Photos: Carvings Depict Maya Ballplayers in Action

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2. I hope not. We kind of frown on their winning

customs these days. There were religious connotations to the games related to gods of the underworld. Depending on location and occasion, the loser often was decapitated.

The games started with an earlier civilization, the Olmecs. The Maya and later, the Aztecs picked up the custom. Before their decline, the games had turned into gladiator style battles, using captives to literally surrender their heads as sacrifices when they lost.