-rights activists.
Reply:I think the group you want answers from are the VEGANS, not the vegetarians/





Vegans are like the extreme Muslims in a world of tolerance!





A vegan won't even TOUCH any animal product--so they absolutely CANNOT be a fan of baseball (leather ball-covers) or football (some balls are still pigskin).





Oh wait....can someone say "hypocrisy" and "double standard"??





Do those 14 yr old newbie vegans know that they can't be CHEERLEADERS if they are vegan?


GASP!!!!!
Reply:Well, i don't think any of us are trying to boil the ocean. We are doing our bit to reduce or remove animal abuse.





Watching sport does not invalidate this.





Am i now to stop work because my tax goes to support peopel on benefit who might be meateaters ? Or maybe someone in the council offices eats a MCD for lunch, and my rates pays thier wages ! HUH, shock, i should be ashamed of myself.
Reply:Well,I'm a fan of skateboarding if you consider that a sport...there are lots of vegan skateboarders...they also have tons different vegan and synthetic shoes.
Reply:wow. i never thought of that. i guess they could be 'fans' but they wouldnt be a true vegan if they actually played with leather balls and shoes and stuff. good point.
Reply:If that logic flew than I also couldn't watch movies if the actor ate a hamburger, or wore leather shoes.





However I hate sports, so now I can use that excuse when my father calls me up to ask if I want to go to a ballgame,lol. "Sorry dad, they use leather gloves... I know it makes no sense, but juanes made such a convincing argument"





I think there comes a point where you have to give a little, otherwise anyone with any type of strong convictions could find fault with everything they do.





EDIT:


"you have NO problem PAYING money to watch the leather of a cow bound around a person's hand.."


-As I said above I pay for movies where the character wear leather, or eat meat on screen, should I boycott all movies? Or not shop in stores that sell products that contain leather?





"how about if your own son wants to play baseball and you have to buy him a leather glove...now you ARE supporting the company that makes the glove from the leather that came from that dead animal...is my logic still flawed?"


-There are gloves that are not made of leather. If my son wanted a glove I would seek out one made of artificial leather. It may not be the best quality but lets face it he's not going to be the next babe Ruth(and if he is the gloves not going to make a difference. If he is really into it and when he gets old enough chooses to purchase a leather glove, that is up to him.





I have a live and let live philosophy. I am the one that has to look at myself in the mirror. I do what I can to make a difference. What sticks out in my mind is a line from a song "It's not the world that I am changing, what I do is so this world will know that it will not change me."


If Letterman wants to eat meat, what do I care. It's his choice, same as it is my choice not to eat meat. There are celebrities that promote meat and others that promote their vegetarian life style.
Reply:very informative but wasted effort


you have made no point


Only left freaky extreme Vegans reject animals as part of THEIR physical life IF they can Avoid it


there is no pot to stir


and no one will change their mind


wasted points...
Reply:I think the militant PETA folks are nuts and some might consider me an anti-veggie troll.





But your logic is insane.





Vegans do not personnally use animal products. By your logic they could not buy vegitables at the store because the stockboy had a EggMcmuffin for breakfast. Read their mail because the mailman used a leather sack to carry the mail. Or listen to music because the string on the instrument may have been made of animal hair or guts.





You are missing the concept of direct use and derivative use.
Reply:Gross.




freckles