Given the Aztec entry, as a former teacher of Canadian history, I'm surprised that lacrosse didn't make the list.
I'm not talking about the wimpy modern version mind you -- even with its concussions, fights and smashed arms.
I'm talking about the 'baggatway' version played by the Plains, Algonquin and Iroquois Indians. It was a game lasting for days, played on massive pitches, between warriors. (It was more than common to see broken limbs, blood, and even fatalities.) Also, let's keep in mind that these games were often played as a religious rite -- on a massive scale -- with entire tribes, and it is rumoured even entire Indian nations being involved.
I'm not talking about the wimpy modern version mind you -- even with its concussions, fights and smashed arms.
I'm talking about the 'baggatway' version played by the Plains, Algonquin and Iroquois Indians. It was a game lasting for days, played on massive pitches, between warriors. (It was more than common to see broken limbs, blood, and even fatalities.) Also, let's keep in mind that these games were often played as a religious rite -- on a massive scale -- with entire tribes, and it is rumoured even entire Indian nations being involved.