When HNL players get into a fist-fight, they don't make much news about it. Just the player gets a timeout for 2 minutes; in the NBA, socking a guy results in ejection from the game and/or fines from the league. Is it because they figure it's just the nature of the hockey player to fight, and basketball is not?
2006-12-18 05:25:17 · 18 answers · asked by go UCLA bruins! 3 in Sports ➔ Basketball
Fans attend hockey games in order to see fights, primarily. If they served more serious penalties, the fighting would be rare and the sport would lose a lot of attendance and viewership.
Yes, sad but true.
2006-12-18 05:27:48 · answer #1 · answered by Sid B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are multiple factors at work here. There is a fighting tradition in the NHL, and a lot of people enjoy fighting as part of the game. With this tradition comes a respect between fighters, and an unspoken code of conduct. The refs know this as much as the players do; they know when to break up a fight(i.e. after a takedown) and when to let it go. Because of this, NHL fights have a habit of not turning into ugly brawls. Look at the semi-recent Capitals-Thrashers fight; it wasn't really a brawl so much as it was 5 separate fights.
NHL players know not to jump in on an established fight; if it needs to be stopped, the refs know when to come in and separate the two. You will find that the NHL shrugs off 1-on-1 fights with a 5-minute-major, but being the third man in on an established fight is frowned upon by both the league and players. Finally, it's hard to fight in skates and pads, and most NHL fights last for under a minute simply because the fighters get tired.
2006-12-18 05:37:58 · answer #2 · answered by Keiron 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fighting in hockey is a big part of the sport so it's not taken as seriously unless somebody get seriously hurt due to fighting but in basketball it's taken way more serioulsy due to the fact that the commmisioner of the nba doesn't want his league to be known as a league that tolerates fist fighting like the nhl allows
2006-12-18 05:40:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are both really competitive sports. They are both playing for the pride of themselves, their teams, and cities they represent. So I dont know if its a nature thing. I am more inclined to believe that is a gear thing. Hockey players are protected by their uniform on some level. Basketball, unlike football and hockey is a sport where there are no pads, helmets, etc, so the chance of actually getting seriously injured is less. Just my opinion.
2006-12-18 05:30:18 · answer #4 · answered by INFINITE CONSCIOUSNESS 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hockey is a sport where you intentionally hit people (which is the reason it results in fights), in basketball it's a foul no one usually intends to hit anyone else. Therefore fights are much less common, there's a lot of shouting and bickering but fighting on the court is unacceptable.
2006-12-18 05:31:40 · answer #5 · answered by Jeremy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are allowed to fight until the ref breaks it up in Hockey. You can't use sticks or anything, but you are allowed to slug it out fist-fight style till someone goes down.
NBA,NFL, and most other sports do not allow fighting at all.
2006-12-18 05:28:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fights are the bread and butter of NHL hockey.
Have you never heard the one that goes, "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out"?
2006-12-18 05:27:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes absolutely
But in time I think this will change. Violence is becoming so common in sports that I wouldn't be surprised to see basketball players having to wear pads soon.
2006-12-18 05:27:36 · answer #8 · answered by aronlove 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yea in hockey there has always been fighting and its part of the game, in basketball its not.... hockey however is trying to rid the sport of fighting, however once they acomplish that no one will watch
2006-12-18 05:28:26 · answer #9 · answered by smalltd28 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it has to do with the rule book. in the nhl the rule book says 5 min penelty and in the nba the rule book says ejection
2006-12-18 05:27:39 · answer #10 · answered by rodie5582 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