fighting in hockey debate

"I did some research and posted an article with NHL history that related to how fighting grew in prominence - http://itsnotpartofthegame.blogspot.ca/2012/04/how-did-we-get-here.htmlThe time has come for the NHL and NHLPA to show maturity, to display concern for their players and to promote the beauty of hockey instead of supporting a culture of fighting. Fighting in the NHL can be compared to the old Miller “Lite” beer commercials that debated “Tastes Great!/Less Filling!” on television before many of us could legally drink beer.

I’m not sure we called them cheap shots back then. #ShockTheWorld A daily digital publication for the thoughtful and insight-seeking sports fan A daily digital publication for the thoughtful and insight-seeking sports fanA daily digital publication for the thoughtful and insight-seeking sports fanTSFJ was launched in November 2011 by editor-at-chief Eddie Maisonet, III and editor-at-large Kenny Masenda. Those commercials were marketing genius, but the debate is pretty much moot. We strive to provide a diverse perspective of fanhood from talented contributors all across the country.Podcast: Why The Golden State Warriors Won’t Lose Until Christmas5 Reasons Why The Seattle Seahawks Should Have The NFL Worried And it would bring back the enforcer. I’ve looked at the replay so many times over the years, and it was clearly obvious he intended to hurt him. Teach coaches to eliminate these negative aspects from their teams and discipline their own players for engaging in any of these activities. Former players turned television analysts will say the game needs to be self-policing, therefore, fighting needs to exist. They’d warrant a suspension.Dillion, maybe the league should start tabulating the number of “cheap shots”, but I think it would first have trouble defining them. Keep driving home the facts that dispel the myths of “policing” and “changing momentum”. The fans love it; ask anyone who has grown up rooting for the Philadelphia Flyers, and the first thing they’ll likely mention is the team’s reputation as the “Broad Street Bullies.” The media, however, remains split on the topic. The debate about fighting has raged on for decades. Minor hockey should not mirror the current style of play in the NHL or parents will find another sport.Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have the power to remove fighting from all leagues and significantly alter the current culture. Maybe if Crosby had a designated enforcer lurking on the bench, guys like Brandon Dubinsky would think twice before cross-checking him to the back of the neck or breaking a stick over his back. I still feel that way, but one thing today’s players need to understand is that they need to try harder to respect each other as people.The guys who played the enforcer role were respected; you’d have to have been a textbook masochist to want to take a beating from one of them, but it was an important role. Then, in 1992, it decided to update and enforce the long-standing “Instigator” rule, which caused the virtual extinction of the enforcer. 16 year old players who complete their junior hockey careers with strict penalties for dangerous play and fighting will be the leading edge of change. No amount of statistics or hard evidence will alter that view. Reducing the level of fighting requires a change in culture from junior hockey to the professional ranks. USA Hockey’s site talks about the 3 promises; the promise of fun, the promise of guidance and the promise of achievement. Despite hard facts that prove otherwise; NHL players continue to believe that fighting creates respect, protects players, reduces cheap shots and changes momentum. Some high-profile names in professional hockey …