Hockey is one of the most intriguing professional sports. It
incorporates high-speed skating, blistering slap shots and, of
course, fighting.
Hockey is one of the most intriguing professional sports. It incorporates high-speed skating, blistering slap shots and, of course, fighting.
Hockey is the only sport other than wrestling and boxing that allows athletes to technically “fight.” Football and rugby permit aggressive physical contact, but deliberately striking an opponent is prohibited.
Hockey’s tolerance for frequent player brawls continues to come under public scrutiny and is beginning to weigh heavily on the NHL and its high-level officials, including Commissioner Gary Bettman. Fighting in hockey is undeniably dangerous, but I believe it is vital for the league’s success and adds appeal and excitement to the game.
Whether people want to admit to it or not, Americans accept and perhaps even prefer a certain degree of violence in our sports. We enjoy seeing individuals battling for physical superiority. Although hockey is played around the world, the NHL is primarily an American league and must adapt to the fans in this country.
In the Olympics, fighting in hockey is banned, in part due to the European influence. This prohibition is accepted because in Europe and other parts of the world, hockey is a much less violent sport. In America, however, fans generally like the extra excitement fighting brings and do not want to see fights eliminated from the game.
The evidence that Americans enjoy fighting in hockey is widespread. According to a recent Yahoo sports survey, 90 percent of the 42,000-plus voters believe fighting in hockey was either not an issue or that there should be more. Only 10 percent of all the voters believe there is too much “fisticuffs.”
I think this Yahoo survey is an accurate reflection of how most hockey fans feel. NHL officials understand that they are in the entertainment business and that they have to give people what they want if their league is to survive and prosper.
Opponents of the league’s tolerance for fighting believe that it sends a damaging message to youth. They assert that allowing violence in a professional sport is barbaric and promotes unsportsmanlike behavior.
Although this position has some validity, fighting in hockey is rarely based on anger. Enforcers who fight in the NHL are usually trying to shift the momentum of the game and kick-start their teams. Most fans understand what’s going on and the purpose these brawls serve in the grand scheme of the game.
If parents are worried about the negative influence these fights may have on their children, then they shouldn’t have their kids watch hockey until they are old enough to understand that particular aspect of the sport.
Although hockey is hands-down one of the most exciting sports to watch, it struggles to compete against the large fan base of baseball, basketball and football.
In promoting itself, the NHL should celebrate everything hockey has to offer and continue to make it as exciting as possible. Despite what critics say, the fighting captivates audiences and should not be eliminated from the game.
Michael Stevens is a senior at Gilroy High School.
