Comments on: Ralph Nader asks Gary Bettman to ban fighting in the NHL

By: vanyesno

vanyesno — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:19:40 +0000

Ralph…shut the front door bud.

By: kitshky

kitshky — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:19:50 +0000

Hey Ralph … get back to us after you’ve had this conversation with one of the (maybe thee) fastest growing sport in your country primarily governed by the UFC. If your concern is head injuries and concussions I’d focus more on a sport where the entire objective is more often than not to beat your opponents head in till he’s passed out, submits, or the official has to step in because he can do neither.

By: michiganhockey11

michiganhockey11 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:54:18 +0000

Lindros was a pugilist in his own right, but didn’t he take quite a few hits with his head down, causing his bell to get rung multiple times? He mentions Crosby in the same argument of baning fighting, which are two unrelated things. Crosby’s consussion/neck injury/whatever they are calling it now was from a hit, not from (as Stewie Griffin would say) throwing hands.

Nader shoudl do a bit more research before throwing players names out there to support his argument.

By: jpelle82

jpelle82 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:34:28 +0000

why should anyone listen to a perpetual loser like nader?

By: bigbadbruins1968

bigbadbruins1968 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:45:16 +0000

Better idea: Ralph Nader can keep his nanny-statism out of hockey and mind is own business.

By: rainyday56

rainyday56 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:39:43 +0000

Ralph Nader, didn’t he have a cameo in the movie “Reds” where he plays a perv who puts the move on Diane Keaton? No, that was George Plimpton. Or wasn’t he the guy who played one of the dinner guests in “Beetlejuice? That was Dick Cavett. I get all those ’60′s fruitcakes mixed up.

By: nhlbruins90

nhlbruins90 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:55:21 +0000

Actually, he didn’t know much about auto safety either, but that didn’t stop him back when. For some reason, the media anointed him as a saint, and apparently he believes his own press.

Oddly enough, this critic of the free market has done remarkably well in the stock market, profiting off of those ‘evil’ corporate masters. What a crank.

By: kotteintheslot

kotteintheslot — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:34:06 +0000

Nader, you’re right. We should eliminate fighting. It seems pretty dangerous that’s not what they signed up for. Fighters are the talented ones who let their game pay the bills…oh wait.

By: blomfeld

blomfeld — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:06:28 +0000

HYPOCRISY ?

I seriously don’t get it ? On the one hand, a lot of “you people” enjoy watching MMA or UFC where some guy gets his head beaten to a pulp … yet you same people get “queasy” when there’s hard contact or fighting in the NHL ? … which is it then ? … either you want blood or you don’t ? … make a decision you idiots !

By: blomfeld

blomfeld — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:58:09 +0000

So let’s see … making cars safer has equated to more people driving, more cars on the road with more congestion and hence a greater likelihood of being involved in a traffic accident … Nader means well no doubt, but his efforts are a complete waste of time at the end of the day …

By: sjsharksfan11

sjsharksfan11 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:15:35 +0000

Nader’s comments are as dumb as he looks. Keep you political agenda out of the game….one in which you know nothing about

By: notpartofthegame

notpartofthegame — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:03:49 +0000

Regarding Nader’s letter to Bettmen; he’s got the right message. How can the NHL care about the players when they allow two people to pound each other in the head. It’s time to eliminate fighting from the game – http://itsnotpartofthegame.blogspot.com/.

I don’t believe that fighting ever had a place in the game and as far as the accountability arguement goes, why were the 70′s and 80′s some of the bloodiest hockey years while fighting was at it’s peak? Let’s focus on skilled hockey players, good hard hitting and fast paced action. Not two grown men wrestling for a few minutes before falling to the ice.

By: tommytd

tommytd — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:47:30 +0000

Hey good luck Ralphy boy. Let me know how that one works out for ya!

By: ajsjr40

ajsjr40 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:47:13 +0000

Has Ralph Nader ever even watched a hockey game? What a complete a-hole.

By: matty373

matty373 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:31:33 +0000

I agree with Ralph. I just hope he can get convince boxing to do the same.

