http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/15/todays-must-click-link-the-human-toll-of-fighting/ ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:15:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/15/todays-must-click-link-the-human-toll-of-fighting/comment-page-1/#comment-15366 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:43:29 +0000 http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=45499#comment-15366 It’s the concussions that may be the link. The brain is the most complex database in the world and for that reason doctors are still learning how to treat concussions. In the NFL, they believe concussions have lead to suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Not far-fetched to think that fighters, who have taken 1000s of blows to the head since their days in JRs, may suffer from the same post-concussion syndrome. I do agree with you that tough guys need to be able to contribute offensively also. Goons make the game of hockey more of a boxing match.

]]> http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/15/todays-must-click-link-the-human-toll-of-fighting/comment-page-1/#comment-15358 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:17:29 +0000 http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=45499#comment-15358 To be honest, the author doesn’t make the strongest argument for his case. He admits there is no proven connection between Probert’s condition or Boogard’s substance abuse and fighting. I agree with Don Cherry: the league should focus on getting rid of what he calls “mad dogs”, the players who play one shift in order to fight someone and sit at the end of the bench for the other 59 minutes, and to do that they need to get rid of the instigator rule. Marty McSorley was an enforcer tasked with protecting Wayne Gretzky. He also had 359 points in 961 career games. If players want to be enforcers there shouldn’t be a problem with that. The problem is the modern definition of an enforcer is a player who can only drop the gloves but can’t contribue anything else to the team. That shouldn’t be the case, they should be guys that can make regular contributions on offense and/or defense in addition to protecting their teams’ stars. Fighting’s place in hockey does not need to be routinely questioned. The league needs to take a look at the players doing the fighting, as it is often these “mad dogs”, and make an adjustment to discourage teams from using a player solely to go out and try to break someone’s face. That to me is what has no place in the game

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