Why are we so quick to condemn the Miami/FI football fight?

Question

...when fights break out all the time in the NHL. Seriously, what's the difference?

Answer 1

I am a big fan of the NHL. I can come up with a couple of examples of why it was a shock.

1) Obviously, Fighting is expected in Hockey.
2) The players were much more vicious with one another in this particular fight. The footage that I saw included people kicking heads and using helmets as weapons.
3) When Hockey players fight it usually doesn't really do anything to the player that loses. If you don't know hockey very well. If blood is drawn on the ice a major penalty is assessed and the player is ejected from the game. An official review is undertaken by the NHL main office etc.

BIG BIG DIFFERENCE.... HOCKEY FIGHTS ARE 1 on 1.
Chivalrous... etc.

4) We all have our hearts wrapped around Collegiate Sports, especially football and basketball. It is simply not thought of as a place where a brawl will break out. Even at a heated rivalry game, where fans might go at it and the intensity on the field could be extreme, we do not usually see fights.

Answer 2

First off stop judging the NHL when you clearly don't watch it. If you did you would know that fights don't break out all the time anymore. Another thing is this was a BRAWL not a fight. When fights break out in the NHL it is usually just the two and they both get penalized for their actions in that game. You don't see the whole teams getting in fights very often. They also have the fight broken up when the players fall to the ice. They aren't attacking people on the ground.

Answer 3

Well, I happen to think that the hockey fights are just as bad. Why is that even part of the sport? Why not just put boxers on ice skates if that's what you want to see? But I think some people see the NHL fights as "traditional" and want to see that in the game. Even if you don't like the fights, though, they happen all the time so you're not surprised when one breaks out. There is no such tradition in football, and you don't expect a fight to be part of the game, so it was shocking to see it happen there.

Plus, most parents send their kids off to school expecting that the school is going to "take care of my baby." People view these college students as "kids" even if they're 22 year old men. They're shocked at violence from "kids" in college, but a 19 year old rookie hockey player getting in a fistfight is just par for the course.

Answer 4

Have you ever seen a fight in the NHL get that bad? Where a bunch of fake wannabe "thugs" are swinging their helmets and stomping on players already on the ground...thats a straight up pu**y to me. In the NHL its typically one on one but when its not you dont see ppl fighting guys with weapons and hitting guys already on the ground like a lil b*tch. All those players involved should be kicked out of the NCAA and never allowed to transfer or ever play any college sport ever again. Reason why its doesnt get as bad in the NHL. They are predominantly white and if they are gonna face something they will face it like a man and fight straight up...they dont jump guys and try to act all "hard" by swinging at a guy with a helmet. What a pu**y.

Answer 5

Ok, this was more than just a little scuffle. This was a big GROUP fight. You had people kicking those on the ground, you had people stomping on each other (which got Albert H from the Titans suspended for what, 4-5 games), and you had that idiot from Miami come in swinging his helmet. This was more than just a fight, it was a mele. The U of Miami suspended these people for the DUKE game, give me a break. What kind of punishment is that. People need to learn that violence is not the answer. They have to keep their cool, and not act like a bunch of idiots.

Answer 6

EXCUSE ME... I think there's a big dif here. One is professional with their own audience to cater to(by the way, i think maybe you aren't the most accurate observer of NHL). The other is supposed to be student atheletes competing
for school spirit. Of course we all know that became a joke a long time ago for many colleges. I say this as an alum of VT. If every
attitude problem was pounced on immediately
by coaches, there would be better ball to watch, there are excellent young men who take the side lines instead of the headlines because
coaches are under so much pressure, not to coach football , but to generate income by getting games on TV and by going to bowl games. Alumni donations don't begin to add up to one ESPN broadcast. I want changes not tolerance. The place to put your voice is with the sponsers of bowl games and broadcasts. Maybe then we can get back to well coached football instead of hoodlum antics supervised by parole officers.

Answer 7

Because it didn't look like the fight happened from a game incident like hockey. The fight began because one the Miami players , out on parole, thought he would show boat to the FL INT section. It was flagrant. The Refs did throw a flag. Did you see the Miami team celebrating like they won the N.C. ? They beat a team at home that hasn't won all year 35-0. Miami sure seems to have fallen. This at one time was a powerhouse, now look at them.
All of the blame doesn't go against Miami. FLORIDA INT. is just as guilty. It just seemed they were to eager to fight, jumping in with helmets and crutches as weapons. Sure, fights happen , but not like this.

Answer 8

When was the last time a 'hockey fight' made the fans go apesh*t?!

How about the fact that people in the stands took upon themselves to engage in fisticuffs (i.e. fight)? Or the idiot annoucer for CSS TV (Lamar Thomas) making comments that without a doubt SHOULD be taken as instigative (e.g. "you don't come into the O.B. doin that" "I was about to get on the elevator and get in the thing." Mr. Thomas has been subsequently fired. Those kids are NOT paid to play. They should be doing for the sport, because they're talented enough to; when fights like this occur... It makes the fans, faculty, average joe spectators challenge the system...

Answer 9

As far as Keyser S is concerned the fans did not go Apes***T like you suggested. I was there on Saturday and saw the whole event. Only two fights were seen in the crowd. That is 4 people out of over 51,000. So before you answer check your info!

Answer 10

NFL rarely has fights and that wouldn't condone it at all. The issue with this fight is it wasn't just a bunch of guys pushing each other like you usually see. They were stomping on guys on the ground and beating people with helmets.