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:02:51 +0000

That’s the way it should be. Guys in the NHL should be allowed to fight all they want, but they better be able to skate, backcheck or play D, get in on the offense once in a while, and basically just be a hockey player. Goons need not apply.

By: ryandomico

ryandomico — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:36:34 +0000

100% agree with a fighting ban. It’s something that isn’t needed in the game anymore. Especially with the recent string of deaths to ex nhl fighters. Its hard on the players who have to drop the gloves on a nightly basis. I realize its been a part of the game since it began, but it may be time for a change.

By: buffalomafia

buffalomafia — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:16:38 +0000

Why dont Ralph Nader fight me?

No wonder why this guy is a bust!

By: scottfmullin

scottfmullin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:03:26 +0000

Ralph Nader always has to be “that guy”

By: bompster42

bompster42 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:54 +0000

Has that idiot ever seen a hockey game

By: alexb64

alexb64 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:22:28 +0000

Enforcers are down in regards to the old guard, I just think the typical enforcer has changed. They need to be able to give you other things on the ice. Its very much a 4 line league now, even coaches like Tortorella are playing 4 lines. When you need every available forward its just harder to use an active line spot on a guy that can’t do much beyond fight & something that resembles defense or forechecking but really isn’t. I think the modern enforcer will handle your fighting & also be out there defending the opposition’s top line & chipping in a few goals here & there. Not to bow down to The Rangers again, they just happen to be the most recent team I’ve watched, but they seem to have that with guys like Prust & Rupp.

By: wheelinbeauties21

wheelinbeauties21 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:17:26 +0000

Nader, stick to trying to get into the white house. 6 times the charm buddy ha
talk about a guy being sour over getting picked last in gym eh?

By: govtminion

govtminion — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:13:09 +0000

I propose that if Nader can strap on some skates and win a hockey fight, he’ll have earned the right to make his voice heard on the matter. Otherwise you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about because you don’t know what it’s like.

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:02:24 +0000

Fighting and brain damage probably have some links. It’s still being worked on, but it doesn’t take a genius to know taking repeated blows to the head isn’t exactly healthy. That being said, these are grown men and they know what they’re getting in to and the risk involved. It should be left to them to decide if they’re going to fight or not. Not to Gary, and certainly not to some blowhard politician.

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:58:56 +0000

I don’t like the idea of players trying to fight an opponent after he delivers a clean hit, but I think the instigator rule does way more harm than good in terms of curbing cheap shots.

By: vismund11

vismund11 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:55:02 +0000

A) The amount of enforcers is waaay down compared to even the beginning of 2000. and B) They know what theyre getting into, do they not make mounds of cash?

By: steelernation1

steelernation1 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:48:20 +0000

this guy is a douche bag..lol.it isnt the fighting that causes the brain damage…its the cheap shots.get real..fighting is part of the game it should never be removed.has been a part of the game since the begining.

obviously Nader has no idea in what he is talking about..the NHL needs the enforcers to protect the stars of the game.take the enforcers out of the game you will see a lot more concusions.Nader zip it you cant even win an election to be prez let alone know what the game of hockey is about

By: alexb64

alexb64 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:46:20 +0000

Just because both participants were willing it doesn’t justify the fight. There are countless times when a player delivers a clean hit & gets goaded into an unnecessary fight just because they didn’t want to back down. Which like I said, is why instead of having all officials watching the fight at least one of them can be looking back at the hit that sparked the challenge & deciding if it merited retaliation, if the provoking came from a clean hit the instigator should absolutely get a penalty for it.

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:36:45 +0000

Watch how dirty those “crunching body checks” become without fighting. The Summit Series may not have had fighting, but it had some ankle-breaking and faux attacks on the refs. Not exactly the model for good clean hockey.

By: nhlbruins90

nhlbruins90 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:35:56 +0000

stfu. the nation’s chief busybody. mind your own. who asked you anyway. oh, i could go on, but i’d probably get banned from this site.