From spittoons in saloons to the green fields of soccer.
             The history of mankind tells us, that men have been hitting each other since the beginning of the Stone Age. The demonstration of his power by hurting weaker ones in battles and fights lies in the nature of man. But history also tells us that men have been spitting out not only since the rough and ruthless days of the Wild West, when bartenders introduced bulky tin bowls in the corners of their bars to keep the dusty floor clean of chewing tobacco and spit. In those days, a man was still a man and when they were not shooting and hitting each other, cowboys used to spit out passionately.
             Nowadays some men are still men, and cowboys wear white knee socks and fight their high noon shoot-outs on the green grass of soccer pitches. Their pistols are their feet and the bullet is made of patterned leather. Nevertheless they are still hitting, spitting out, and what is even worse spitting at each other.
             At soccer matches, players sometimes match their strength far from fair play, but by hitting and spitting at the other players deliberately. However, while bloody wounds are carried from the pitch with manful pride, the 'wounds' caused by spit only leave an unpleasant feeling of humiliation. A Beckham who gets kicked on the field can claim afterwards that he could have defended himself easily. But what could he argue, if he got spit at his face. That he was to slow to duck?
             Hitting someone conveys superior physical strength. The act of spitting at a person conveys intense disdain. This does not cause any physical harm, but a psychological one. The 'opponent' is considered not to be worth wasting insulting words on him. Moreover, he is not worth touching and hitting, whereas spitting still comprises a reasonable distance. Spitting out in front of someone expresses deep contempt for the other and, what is more, spitting at
             someone expresses profound disrespe...