Let Them Fight!

Let Them Fight!

Marty McSorley has been suspended for the rest of the regular season, plus the playoffs, for a baseball type swing at the head of Donald Brashear. It's the longest suspension in NHL history. But, the questions remains, could this have been prevented? Possibly. Random acts such as this have always happened by players who just snap, and probably always will. Dave Brown cross checking Tomas Sandstrom across the head, Matt Johnson ending Jeff Beukeboom's career with a blow to the back of the head, and too many other stick swinging incidents to mention.

So, what can be done to stop things like this? Well, my solution probably wouldn't be popular with the higher ups in the NHL. Quite simply, if players want to fight, let them fight! Get rid of that stupid 10 minute misconduct penalty that's given for instigating. Get rid of the rule that says you start getting suspended after you've picked up a couple instigating penalties. It's dumb. If players are allowed to fight, without having to worry about misconducts, or getting suspended after your 3rd instigator, then maybe they'll fight instead of using their stick. Maybe that's the solution, and maybe it isn't. But, the thing that nobody can deny is that since they put these new anti-fighting rules in, stickwork has gone way up.

Now, if someone slashes you, you slash back not wanting to pick up an instigating penalty for fighting. If those rules don't exist, and someone slashes you, you drop the gloves and let him know not to do it again. Plus, the fans like the fighting. I don't care what kind of logic the league comes up with, or stats they use, the fans like the fighting. There are only 3 times during a game when the fans stand up. One, is when a goal is scored. Two, when there's a fight. And three, when it's intermission. Why doesn't the league embrace the fact there are fights. They could use it as part of their all important marketing strategy. They could say that the game is so hard hitting, and so intense, occasionally fights break out.

I'm not advocating bench clearing brawls, because they're dangerous and someone can get hurt, since someone can come from any direction and start pummeling a player without him even seeing what hit him. But a one on one fight, both guys know what they're getting into. If they have issues with each other, let em go. Plus, one thing I've noticed in the last few years, is that star players seem to get hit more than they used to. It could be because, the player that hits the star, knows they'll be little or no retribution for fear of instigating.

Maybe I'm blowing a lot of hot air. I could be completely wrong about the fighting issue. But, I don't think I am. The proof is on the ice right now. Sticks are up, fighting is down. There is a definite tie-in between the two. It comes down to which you'd rather have, two guys fighting, or guys slashing each other. Personally, I'd rather have the fights.

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