I don't mind the fighting if they keep their helmets on. I often think when the brawls get out of control, they should turn all the lights off. Poor referees; they are often caught in the cross hairs. Curling is a nice sport for men and women - a real Canadian sport and it is much more difficult than it appears.
Nothing more Canadian than a good old hockey brawl.
But I don't care for it, myself.
(a) It's not the sport they're being paid to play. We could invent a sport called ice boxing, have players box each other on a rink, and people would pay to see it. Which brings me to my next point:
(b) The fighting happens because of emotionalism, taking the game too seriously. It's just a game! It's not liking fighting for your sister's honour against some cad who says nasty insinuations about her character on a school bathroom wall or a water tower; it's just a game.
But then, I'm an outlier, and don't quite get why people love pro sports so, since I don't.
BTW, I don't deny they're real men, but is that the only way to be real men? Can one not, without being a pacificist hippie, seek to resolve conflicts through reason, negotiation - and notifying the referee about a wrong committed?
I doubt ice hockey would be just as spectacular if the players spent their times negotiating instead of brawling. They are also paid exorbitant sums of money as far as I know so no pity from me:)
But the point, as a sport, is to put the puck in the opposing team's net. That's what they're being paid to do, not to beat each other up. Alas, everyone loves it. Except when stuff like this happens.
I have an idea that since this fighting is more or less tolerated to a certain degree, that's exactly what they are paid to do. Of course, it's a duty of the referee to take care that it's not getting entirely out of hand, and leading to serious accidents like the one you mention. But accidents will happen in every sport and these guys know the risks.
I don't like it. It's a corruption of a sport. It's... ungentlemanly; unsportsmanlike. And while I used to enjoy it, I'd rather watch fighting under controlled conditions: a few years ago I enjoyed, and watched, a lot of Thai kickboxing, watching 16 year old under 100lb Thai boys beating the s--- out of each other, under controlled conditions; still civilized. What Todd Bertuzzi did to Steve Moore was not civilized, but was a natural extension of what will happen when leagues, refs, fans, and Don Cherry tolerate and encourage fighting in hockey.
And I'd rather see men of the West fight invading infidels and progs than each other.
Well, tastes will differ. I admit I just can't take these hockey fights all too seriously or get worked up about them. It's not like they are drafted to play ice hockey, they choose it themselves and get royally paid to participate. If fighting is their idea of fun, who am I to interfere?
Here in Finland if there is a little fight in hockey game (ice hockey is extremely important here), all the newspapers and forums are full of whining about "This is not real ice hockey, violence does not belong to ice hockey". Some people even think that women's hockey is better, because "women play with skill and do not fight".
I have never been interested in women's ice hockey. I, too, think that some violence belongs to ice hockey. I enjoy the idea that the players really get so heated up. Especially if both teams play very, very well, and the play is so even and that is why they get so heated up. Especially if it is Finland vs. Sweden or Russia -those games are so special, that it would be a miracle if the players stayed totally cool all the time.
Of course in real life I hate it when men do not control themselves. But in entertaiment...
BTW, I have never understood why so many people whine that media does not report women's sports as much as it reports mens. I mean men's sports are so much more interesting. Men are always better in all sports, because of their stronger physique. So why in earth would anybody want to watch mediocre performances, if you can watch good ones? (Men, I assume, watch women's sports for -let's say artistic reasons. ;))
Housewife, about women in ice hockey. I remember we had an ad during Winter Olympics where a young male hockey player was all alone in the stadium training and then he saw a girl in ice hockey uniform with long blond hair. He was all excited and stuff and then she turned and he noticed she missed her front teeth. That about sums it up.
As for people whining I think it's more MSM propaganda than truth. Most feminists/progressives are either in media or in the universities.
Dawn, those fights are probably a big part as of why ice hockey is so popular:)
ReplyDeleteFemale ice hockey is right on par with female boxing for me. Would never watch.
