NHL needs to take the lead here. No evidence? How about the 28 year old kid with the brain of an 85 year old alzheimer’s patient?
The only major suggestions so far are basic ones like “maybe we shouldn’t dual train young kids who want to play hockey in both boxing and hockey” or “maybe a 28-yr old kid already having been in 160+ fights as a professional player is inappropriate.”
The last hockey game I went to there was a big fight early on. The refs did nothing. Fight went on for a couple of minutes. During the fight the arena put on special lighting and played a heavy metal song and then played replays of the fight on the big screen for the rest of the game.
I don’t think that adds value to the sport and increasingly it looks as if the tradition may be causing long-term brain injuries. The sport is much faster and more physical now and even the unintentional stuff is dangerous. So why not get tougher on the intentional (and sometimes even pre-planned) fights?
This will not make me many friends, but fighting should not be allowed in hockey. You don’t see two players squaring off in baseball, football, basketball, soccer, curling… Only hockey. Why? If it had any use (and not “sending a message to the other team”, protecting your star…) you would see it in every other team sport. It is a waste of time and now may be affiliated with a waste of life. It takes away from the purity of the game. You want to get back at an opponent? Try an open-ice, legal hit. That sends a better message than some scrubs throwing punches at each other.
To correct a sentence in the final paragraph, “Even though the players found to have CTE were enforcers during their careers,” Rick Martin was by no means an enforcer. He was an all-star 50-goal scorer who could skate and shoot fast, and he was lucid, friendly, intelligent and generous when I had the pleasure to spend 20 minutes with him about 8 years ago. He was a good person and a clean hockey player.
To correct a sentence in the final paragraph “Even though the players found to have CTE were enforcers during their careers,” … Rick Martin was by no means an enforcer. He was an all-star 50-goal scorer who could skate and shoot fast. He was also lucid, friendly, intelligent and generous when I had the privilege of spending 20 minutes with him about 8 years ago. He was a good person and a clean hockey player.
Did Bettman ever play hockey? Maybe he’s got a little CTE going on himself… A traumatic brain injury is just that -whether it resulted from an accidental (‘surprise’) blow or the guy sees it coming.
Gads.
NHL needs to take the lead here. No evidence? How about the 28 year old kid with the brain of an 85 year old alzheimer’s patient?
The only major suggestions so far are basic ones like “maybe we shouldn’t dual train young kids who want to play hockey in both boxing and hockey” or “maybe a 28-yr old kid already having been in 160+ fights as a professional player is inappropriate.”
The last hockey game I went to there was a big fight early on. The refs did nothing. Fight went on for a couple of minutes. During the fight the arena put on special lighting and played a heavy metal song and then played replays of the fight on the big screen for the rest of the game.
I don’t think that adds value to the sport and increasingly it looks as if the tradition may be causing long-term brain injuries. The sport is much faster and more physical now and even the unintentional stuff is dangerous. So why not get tougher on the intentional (and sometimes even pre-planned) fights?
This will not make me many friends, but fighting should not be allowed in hockey. You don’t see two players squaring off in baseball, football, basketball, soccer, curling… Only hockey. Why? If it had any use (and not “sending a message to the other team”, protecting your star…) you would see it in every other team sport. It is a waste of time and now may be affiliated with a waste of life. It takes away from the purity of the game. You want to get back at an opponent? Try an open-ice, legal hit. That sends a better message than some scrubs throwing punches at each other.
I’m sorry, but I forgot….from which medical school did Mr. Bettman earn his MD?
To correct a sentence in the final paragraph, “Even though the players found to have CTE were enforcers during their careers,” Rick Martin was by no means an enforcer. He was an all-star 50-goal scorer who could skate and shoot fast, and he was lucid, friendly, intelligent and generous when I had the pleasure to spend 20 minutes with him about 8 years ago. He was a good person and a clean hockey player.
To correct a sentence in the final paragraph “Even though the players found to have CTE were enforcers during their careers,” … Rick Martin was by no means an enforcer. He was an all-star 50-goal scorer who could skate and shoot fast. He was also lucid, friendly, intelligent and generous when I had the privilege of spending 20 minutes with him about 8 years ago. He was a good person and a clean hockey player.
Went to see a fight once and a hockey game broke out.
That was good
Please correct the reference of Rick Martin as an enforcer. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/10/rick-martin-brain-damage-_n_1002837.html
By the way, the Huff Post headline is wrong. He was a Buffalo Sabre, not a Boston Sabre.
How about all the NFL evidence including major neurological studies? This guy is a moron.
When CTE exclusions start to appear in the medical policies for NHL players maybe the light will come on.
What about the drug and alcohol abuse? That messes people up more than hits…
Did Bettman ever play hockey? Maybe he’s got a little CTE going on himself… A traumatic brain injury is just that -whether it resulted from an accidental (‘surprise’) blow or the guy sees it coming.
Gads.