Ever thought about bullfighting? I was musing on this topic recently after renewing an acquaintance with Hemmingway’s 1932 classic, Death in the Afternoon. This book, supposedly an encyclopaedic account of the sport of bullfighting, becomes a rambling, although highly readable, account about Spanish culture, writers, food, people, politics, and history. At its heart, it also represents the literary concept of the stoical hero facing deadly opposition while still performing his duties with professionalism and skill.

Bullfighting shares some important sporting parallels with many other sports. One of my personal favourite sports is rodeo bull riding. Ever since I attended a Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine meeting held at the Calgary Stampede, I have been amazed at the remarkable human (and …