Comments on: For Love of the Goon

By: Arica

Arica — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:06:40 +0000

Interesting piece. I understand both sides’ pov, though I must confess to being a fight fan Then again ?¢‚Ç¨‚Äù I watch HBO boxing!

By: mixtape downloads

mixtape downloads — Sat, 24 May 2008 20:27:32 +0000

I am just like your wife I love a goodhockey fight in the game. I always root for the little guy

By: amy

amy — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:55:25 +0000

There ain’t nothing like a good fight! Creates a little extra excitement; especially for women, I think. But someone near and dear to me always says, “Hockey isn’t about fighting!”. Oh please…. Bring it on! Brashear is my guy! If promoting it a little brings in some more fans, why not?!? I’m sure the male gender wouldn’t mind seeing a few more babes at The Phone Booth…

By: Sammy

Sammy — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:49:55 +0000

All for it. Ultimately the point of shelling out bucks to watch the game is to be entertained. Fights are entertaining. Not to mention the ultimate deterrent to stickwork and cheapshots (retaliation will happen…one way or the other).

By: TG

TG — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:36:34 +0000

I enjoy watching hockey. I enjoy watching playoff hockey and Olympic (or other international tournament) hockey more. Part of the reason is no fighting, part of the reason is there isn’t a spot reserved on the ice/bench for a “fighter”/”goon”.
Even Gretzky fought (sort of), so I know you’re never going to get away from it entirely. But I have to say that I like that the league is moving to a place where teams can’t afford to have a player who only has the skill of fighting (see Peat, Stephen). A player who fights now has to have other skills as well and be able to play a normal shift (see Brashear, Donald).
Pepper, I’m with you. A spur of the moment thing that appears out of nowhere is fine with me. The ones where you see the players talking to each other before the puck is dropped and then as soon as it hits the ice they start hitting each other…a waste. Throw ‘em both out. The game will be better without them.

By: pepper

pepper — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:21:03 +0000

To echo some sentiments already, I love a fight when two players hate each other and spontaneously explode in reaction to an event that just happened, either to one of those players or a teammate. That also includes two guys jawing away and one of them snapping.
But the fights between the “established” enforcers, which is often pre-destined, and done, as has been said, solely to change the momentum of a game, is tiresome and these days, with the regimented way in which these bouts unfold, almost crossing the line into the “cartoonish.”
The skill with which a guy like Brashear bobs and weaves, while on skates, the combatants carefully and deliberately orbiting each other, waiting for an opening to strike, is impressive, but not the kind of thing that excites me as a fan.
When those new to hockey have watched the game in my presence, and witness a fight, its the spontaneous variety that has stirred the passions of the viewer, and the “pre-determined” fights that have led to a dismissive reaction to the game.

By: usiel

usiel — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:54:55 +0000

Love the fighting and I believe the instigator penalty needs to be re-worked. It is mosdef part of the game as others have mentioned. I would think those 200 emails Ted receiving complaining don’t sound like fans that have been watching hockey very long…

By: JR

JR — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:26:30 +0000

I like a good fight, but also recognize that fighting is really a minute portion of the game. Half the time guys are only fighting because one of them wants to ‘give his team a boost’, i.e. they are getting their asses kicked in the game. To me that’s not as good as two guys throwing down because they hate each other.
One thing to point out about the way the NHL handles fighting is that every other sport lends itself towards brawling whereas hockey has legislated that out of the game. Can you imagine two baseball players, alone, going toe-to-toe? Or basketball players?

By: chanuck

chanuck — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:50:17 +0000

I think the hockey haters tend to but events like the Simon or McSoley incendents in the same context as two guys squareing off during the game. Unfortunatly the goon stuff gets more press than regular games. The Simon stuff gets first ten to fifteen minutes on ESPN, but the scores and highlights get the last. Now I am not advocating going back to the 70s style goon hockey, but sticking up for your teammates during the game is a good thing.

By: Art

Art — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:34:56 +0000

Fighting is of course illegal already. The question is whether the punishment is enough?
Fighting will never be eliminated in a sport you cannot run out of bounds and there is no where to hide. Occasionally emotions will boil over.
Sometimes the fighting can seem like a sideshow where designated combatants square off to test each other in a marginally important match for the benefit of teammates and fans. Of course is that any different than professional sports in general?
But there are times where fighting and the enforcer concept makes a lot of natural sense.
When a player goes outside of the bounds of the game there is often an immediate corrective measure taken. Not of another cheap shot but demanding a player be accountable for his actions through a fight. Whether this prevents transgressions is up for debate but the immediate “justice” often resets the game to an even standing without either team looking to escalate events further.
Additionally the mere presence of an enforcer is often enough to ensure the game is played on the up-and-up, allowing the skilled the room they need to be as remarkable as they are.
Is this the most enlightened thinking in the world. Well no, but it’s my hockey and it’s how I like it.