Just saw another fight on a hockey game on TV

[Michigander4Dean]

and I'm wondering: Why do they just do that in hockey? Why don't we see fights in, say, football games? Besides, baseball is the only other sport in which I see fights, and 90% of the time it's when a ball hits a batter for whatever reason. Plus, baseball players are ejected - even suspended - if they start a brawl. Hockey players rarely get more than just 5:00 in the box.

So, what do you think about fights in sports? Why do they dish out ejections, suspensions, fines, etc., for starting a bench-clearing brawl, while, in most cases, hockey players get only 5:00?

[zelda7743]

1. blowing off steam

You'll probably notice that most hockey players stay out of trouble when they're not on the ice....probably because they work out their aggression during the game. It's healthier if you ask me.

[BigDaddyLove]

5. Funny you should mention that....................

I'm sitting here with an angulated fracture of my 5th metacarpal, that got that way while 'blowing off steam' in a hockey game.

Sometimes, you just gotta.

[HEyHEY]

2. Because fighting is part of the game in Hockey

You can start a fight to lift your teams spirits. You can club someone if they touch your star player.
Hockey is a vicious competetive sport..probably the most competetive of all sports. The players literally HATE the other team. Back in the day players would refuse all-star game appearances becasue they didn't want to associate with other teams' players.

Plus they're all a bunch of Canadian Farmboys.

[glarius]

4. Canadian farm boys?...as opposed to all the intellectuals in baseball,

football and basketball I suppose....You really do say the dumbest things!...

[BigDaddyLove]

6. While I wouldn't exactly call them.....................

'farmboys', he/she isn't really that far off. In baseball, football and basketball, the way to the pros is through college......not so in hockey. The vast, vast majority participate in something called 'Juniors' which is a step below the AHL, which is a step below the NHL. Anyhow, most future Canadian NHLers start playing Junior hockey when they're about 16 years old, and then bypass college in favor of the big bucks (they hope) when they reach the age of 20 or so.

Canadian players (at least in my experience) generally do come from little towns in the middle of no-where (certainly not all, but quite a few), and tend to be from very blue-collar backgrounds.

The NHL is like the NBA in a lot of cases, in that it's a way to get out of the ghetto (where ghetto doesn't necessarily mean inner city).

[glarius]

7. Are you seriously saying the basketball, baseball, football players are

getting educated in college? You don't need to explain hockey to me, I'm quite familiar with the setup...But to pretend that the professional basketball/football/baseball players are in college to learn academically is a joke....Many of them can barely put a coherent sentence together...If their sport failed them I doubt if many could call on their "college degrees" to provide them with another profession.

[Name removed]

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[glarius]

10. You're right...I'm a grandmother who's never played hockey against

those "tough SOBs"....If that was supposed to be a joke...it wasn't funny...But then you rarely say anything amusing or intelligent anyway...I can comment as I wish on here so don't talk to me like that!

[HEyHEY]

11. If you are going to make mountains out of

Molehills such as a small joke....I don't care to hear your repsonse let alone a stupid personal attack. It's like you were just sitting there waiting to make a mean spirited comment. Why shouldn't I get angry why?

[glarius]

12. I'll tell you what bugs me

You always seem to be giving these stupid, embarrassing explanations of Canadian life or habits or customs...Almost every time I read them I cringe....I'm not mean spirited at all...You just rub me the wrong way!....

[HEyHEY]

13. Well, if it embarasses you I'm probably not being serious...

And hey, obviously then we see this country differently. I've lived in almost all regions of it. So I have nothing to hide in where my information comes from. You, I don't know you're obviously older than me, so you get yours from whereever. That's just the way things are.

[glarius]

14. Your so-called "information" you disseminate is mostly nonsense

I've been around this country too and I have read other Canadians posting responses to some of your evaluations and they didn't agree with what you were saying either....What bugs me is that you don't say that these things are just your opinion, but state them as if they were a fact....This is all I'll say on the subject...No hard feelings from my side....

[HEyHEY]

15. Well, in closing

I don't care what other Canadians think. I have dealt with many Canadians before who completely disagreed with my view on things. They all had one thing in common. Their idea of Canada was the spoon fed, CBC news sunday morning edition, Molson beer ad, Eatons is a good place to shop view.

Me, My last four years have been somewhat devoted to exploring Canada and it's culture. I've sat in rail station's for hours at a time talking to people, I've learned French, I've hit many bars in many regions and talked to the people there, I've met the guy who pied Chretien. Now we're just getting silly.

But bottom line is I know the true Canada because I've been there, I've slept on it's couch. Which is more than most can say. So I don't concern myself with those who want to rebut my arguments with re-hashed Globe and Mail colums.

Anyway no hards either...maybe we can have a nice post conversation one day.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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[FuriousMNDem]

19. You two... just DROP THE GLOVES AND FIGHT!

LOL

[glarius]

21. I'm giving you 2 mins. for "interference".....hahaha

That's a penalty in hockey...LOL....The guy bugs me with his dumb statements he is constantly making...That's all...I think he'll be alright when he grows up!!!

[glarius]

22. Of course many Canadians disagree with you

You "know the true Canada because I've been there, I've slept on it's couch?"....Really?....I've skated on it's ponds....How do you like that line?....Your arguments, ("spoon fed, CBC news sunday morning edition, Molson beer ad, Eatons is a good place to shop...re-hashed Globe and Mail colums")...all sound like something dreamed up for a high school essay....I've been around Canada too and don't find your perceptions to be very accurate....That's all I want to say....Good luck...I hope you find the "true" Canada someday!

[DoctorBombay]

3. If you leave the bench in hockey to join a fight

it's an automatic 10 game suspension. There is no such rule for leaving the bench in baseball.

I'm an old school guy that believes fighting is part of hockey. It's usually two enforcers going at it for any number of reasons, many of which the previous poster illuded to.

It sure beats having cheap shots taken at the smaller skilled players all the time. Part of self-enforcement, really.

[Lisa]

8. you mean, you were watching a fight when a hockey game broke out?

(an old joke, eh!)

[UrbScotty]

18. A Dangerfield one.

:D

[FuriousMNDem]

20. All I know is that Wrestling is the Only Real Sport!

Not WWE, or whatever. I mean, amateur wrestling. The kind high schoolers and college students do.