Since, apparently, some of us have been too mean ... I'll try another approach:
 
Ms. Price, since you have again stated a series of "facts" ... may we now hear
your proposed solutions to ridding hockey of its obscene amount of violence?
 
 
> [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> <The game has always been physical and to an extent violent.
>
> BUT, not near what it is today. According to Hockey News and dozens of other
> articles I've read, a lack of respect for other players and officials is
> pervasive. It's a fact that the NHL has recently cracked down on illegal play
> with stiff fines; it's a fact that Kariya can't play without a body guard;
 
Neither could Mike Bossy ... circa 1978.
 
 
> it's a fact that the NHL instituted a league wide concussion evaluation study
> due to the prevalence of concussions;
 
"concussions are up" -- that COULD be a fact ... or they are more widely
reported. "The league has commissioned a study" - Yes, I supposed that's a fact
... what anyone is going to do about it ... that we don't know.
 
 
> it's a fact that scoring is down,
> partially due to illegal plays causing unnecessary penalties.
 
I'm sorry, but that sentence doesn't make sense to me. My fault.
 
 
> According to the Montreal Gazette of March of 88, "players are bigger,
> stronger and faster."
 
According to my Street and Smith's Hockey Annual too ... so, yes, that, I will
say, IS a fact.
 
 
> The players of yesteryear were minuscule compared to
> today. If you put that player equation in the same size playing field, your
> bound to have more injuries. Most ice surfaces are still the same dimensions.
> Not all have converted to the larger ice surface, which does change the
> dynamics of the game.
 
So, are you suggesting larger ice surfaces to help reduce injuries?  If so,
well, at least there's something we can debate fairly.
 
 
> You have to look at more than just facial and dental injuries when providing
> the best protection for the total head area. The more serious debilitating
> and life threatening injuries have to do with the brain and the spine.
 
Yes ... you see, the ORIGINAL point of this topic was whether shields help
prevent enough injuries to compensate for the very serious injuries many people
feel they cause. This can be debated forever. But THAT is the debate ... not
whether players are bigger, thus there are more injuries.  We all KNOW this
already.
 
So please - let's debate that ... and not whether 4 out of 5 dentists agree over
the increase in facial stitches with left wings beings the control group.
 
AW
 
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