let's look at what we're saying.  we're holding the referees responsible
for whatever stupid things the players choose to do after an hour and a
half of being held and slashed.
 
welcome to the game of hockey.  while i agree it's under the ref's job
description to do his/her best to keep the game under control, the ref
cannot be held responsible for a bench-clearing brawl.  i am personally
very tired of hearing "it was a good game, but the refs sucked."
 
at some point, the responsibility must come back to the players, the
coaches, the AD's, the league, and maybe the NCAA.
 
why is dennis rodman still playing basketball.  if he were an actor and
he kicked a cameraman, he'd be going to court.  it's my understanding
that a certain coach at a certain level has told his home refs to give a
double minor and a 10-minute misconduct for fighting
 
****** "because the fans like it." ******
 
the league could certainly impose a penalty for lacouture's elbow last
week after reviewing the tape.  seems to me that it would discourage
reckless play (i'm not saying what he did was vicious, but maybe
careless.  i didn't see it).  but it goes unpunished.
 
what happens if you take the violence from the game?  you risk losing
$$$ at the ticket counter and the concession stand because people who
come just to see the violence become bored and aren't willing to spend
the money anymore.
 
i haven't seen too many games up north because i've been absent for
the past three years, but the games i've seen elsewhere have had
the most ruthless, idiotic, clueless fans i've ever seen.
 
so, to make a long dissertation short, let's stop holding the refs
responsible and put some back where it belongs, on the players and
coaches.
 
i welcome any and all rebuttals.  if you're going to flame me, please
e-mail me privately.
 
scott quakkelaar
michigan 1993
ucla 1995
 
:
: Paul Gentile wrote:
:
: >>>> Howard Quimby <[log in to unmask]> 02/18/97 11:31am >>>
: >>>> I was also surprised that the coaches weren't sanctioned.  But I think
: >>>>we're
: >>>> beginning to tell tales of Umile telling his players to keep fighting.  I
: >>>> don't believe that's the case and in the past Umile has always been one to
: >>>> make an effort to keep his players under control.
: >
: >Yeah, right! *rofl*
:
 
<snip, snip>
 
:
: When teams are allowed to bend and violate the rules to bring another team
: down to their level of play, and the refs don't make the calls, frustration
: sets in for the better team.  I saw it in the UNH-Maine game in the
: Governors' Cup and the UNH game at Lowell last month.  What all parties did
: at the end of the game Saturday nite is inexcusable but things do not
: happen in a vacuum.  Minor incidents can snowball into bigger ones and if
: the refs don't nip things in the bud, the situation can explode, just like
: it did Saturday night.
:
 
<snip, snip>
 
: Greg Ambrose
: Go UNH Blue!!
:
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:
 
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