This is why I rarely watch NHL anymore

kwsteve

I ask because it's ridiculous for someone to condemn hockey because of fighting and at the same time support MMA. Fighting is fighting.

The union's job is to protect the members. That includes protecting the number of roster spots available for their members.

Milo

The roster spot is not going away, the team is merely being penalized temporarily, as is the player. Should be no conflict for the Union.

And, as stated, fighting in hockey is against the rules. In MMA, fighting is, well, the whole point of the sport. As I said, the two are completely different, and thus comparisons are not valid.

kwsteve

LOL, alright. Yeah, it's against the rules. And when they do it they get punished with a 5 min major penalty. That's the rules. Done.

moose

kwsteve;307823 wroteI ask because it's ridiculous for someone to condemn hockey because of fighting and at the same time support MMA. Fighting is fighting.

The union's job is to protect the members. That includes protecting the number of roster spots available for their members.

No it's not. Hockey is about hockey. As Cerberus said, there are no extra points for fighting in hockey. I would call MMA ridiculous too if all of a sudden hockey sticks get passed through the cage and they start swinging at each other. There is nothing wrong with fighting as a sport but the sport of hockey doesn't need fighting.

Milo

Yup. Done . . . like my viewing. At least until the playoffs start. The pro-fighting side still hasn't addressed why, during the most important part of the Hockey season, that aspect of the game virtually disappears. If it is such a critical part of hockey, and it absolutely has to be there to keep the nasty stick work at bay, how come fighting is almost non-existent in the play-offs?

[deleted]

I was going to leave this thread alone but I cant.

To even state that fighting needs to be out of the game is hog wash.

Fighting in hockey plays a major role. It protects great players (all players actually) from cheap shots, it sends messages and adds toughness.

Fight's dont "just" happen, there is always a reason, weather it be someone simply snowing the goalie, protecting a player after being hit from behind or a team mate being victim of a cheap shot.

fighting also occur's between 2 "tough guy's" . You dont see goal scorer's and supersars fight all that often, and if they do its to spark their team after they have been playing bad or they are frustrated. IT IS PART OF THE GAME.

I played competitive , high caliber junior all the way growing up (I played junior since I was 15) and fighting is not only part of the game, but it is necessary.

If you have never played a competitive game in your life, or are only a casual fan, your opinion really means nothing tbh.

[deleted]

Milo;307833 wroteYup. Done . . . like my viewing. At least until the playoffs start. The pro-fighting side still hasn't addressed why, during the most important part of the Hockey season, that aspect of the game virtually disappears. If it is such a critical part of hockey, and it absolutely has to be there to keep the nasty stick work at bay, how come fighting is almost non-existent in the play-offs?

there is lots of fights in the playoff's LMAO

keep on keepin on...

reibs

Milo;307771 wroteYeah, no one watches Olympic hockey or the playoffs in the NHL . . . cuz there's no scraps. That argument is as much BS as whatever comes out of Don's mouth this weekend.

I think you would find similar results in terms of viewership during reg season vs playoffs/olympics across most sports. And it has nothing to do with fighting.

Hellmuth's Mole

reibs;307840 wroteI think you would find similar results in terms of viewership during reg season vs playoffs/olympics across most sports. And it has nothing to do with fighting.

Erm, I think that's the point. How many viewers turn off the TV because they know there are no fights coming? It's not necessary to the game in any way.

reibs

Hellmuth's Mole;307749 wroteThe NFL just handed out a year long suspension to Sean Payton and indefinite suspension to Gregg Williams for giving players incentives to hurting opponents....in the most physically violent sport played.

Re Reibs and what the fans like, there are already increasing acts of violence among fans in all major sports resulting in fights, beatings and some resulting in death and being investigated as murders. Does the NHL really want to be the only sport that actively feeds that violent blood lust? I don't think it's a big stretch to think that the fans that get up and cheer fights are the more likely to start the violence among opposing fans.....and those fans are quite welcome to leave when the NHL comes to it's senses and bans fighting, as they will no doubt be replaced by sane individuals who currently avoid it.

If there is increasing number of incidents in all major sports, yet hockey is the only one that "allows" fighting, then how can the incidents be attributed to hockey fights?

