Fighting is an issue that will probably never go away as long as the
NHL shies away from banning it.
I watched several games during the 2002 Olympics. No fighting allowed.
Great hockey. The players concentrated on the real purpose of the game.
There is no fighting allowed in NCAA hockey, with no apparent ill
effects as a result.
I disagree with the notion that fighting provides an outlet for pent-
up frustration due to repeated contact. In football, there is as much
violent (if not more) hitting as there is in hockey, but you don't see
football players routinely squaring off.
I also dismiss the idea that stick penalties will increase if fighting
is banned. Preventative rules and proper, strict enforcement would
practically eliminate retaliatory stick infractions.
The naked truth is the NHL doesn't have the balls to ban fighting. The
powers that be are afraid to eliminate fighting because it would
alienate its fan base. I believe these fears are unfounded.
The NHL has taken steps to improve its image over the years. It has
effectively clamped down on clutching and grabbing. It has enforced
third-man rules and instigator rules with a high degree of success.
The next logical step is to simply eliminate fighting.
I sincerely believe fighting turns away more fans than it attracts.
The unfortunate death or serious injury of a player (eg: Steve Moore)
makes the argument so much more valid. The old-school way is to duke
it out. Its what separates the men from the boys in the minds of many.
What a sad and antiquated commentary on our great sport.
Many of the best players in the history of the NHL rarely dropped the
gloves: Wayne Gretzky, Jean Ratelle, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Mario
Lemieux, Nick Lidstrom. I would much rather watch a game with skilled
players and end-to-end action than a chippy game with fight after
fight.
My opinion is fighting needs to be eliminated in hockey once and for
all. I realize it has been "in-bred" into the sport and most will not
agree with my position, but my feeling is it is high time for the NHL
to take the lead and make the move to eliminate this needless sideshow
it has allowed for the entirety of its existence.
by the way, i agree with this article - fighting should not be banned as a result this death: http://news.therecord.com/Sports/article/466605 thanks! greg...
Fighting is an issue that will probably never go away as long as the NHL shies away from banning it. I watched several games during the 2002 Olympics. No...
i won't argue that nobody ever gets hurt in a fight, but i hope fighting always remains a part of the game despite this terrible turn of events. also, i think...
Just like to add that over his entire career, Ratelle never had a major penalty. So it wasn't that he rarely dropped the gloves, he never did. Nothing wrong...
Bill, We'll never agree on this subject but the difference you are missing is body checking is part of the game. It is legal. So is shooting the puck (where...
If I was paid what these guys are I'd have no issue doing it Keith. Nor would I have had that much of an issue when I was 22 or 23 if I was told by a low minor...
Bill, I hear what you are saying. I love pro boxing too...same thing...Duk Koo Kim, the list goes on...and boxing is much more a brutal sport than hockey....
Keith, Could the league not avoid that stick situation by cracking down on stick fouls? Have to say the CIS bans fighting and I don't see a multitude of stick...
You can make the argument that fighting turns off fans more than it attracts them and if that is true why do boxing, football and even.gulp.wrestling outdraw...
Bill: Maybe Dave Schultz jerseys were big sellers in the 1970's, but by now I would hope we have progressed a ways beyond the days of the Broad Street...
Craig it is against the rules sure but with a tongue and cheek. You get five minutes for it! And can we even look at it in the same way as say a high ...
Keith I would go to games too without fighting, hell, between youth and NCAA hockey I probably watch more games without it than with it. But you, Craig, and I...
I doubt it. And the issue is less the number but the severity of the fouls. In the NCAA it is less the number but rather the way that a guy goes to cheap shot...
Bill, There has been no disagreement between you and me. I certainly don't mind a good scrap or two or three. I am just saying that the game can be terribly...
Bill, If you look back to my first post on this, the point I was making was this; "don't say people don't get hurt in fighting". That was my point. Fans who...
I will jump in here with my first post since the beginning of the season. Happy New Year to all! Just my two cents. Helmets almost always come off in fights....
Dave, I will offer the following.we really haven't evolved past the Schultz sweater craze. I saw a ton of Domi sweaters in the 90's even in TO. We had Bruise...
Bill: I'd wager there have been far more Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic jerseys sold than all the Dave Schultz, Bob...
And I have never said "no one gets hurt in a fight" just that serious injury is infrequent. And will you put the same onus on fans who like a hard check the...
Bill, Again the difference is in all the examples you pose (a hard hit in football, getting hit by a pitch, a crash in NASCAR, etc) those actions are a...
Leslie, I can't say I agree with what you are saying but will say you stated your opinion in very eloquent terms and I certainly respect that. Craig ... From:...
Bill, I should add here that we really should not use the term "banning fighting." Even if the NHL and Major Junior had a complete and abrupt change of heart...
Dave, I think it is safe to say that we need more people like you in hockey! Craig ... From: delby202002 To: hockhist@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January...
Craig, once again we are back to this point "it is against the rules." But you and I BOTH know that in North America, where you live, people tacitly understand...
Dave, first of all is hockey popular? NO! And what level is the most popular outside of Minnesota? The good old goon ridden NHL and minors! Yes there is...
... most popular ... Bill: Popularity is a relative term. It is certainly popular enough that there are 30 NHL teams and about four times as many minor-league...
Craig on your 4 proposals, the first is a given. The second the NHLPA is against and most pro guys don't like. On three, if you expel a goon you are creating...
Bill, I meant no offense but what I said. I sincerely apologize if you took it the wrong way. I think it is safe to say that this debate is going in circles....
... A question I have to relate to the history of hockey is whether the CHA or any of its predecessors ever appealed to the IIHF to amend its rules to allow...
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