2007-03-26 09:24:58 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Hockey
Just an interesting note they polled this question on yahoo. The results were approximately this.
Should there be . . .
10% Less fighting?
50% Fine how it is?
40% More Fighting?
I think while it is a biased audience of people who are looking up hockey it still speaks volume. 90% of people think fighting is fine or there should be more. You can say some people just want to watch hockey for the fighting, but there is no way thats the reason that 90% of the people watch hockey.
I think this speaks for itself.
Personally I think the thought of fighting is what keeps people from crushing the skill/superstar players much more than a penalty. So unless you can keep players from getting run over (and I don't want to see 350 suspensions upon video review) then you can't ban it.
2007-03-26 09:55:02 · answer #1 · answered by bourgoise_10o 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, the biggest problem they are facing right now is because they are trying to eliminate fighting. Guys can play with wreckless abandon knowing full well that the other team will get penalized if they send someone out to put an end to the guys stupidity. Players have lost a lot of respect for one another and it can be traced right back to the rules against fighting. Before the instigater rule these type of things didnt happen like they do now, put fighting back in the game and the stick swinging, boarding, goaltender running, dirty open ice hits, etc. would make some of these dirty hits obsolete. Fighting is a deterent most often, on occasion someone will drop the gloves to provide a spark for thier team but mostly it has been done to send a message that the cheap shots wont be tolerated and appropriate punishment will be coming if a guy cant control himself. Fighting is a solution to a lot of hockeys problems....not a cause of their problems!
2007-03-26 16:40:25 · answer #2 · answered by viphockey4 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No. I am not a huge fan of the fighting but I also know it is necessary. Fighting keeps the game honest. Look at a possible reason for why the question is being asked: The Orr knockout hit on Fedoruk in the Flyers vs. Rangers game... In the prior game Orr did not play but Fedoruk and Eager did. They both went around checking the Rangers Stars (Jagr in particular) as the wanted. Most of their checks were perfectly legal. However, if Orr was in the lineup they most likely would not have checked either as hard or as often because Orr would have either 1) dropped the gloves 2) Checked the Flyers stars...
I bring this up because most of the checks were legal! Having the refs be tighter on the rules would not have solved the situation (unless you take out hitting entirely). If you removed fighting but still allow hitting then all teams would employ their enforces in "head hunting" roles. Now instead of an enforcer getting his nose broken or knocked out in a fight (that he was willing participant) you have your stars getting taken out.
Also keep in mind, In olympic hockey, the rinks are bigger so their is lower probability for checking. The smaller rink used by the NHL encourages contact.
2007-03-26 17:04:17 · answer #3 · answered by Poisonsmile 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
2 weeks of people howling at me about tradition has changed my mind about this. I PERSONALLY don't think it adds anything to the game or the sport NEEDS it, but I have now been convinced by Bob Loblaw and Company that most people who watch Hockey WANT this and the NHL has already done many other things to try to bring new fans in and all they have managed to do is alienate the hardcore fans without results.
Besides you can't really "ban" it, you could give automatic game misconducts or suspensions, that may stop some of it, but not all.
First things first anyway. Lets clean up our bad rap that the sport is so violent by giving MEANINGFUL suspensions to sucker-punchers and stick-swingers.
2007-03-26 17:26:20 · answer #4 · answered by clueless_nerd 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have to agree with Clueless. They wrote"First things first anyway. Lets clean up our bad rap that the sport is so violent by giving MEANINGFUL suspensions to sucker-punchers and stick-swingers. "
They are ABSOULTLY right. The cheap shots need to stop. How can they suspend one guy 3 or more games for hitting someone cleanly, then one guy blantenly cheap shots a player and the NHL says "it's alright" and doesn't do anything. Campbell and Betmen both need to take a long walk off a short pier and never return.
2007-03-26 18:52:42 · answer #5 · answered by Buffalo all the way 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO, because it makes hockey even better. Hockey is already the fastest most exciting sport and then you add in great brawls and it becomes orgazmic. Why on earth would anyone want to ban fighting? The crowds love it and so do the players who fight. Anyone who thinks it should be banned is an idiot and not a hockey fan.
2007-03-26 17:32:23 · answer #6 · answered by lazyjbob 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO. they've already changed so much of the game taking out fighting would be like taking out the ice and having hockey be played on grass. hockey is a physical sport. fedurok was the only guy i've ever seen get seriuosly hurt from a fight. and guy's fight voluntarily. it's not like they are forced to. if they don't want to fight they don't have to. true hockey fans, who have been fans since before the lockout, would object loudly. fighting is a part of the game just like hitting, or scoring is. and yes, the game would loose alot of fans. and some players would not be able to play anymore. some player's jobs are fighting. and yet again...this situation proves why bettman is the worst thing that ever hapened to hockey. besides versus.
2007-03-26 16:53:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cant ban fighting in hockey, having said that, they need to get rid of the side show fights. A game starts and 10 seconds in, the heavyweights go at it....thats what makes hockey a joke. But fighting needs to be there to prevent excessive stick work and other types of cheap shots and a release for 2 guys who just really dont like each other and want to beat the crap out of one another.
2007-03-26 16:41:04 · answer #8 · answered by Bluejacket 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They should not ban fighting in the NHL. They obviously have to break it up at some point, but withouth the fighting, there would probably be a serious decline in fans. The only reason I even go to hockey games is in hopes that I will see a guy try to stab somebody with his skate.
2007-03-26 16:31:50 · answer #9 · answered by emjaye 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
no it is a hockey tradition.it is the cheap shots they need to take a look at. they have a few players that are known for cheap shots and keep getting away with them.fighting has been around as long as hockey has and very few serious injuries have occurred. just because of the incident the other night(orr)knocked that guy out with one punch does not mean they should ban fighting,it is part of the game.i think that was just a lucky punch and does not usually happen.
2007-03-26 16:35:14 · answer #10 · answered by maureen b 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