Dont get me wrong im all for some type of adjustments to get the heavyweights out of the league, but you just have to have the self policing imo. The league wont let stars sit on sidelines long enough to teach them any lessons....so stiffer suspensions wont work either i dont think

Edit: i mean stiffer suspensions for cheapshot artist and hits from behind, etc

Hellmuth's Mole

I am not attributing hockey fights to fan violence in sports. I am saying there is one major sport that allows it's fans to see regular bare knuckle brawling and that it can not in any way help the situation.

reibs

I dunno, i disagree.

Surprised that u guys can take this argument, and think fans watching mma is any different in terms of the violence. I mean really, the reason they are there is to inflict pain on each other. Punch, kick, choke, w/e. :-\

Wetts1012

Hellmuth's Mole;307842 wroteErm, I think that's the point. How many viewers turn off the TV because they know there are no fights coming? It's not necessary to the game in any way.

I think theres a whole hell of a lot of difference between an olympic game (national pride = viewership, 4 lines of talent = viewership) and a regular season hockey game between Florida and New Jersey.

I dont think anyone can deny that the prospect of potentially seeing a fight at least sells a few tickets to these excitement filled matches.

Exibit: Quebec Semi Pro league sells out everywhere.

Im not arguing either side but you cant compare to olympics, where the stands will sellout and people will watch even if you FULLY remove body contact.

Hellmuth's Mole

Wetts1012;307846 wroteI think theres a whole hell of a lot of difference between an olympic game (national pride = viewership, 4 lines of talent = viewership) and a regular season hockey game between Florida and New Jersey.

I dont think anyone can deny that the prospect of potentially seeing a fight at least sells a few tickets to these excitement filled matches.

Exibit: Quebec Semi Pro league sells out everywhere.

Im not arguing either side but you cant compare to olympics, where the stands will sellout and people will watch even if you FULLY remove body contact.

There is a big difference between Olympic and NHL and 4 lines of talent is one of the greatest things I wish for.

If there were fights breaking out in the Olympics all the time would it sell more tickets to the Latvian/Khazakstan match-up?

If the NHL aspires to the integrity of Quebec semi-pro, god help us all.

And how can you argue that fighting is essential to drawing crowds for shitty hockey when we've never seen how good the game could be without it and how many more fans would come and enjoy it?

Wetts1012

Hellmuth's Mole;307851 wroteThere is a big difference between Olympic and NHL and 4 lines of talent is one of the greatest things I wish for.

If there were fights breaking out in the Olympics all the time would it sell more tickets to the Latvian/Khazakstan match-up?

If the NHL aspires to the integrity of Quebec semi-pro, god help us all.

And how can you argue that fighting is essential to drawing crowds for shitty hockey when we've never seen how good the game could be without it and how many more fans would come and enjoy it?

Im not arguing either way, the game is fine with or without it.

Im just saying that I think more people watch because of fighting than those that dont watch because of fighting (not sure if that made sense).

Wetts1012

Hellmuth's Mole;307851 wrote
If there were fights breaking out in the Olympics all the time would it sell more tickets to the Latvian/Khazakstan match-up?

haha. I actually might argue that yes, this is the case.....

compuease

imo, I think we need some input from guys who have actually played the game at a high level... Wonder where we can find some? >:D

Wetts1012

compuease;307855 wroteimo, I think we need some input from guys who have actually played the game at a high level... Wonder where we can find some? >:D

??? I played juvy, so I know my shit.

Shtebs

This whole "fighting is there to prevent cheap shots and dirty play" is a load of shit. If that's the case then why is there still cheap shots and dirty play? As many people have already mentioned, football is a sport with even more contact than hockey and almost no fighting. It also happens to be the most successful league in North America (also previously mentioned) so their severe penalties for brutality have not been hurting it at all.
I realize that a large percentage of the population equating loving hockey to being a true Canadian and for some reason they also feel the need to defend our national sport's flaws. Like it's an insult to Canada to point our national sport can be improved or that maybe we should look into implement some pretty hefty changes to it for the safety of the players. Again, fighting does NOT make hockey more safe so don't even bother coming back with that horseshit argument.

compuease

Wetts1012;307856 wrote??? I played juvy, so I know my shit.

well I mighta played something back circa pre leafs last cup... lol... Just can't recall, damn that alzheimer's anyways.. Twasn't you I was hinting at tho... :) I actually coached juvy rep here in Milton back around 1990, thinking you are too young for that tho..

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