Someone wrote (sorry, missed the name):
 
> I guess my greatest concern is the new WCHA rule may actually discourage
> officials from brooming a player for throwing a punch or two.
 
I have to agree.  Of course, we have to wait to see how it works out.  It will
probably discourage the for-real earnest fights, but there are very few of
those anyway.  No question that many roughing penalities ought to have been
for fighting.  BTW, there is evidence from a completely different arena that
the new, harsher penalties will cause some fights not to be called.  When NY
state imposed tough, new drug laws, the toughest in the nation, the end result
was an increase in plea bargaining to the extent that the average sentence for
the same crime did not change at all.  When the penalty is too tough,
officials are loathe to impose it.
 
Tom Rowe                                 Internet:  [log in to unmask]
 
Department of Psychology                 ***********************************
U. of Wisconsin - Stevens Point          Home of Division III National
     Go Point!                           Champions '89, '90, '91, & '93
 
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