:) I think a nice winter sport for women is curling, one gets to practice her cleaning skills:) Though I still don't understand what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the fighting if they keep their helmets on. I often think when the brawls get out of control, they should turn all the lights off. Poor referees; they are often caught in the cross hairs. Curling is a nice sport for men and women - a real Canadian sport and it is much more difficult than it appears.
ReplyDeleteNothing more Canadian than a good old hockey brawl.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't care for it, myself.
(a) It's not the sport they're being paid to play. We could invent a sport called ice boxing, have players box each other on a rink, and people would pay to see it. Which brings me to my next point:
(b) The fighting happens because of emotionalism, taking the game too seriously. It's just a game! It's not liking fighting for your sister's honour against some cad who says nasty insinuations about her character on a school bathroom wall or a water tower; it's just a game.
But then, I'm an outlier, and don't quite get why people love pro sports so, since I don't.
BTW, I don't deny they're real men, but is that the only way to be real men? Can one not, without being a pacificist hippie, seek to resolve conflicts through reason, negotiation - and notifying the referee about a wrong committed?
ReplyDeleteI doubt ice hockey would be just as spectacular if the players spent their times negotiating instead of brawling. They are also paid exorbitant sums of money as far as I know so no pity from me:)
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't pity them; I don't even watch them.
ReplyDeleteBut the point, as a sport, is to put the puck in the opposing team's net. That's what they're being paid to do, not to beat each other up. Alas, everyone loves it. Except when stuff like this happens.
I have an idea that since this fighting is more or less tolerated to a certain degree, that's exactly what they are paid to do. Of course, it's a duty of the referee to take care that it's not getting entirely out of hand, and leading to serious accidents like the one you mention. But accidents will happen in every sport and these guys know the risks.
ReplyDeleteIf folks weren't interested in ice hockey brawls, the videos like the one above wouldn't gather more than 3 million views:)
ReplyDeleteAlas, that is so.
ReplyDeleteI don't like it. It's a corruption of a sport. It's... ungentlemanly; unsportsmanlike. And while I used to enjoy it, I'd rather watch fighting under controlled conditions: a few years ago I enjoyed, and watched, a lot of Thai kickboxing, watching 16 year old under 100lb Thai boys beating the s--- out of each other, under controlled conditions; still civilized. What Todd Bertuzzi did to Steve Moore was not civilized, but was a natural extension of what will happen when leagues, refs, fans, and Don Cherry tolerate and encourage fighting in hockey.
And I'd rather see men of the West fight invading infidels and progs than each other.
Well, tastes will differ. I admit I just can't take these hockey fights all too seriously or get worked up about them. It's not like they are drafted to play ice hockey, they choose it themselves and get royally paid to participate. If fighting is their idea of fun, who am I to interfere?
ReplyDeleteHere in Finland if there is a little fight in hockey game (ice hockey is extremely important here), all the newspapers and forums are full of whining about "This is not real ice hockey, violence does not belong to ice hockey". Some people even think that women's hockey is better, because "women play with skill and do not fight".
ReplyDeleteI have never been interested in women's ice hockey. I, too, think that some violence belongs to ice hockey. I enjoy the idea that the players really get so heated up. Especially if both teams play very, very well, and the play is so even and that is why they get so heated up. Especially if it is Finland vs. Sweden or Russia -those games are so special, that it would be a miracle if the players stayed totally cool all the time.
Of course in real life I hate it when men do not control themselves. But in entertaiment...
BTW, I have never understood why so many people whine that media does not report women's sports as much as it reports mens. I mean men's sports are so much more interesting. Men are always better in all sports, because of their stronger physique. So why in earth would anybody want to watch mediocre performances, if you can watch good ones? (Men, I assume, watch women's sports for -let's say artistic reasons. ;))
Housewife, about women in ice hockey. I remember we had an ad during Winter Olympics where a young male hockey player was all alone in the stadium training and then he saw a girl in ice hockey uniform with long blond hair. He was all excited and stuff and then she turned and he noticed she missed her front teeth. That about sums it up.
ReplyDeleteAs for people whining I think it's more MSM propaganda than truth. Most feminists/progressives are either in media or in the universities.