in the 1960's as a planet where everything was quite strange. Using this as inspiration, the Jerry Seinfeld Show created their own version of The Bizarro World in one of their episodes. That episode became an instant classic in my books, mainly because of the way it described a completely backwards world where all the opposites became all the norms. For example, the character that represented George wasn't cheap instead being frugal, and Kramer was employed and not really eccentric. In other words, in Bizarro World everything about the show and the characters was completely the opposite of what we had come to expect. Great episode, but anyways back to the blog at hand.
I was watching the NHL on TSN, wherein a panel of hockey experts discuss the main issues of the day around the league. The particular issue that dreary night was how to protect players when they fight....... Excuse me, I must have misunderstood?
I was watching the NHL on TSN, wherein a panel of hockey experts discuss the main issues of the day around the league. The particular issue that dreary night was how to protect players when they fight....... Excuse me, I must have misunderstood?
In more detail, the commentators were discussing how dangerous it is for a fighter when he loses his helmet during a fight and gets taken down, often resulting in his helmetless head hitting the ice..... 
Ok so let me get this straight, we should be concerned about players possibly getting hurt when they drop the mitts and attempt to fill each others' faces with bare fists..? Oh wait I am not quite getting it. Its not the fighting part of it, its the falling down after the fight without a helmet on that might result in injury.
So, fighting is good, but falling down after the fight without a helmet is bad. Fighting good, falling bad.... Why don't we ask the fighters simply not to fall after the fights? Or even better if they do fall, ask them to fall directly onto their faces, which have no doubt already been all banged up from the aforementioned fight.
Bizarro or what?
For piece of mind, allow me briefly play devils advocate in regards to fighting in hockey.
Fighting is and has been part of the game since its inception. Hockey is a sport that is played on sharp blades with which players fly around on at very dangerous speeds. Moreover at these speeds players hit each other on open ice or into a wall. Unfortunately, some players take liberties and try to injure the opposing teams skilled players in the process. Incidents like hits from behind into the boards, knee on knee collisions, and elbows to the head, unfortunately, happen nearly on a nightly basis in the NHL. Now, the league will often suspend players that clearly show intent in these altercations. However, the punishment rarely ever fits the crime. Exhibit A Todd Bertuzzi: He ended a carreer and only missed half a season.... Therefore, players often take the law into their own hands, closed hands, and fight whomever they think is deserving. In conclusion your Honor, fighting injures the players who injured other players and therefore is the law outside the law, a form of vigilanty justice exercised by goons.
So, fighting is good, but falling down after the fight without a helmet is bad. Fighting good, falling bad.... Why don't we ask the fighters simply not to fall after the fights? Or even better if they do fall, ask them to fall directly onto their faces, which have no doubt already been all banged up from the aforementioned fight.
Bizarro or what?
For piece of mind, allow me briefly play devils advocate in regards to fighting in hockey.
Fighting is and has been part of the game since its inception. Hockey is a sport that is played on sharp blades with which players fly around on at very dangerous speeds. Moreover at these speeds players hit each other on open ice or into a wall. Unfortunately, some players take liberties and try to injure the opposing teams skilled players in the process. Incidents like hits from behind into the boards, knee on knee collisions, and elbows to the head, unfortunately, happen nearly on a nightly basis in the NHL. Now, the league will often suspend players that clearly show intent in these altercations. However, the punishment rarely ever fits the crime. Exhibit A Todd Bertuzzi: He ended a carreer and only missed half a season.... Therefore, players often take the law into their own hands, closed hands, and fight whomever they think is deserving. In conclusion your Honor, fighting injures the players who injured other players and therefore is the law outside the law, a form of vigilanty justice exercised by goons.
In all seriousness though, the reality of the situation is that fighting is part of the game. A part that I do not particularly like however most fans enjoy it. Truth be told, if you go to a hockey game and a fight breaks out, many people stand up and cheer. And for that brief instance we go back to the days of the gladiators, even though we have apparently evolved. Nonetheless, true hockey fans dont watch hockey for the fighting, they watch it because it is a brand of sport that exhibits a combination of speed, physicality, and finesse that only hockey can provide. If I go to a hockey game, I hope to see hockey, and if a fights breaks out and one of the players gets hurt, that SHOULD NOT come as a surprise. On the other hand, if I go see boxing or mixed martial arts, and a hockey game breaks out, that SHOULD come as a surprise.... a good surprise.
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