Since nobody else in the hockey world appears to be talking about injuries right now (shame on you, Greyhound buses...), try the following for your fix of hurt:
Springing Malik: The Pain Game 2010/11 - Part Five
A consortium of misanthropic, persistent and sometimes brilliant hockey bloggers reconnected in the crease to observe, defend and (occasionally) offend all things on ice sporting two skates and a mouthguard.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sanctioned Brutality in the NHL must end: Chara-Pacioretty / LeMieux-Draper
ENOUGH! enough. enough enough. "ENOUGH" to mothra faulking infinity, enough.
I started this blog today to compare the Chara-Pacioretty boarding to the Claude LeMieux brutalization of Kris Draper in 1996, mainly because there are such striking similarities with the location of the hit and horrific outcomes.
But I am far too pissed about the heart of the matter: unnecessary sanctioned violence in professional hockey, to address so narrow an issue.
You can debate all you want whether Chara's (likely) career ending hit on Pacioretty was unintentionally brutal, because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it didn't look like a particularly bad hit. There is no need to continue to sanction and permit hits in this sport, especially because the risk of injuring or maiming a player far outweighs any misanthropic benefit.
But while we are on the subject, Do you really think Chara didn't know his "innocent check" wasn't a boarding? You think he couldn't see where -on the ice- they were as he drove his shoulder in? If so, you're a bleeding idiot. Sorry. Wait. No I am not.
Enough!
When will this league realize that the strength, grace and heart of this sport has nothing to do with hits or fighting? How many careers have to end by "innocent", "acceptable" hits from thugs?
What kind of professional sports league encourages, enjoys and sanctions willful, uncontrolled violence amongst and between its players in the course of a game?
The National Hockey League. The NHL, that is who. All the more horrific and astonishing because this sport does not need that shit to be incredible, exciting, explosive. Hockey, when played at its most skilled level is the most incredible sport on the planet. And yet year after year, the NHL pays only lip service to the cries of outrage as the preventable concussions and injuries pile up over the course of each season.
And what about the fans who continue to "fight for the right to fight"? How many "unintended" concussions to brilliant, talented players will you all continue to accept, just because you like seeing a fight or a hard check? And what kind of person are you that you want to see these things? What kind of dim Neanderthal monsters are you to seek out purposeful violence amongst players? What kind of a cretin enjoys such things, knowing each one- whether brutally crushing a guy's jaw against the boards or "unintentionally" snapping a guy's vertebra against glass edge- is more likely than not to end a career?
Why is it good gamesmanship to drive a guy into the boards,or poke your stick between his skates just because you are too damn slow to keep up?
This sport does not need the violence. These players do not deserve it. As long as it goes on in the NHL, hockey will never grow to be one of the top four professional sports in the world. Baseball, Football, Basketball, NASCAR, WWF, Soccer and Poker will continue to outrank the NHL in terms of popularity and fan base.
How, Dear Messieurs Campbell and Bettman, can we make you hear us? Why do you care more about a monstrous, demented fan base that seeks violence, than the health and safety of your players?
It needs to end now. Your priorities are woefully scrambled.
I started this blog today to compare the Chara-Pacioretty boarding to the Claude LeMieux brutalization of Kris Draper in 1996, mainly because there are such striking similarities with the location of the hit and horrific outcomes.
But I am far too pissed about the heart of the matter: unnecessary sanctioned violence in professional hockey, to address so narrow an issue.
You can debate all you want whether Chara's (likely) career ending hit on Pacioretty was unintentionally brutal, because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it didn't look like a particularly bad hit. There is no need to continue to sanction and permit hits in this sport, especially because the risk of injuring or maiming a player far outweighs any misanthropic benefit.
But while we are on the subject, Do you really think Chara didn't know his "innocent check" wasn't a boarding? You think he couldn't see where -on the ice- they were as he drove his shoulder in? If so, you're a bleeding idiot. Sorry. Wait. No I am not.
Enough!
When will this league realize that the strength, grace and heart of this sport has nothing to do with hits or fighting? How many careers have to end by "innocent", "acceptable" hits from thugs?
What kind of professional sports league encourages, enjoys and sanctions willful, uncontrolled violence amongst and between its players in the course of a game?
The National Hockey League. The NHL, that is who. All the more horrific and astonishing because this sport does not need that shit to be incredible, exciting, explosive. Hockey, when played at its most skilled level is the most incredible sport on the planet. And yet year after year, the NHL pays only lip service to the cries of outrage as the preventable concussions and injuries pile up over the course of each season.
And what about the fans who continue to "fight for the right to fight"? How many "unintended" concussions to brilliant, talented players will you all continue to accept, just because you like seeing a fight or a hard check? And what kind of person are you that you want to see these things? What kind of dim Neanderthal monsters are you to seek out purposeful violence amongst players? What kind of a cretin enjoys such things, knowing each one- whether brutally crushing a guy's jaw against the boards or "unintentionally" snapping a guy's vertebra against glass edge- is more likely than not to end a career?
Why is it good gamesmanship to drive a guy into the boards,or poke your stick between his skates just because you are too damn slow to keep up?
This sport does not need the violence. These players do not deserve it. As long as it goes on in the NHL, hockey will never grow to be one of the top four professional sports in the world. Baseball, Football, Basketball, NASCAR, WWF, Soccer and Poker will continue to outrank the NHL in terms of popularity and fan base.
How, Dear Messieurs Campbell and Bettman, can we make you hear us? Why do you care more about a monstrous, demented fan base that seeks violence, than the health and safety of your players?
It needs to end now. Your priorities are woefully scrambled.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Built to (be) last
Juice 8:15: "And He dost proclaimeth that the men and women of Recon shallt guesseth most wildly who shallt finish in position named eighth and position named last both in conference most-westerly and that most-oriental."[Editor's note: Due to circumstances beyond the control of our 1,000-strong monkey typist pool, submissions have taken a week or two to hit the press, so a comment or ten might seem slightly out-of-date now.]
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