They put in the instigator penalty a long time ago, and that's really hampered the fighting/enforcement, with the resultant increase in dangerous hits and stick work without retribution. Now, they're pretty much trying to get rid of fighting entirely, in favor of a bunch of administrative geeks doling out fines.
Yeah I remember that, and your right about the how the dirty and dangerous play got worse. There is a reason for hockey fights. They are like a valve to let off steam.
I wonder though if the reason fights became less tolerable is because the players got bigger. The reason why hockey fights were so effective was that it was rare when someone got more than bruises for his effort. Hard to throw a good punch on ice. Now day with 6'5 guys becoming more common, Chara, with his leverage might really hurt someone. Just a thought.
I'd rather have take a few shots in a fight than have some asshats in a front office taking away my hard earned money and, while I'm sure they exist, I've never spoken to a single player, or former player, who felt differently.
I played some intramural hockey in college between Football and LaCrosse. And there is something about having a stick in your hand that makes you want to hit someone. Granted as someone who identifies as a LB, I might have that predeliction to begin with, but I played various levels of club lacrosse for almost 30 years after college and god help me, when you started to whack at the attackman's gloves, something comes over you that was different from footbal. When I first started playing sticks were just the wood and mesh ones. As a defenseman we often ranked how well we did by how many sticks we broke.
I felt the same way playing hockey, though not nearly as good.
Absolutely. As a sport for the players, from top of the roster to the bottom, it's the best sport to play, IMO, and there's not even a close second.
I question just a bit, in favor of football, simply because I love that game because it allows the kid who might not be a good enough athlete to play hockey or basketball, to find a place to succeed on the football field. I went a LOT further in football than I ever could have in any of the other sports I played and for that I am forever grateful.
Have you ever tried Lacrosse? I had never seen a game before college when a fraternity brother of mine told me we had a game where you can hit anyone within 5 yds of the ball.....and we give you a STICK too. I was sold. It was only later I found you couldn't hit them in the head with the stick. I was disappointed for a while.
Fasted sport on 2 feet. It combines contact with speed, skill and grace, and a ton of scoring....and did I mention the contact.
If you couldn't tell I was a defenseman.'
The unfortunate thing about football (or maybe the fortunate thing about football) you can't play it long, at least the contact game. Lacrosse allowed me to continue to get my competition and contact fix well past when I should have stopped
Did you play hockey?