No way I can sit by and not put an oar in the water on THIS one!  First,
let's carefully avoid any character assasinations or personality comparisons;
it doesn't matter which two coaches were involved in this "incident", but
rather the "spin" that's been put on it after the fact.  And the FACT is that
the stick(s) was/were illegal.  If there wasn't a basis for concern regarding
the possible use of sticks that were "illegal" they wouldn't have need for
the rule in the first place.  And as Gloria Steinem so aptly put it (I think
it was Gloria Steinem... maybe Gloria Estefan, or Gloria InExcelsis?...) "a
rule is a rule is a rule."  Period.
 
Moving right along to the question of responsibility:  first line would, I'd
think, be with the equipment manager(s) who order, maintain, and store
athletic paraphernalia.  Down the chain further: the coaching staff, who
apparently cannot/should not rely solely on the Equip.Mgr. to ascertain that
all the gear in their domain meets the criteria set forth by the NCAA or
other governing body.  And lastly, and oh so obviously, it rests on the
player himself, the man who's going to pay the price if the challenge
(when/if it comes) goes against him.  It wouldn't take ten minutes with each
batch of new sticks to put the gauge to them and discard or return those that
aren't up to snuff.  Simple, eh?
 
So, to be thrice sure of not assuming the position in the sin bin come crunch
time, check 'em when they come in the shipping door, check 'em when they're
disbursed, and check 'em before the game.  OR, alternatively: go back to
straight-bladed sticks... which would also enhance everyone's ability to use
their backhand to pass, receive passes, and shoot, and thereby improve the
game.  ???
 
--Dave Erickson
The Intercollegiate Hockey Newsletter
 
"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play.  It is bound up with hatred,
jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules, and sadistic pleasure in
witnessing violence: in other words, it is war minus the shooting."  --
 George Orwell
 
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