unforgettableFOXfire
I serve MacPhisto
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2001
- Messages
- 2,053
Ok, everybody goes around bitching that hockey is crap now because of all the fighting and attacks and so forth. I dont disagree, but there are a few things everyone has to realise.
By playing a contact sport, which is what hockey is, the players are accepting the risk that they may be injured, and in doing so more/less give other players the right to injure them. At the same time, they are also obligated to take proper safety precautions. The British Columbia government was obviously high when they came up with the verdict that Marty McSorley was directly responsible for what happened to Donald Brashere (sp). I think this is complete bullshit. Brashere's helmet wasnt on properly, and in doing so ran the risk of being injured one way or another. Now, the hit was not malicious. For those of you who havent seen the video of it, the stick to the head was NOT a baseball swing, it was a quick chop to the side of the head. In addition to this, people say tht it isnt part of the game. Well, if it wasnt part of the game, why is there a rule that penalizes players for high sticking? If it wasnt part of the game, and it wasnt expected to happen, why is there a rule? Simple explanation is, that in the course of the game it happens, whether intentionally or accidentally. As I said before, this is a contact sport, and if people dont want to risk being injured, then they shouldnt be playing. There is absolutely no way he should have been charged in criminal court for that incedent.
The question now becomes, that since he WAS in fact charged because of it, where do we draw the line? You put people on sharpened metal blades, give them sticks, and the ability to knock each other down. If you were walking down the street, and body checked someone, it is very likely that you would be arrested for assult, similarly if you were to punch someone in the face, you would eb arrested. But yet punching someone in the face, body checking, are all legal in hockey. So you either arrest every hockey player for every body contact, or you dont arrest them unless a player actually attempts to kill another player. You cant say well beating the fuck out of someone is ok, but not a tap to the side of the head with a stick.
There was one very disturbing incident a good long while ago, where a goaltender had his jugular cut by a skate blade durning a game. The player that caused this by no means intended it to happen, the goaltender survived, but had there not been an ambulence in the building, he wouldnt have.
Kevin Stevens of the Pittsburgh Penguins, 8 or 10 years ago, was bodychecked from the front while he wasnt looking expressly that direction, he was knocked unconcious, and was flipped over the other players back, the result was him landing on his face and needing reconstructive surgery to fix his nose/teeth.
Tie Domi, last year in the playoffs, elbowed Scott Neidermayer in the head, knocking him senseless.
How can people possibly justify that a stick to the head isnt part of the game and should be dealt with in criminal court? There is no justification. Im so sick and tired of people and their bullshit "I know all the rules" "that isnt part of the game". If you dont like it, then dont watch hockey. Shit happens. People have to get over it. Full contact = full contact, not you can knock someone out with your arm but not with your stick.
More ranting later tonight. When my subject will be minor hockey coaches and parents.
By playing a contact sport, which is what hockey is, the players are accepting the risk that they may be injured, and in doing so more/less give other players the right to injure them. At the same time, they are also obligated to take proper safety precautions. The British Columbia government was obviously high when they came up with the verdict that Marty McSorley was directly responsible for what happened to Donald Brashere (sp). I think this is complete bullshit. Brashere's helmet wasnt on properly, and in doing so ran the risk of being injured one way or another. Now, the hit was not malicious. For those of you who havent seen the video of it, the stick to the head was NOT a baseball swing, it was a quick chop to the side of the head. In addition to this, people say tht it isnt part of the game. Well, if it wasnt part of the game, why is there a rule that penalizes players for high sticking? If it wasnt part of the game, and it wasnt expected to happen, why is there a rule? Simple explanation is, that in the course of the game it happens, whether intentionally or accidentally. As I said before, this is a contact sport, and if people dont want to risk being injured, then they shouldnt be playing. There is absolutely no way he should have been charged in criminal court for that incedent.
The question now becomes, that since he WAS in fact charged because of it, where do we draw the line? You put people on sharpened metal blades, give them sticks, and the ability to knock each other down. If you were walking down the street, and body checked someone, it is very likely that you would be arrested for assult, similarly if you were to punch someone in the face, you would eb arrested. But yet punching someone in the face, body checking, are all legal in hockey. So you either arrest every hockey player for every body contact, or you dont arrest them unless a player actually attempts to kill another player. You cant say well beating the fuck out of someone is ok, but not a tap to the side of the head with a stick.
There was one very disturbing incident a good long while ago, where a goaltender had his jugular cut by a skate blade durning a game. The player that caused this by no means intended it to happen, the goaltender survived, but had there not been an ambulence in the building, he wouldnt have.
Kevin Stevens of the Pittsburgh Penguins, 8 or 10 years ago, was bodychecked from the front while he wasnt looking expressly that direction, he was knocked unconcious, and was flipped over the other players back, the result was him landing on his face and needing reconstructive surgery to fix his nose/teeth.
Tie Domi, last year in the playoffs, elbowed Scott Neidermayer in the head, knocking him senseless.
How can people possibly justify that a stick to the head isnt part of the game and should be dealt with in criminal court? There is no justification. Im so sick and tired of people and their bullshit "I know all the rules" "that isnt part of the game". If you dont like it, then dont watch hockey. Shit happens. People have to get over it. Full contact = full contact, not you can knock someone out with your arm but not with your stick.
More ranting later tonight. When my subject will be minor hockey coaches and parents.
