At 05:00 AM 2/12/99 -0500, Craig Lisko processor wrote:
 
>Fighting in hockey (college, junior, pro) if done CORRECTLY is a very
>useful tool. I am not sitting as an advocate of goon tactics, but fighting
>can serve it's purpose.
>i.e.) The most common issue today are the "little guys" who run around the
>ice using their sticks as weapons. If this occurs in college, what action
>can you take to stop it? NONE! But if the player knew that if they
>continued using their stick that way, there might be the chance that a
>player may grab him and beat the snot out of him, he'll stop.
 
And Adam Wodon replied:
 
>I don't see fighting doing anything to stop anything, except the flow of the
>game.
 
First, Craig, I have to say that your assertion that "the most common issue
today are the 'little guys'..." is a bit over-simplistic.  The so-called
little guys are not necessarily the most common issue, and many little guys
I know who play hockey can certainly absolutely and beyond a doubt back up
anything they say with their fists if they need to.
 
All prejudice touches a nerve with me, and this is certainly a prejudgment
as it is a generalization and stereotype based on body size.  There are
players of ALL sizes who run their mouths--and I'd wager that some of the
bigger guys are among those who'd be on the wrong end of things if push came
to shove.  And there are little guys whose strength surpasses that of the
bigger guys.  If I were in a dark alley and mayhem ensued, I'd sure want
OSU's Chris Richards--one of the little guys--at my side, and not because of
his superior negotiating skills.
 
I'm with Adam about fighting as something that stops the flow of the game.
I've witnessed several games this season that the on-ice officials
considered too chippy, where the whistle went off seemingly every 30 seconds
to throw some guy in the box (usually two guys in the box), games where you
never got any kind of feel for the flow of the game.  Fighting would disrupt
games further, and that's one of my objections to fighting.
 
I don't know if this was mentioned in this thread before, but these are
*college students* and that alone is reason enough to discourage fighting.
To most of the kids I know playing college hockey, the education is as
important as the game.  To encourage or allow college students--students
anywhere--to fight is reprehensible.
 
paula
 
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