True but like any divorce after 40 plus years you try to hold out hope that something can be worked out. Bettman being fired, soccer fans masquerading as hockey fans going away, the game being half as good as it was in the 70's, 80's and 90's, Sweeney being abducted by aliens and not returned, me winning millions of dollars and moving to Iceland or Ireland. All about hope and a positive attitude.You sure opine a lot on something you hardly care about.
True but like any divorce after 40 plus years you try to hold out hope that something can be worked out. Bettman being fired, soccer fans masquerading as hockey fans going away, the game being half as good as it was in the 70's, 80's and 90's, Sweeney being abducted by aliens and not returned, me winning millions of dollars and moving to Iceland or Ireland. All about hope and a positive attitude.
There's no doubt in my mind that repeated blows to the head CAN cause CTE. That doesn't mean that everyone who's ever fought in the NHL WILL have CTE.
One guy may have 400 fights and not show symptoms outwardly. (Although as Lou wrote, we may never know what they're feeling.)
Conversely, someone else may fall once, hit their head and be changed forever.
And yes, Lafontaine and others who were not fighters may show symptoms. Even legal hits can cause your brain to move inside your head, not simply head shots.
But to say that fighting does not cause CTE because Taz or Toccchet don't show it.....find an interview with a retired boxer.
For the most part, the interviews are not pretty.
Could it be that the keyboard jockeys are wrong about fighting and it’s place in hockey? Maybe this kind of fighting is “ok” with some people?
The Fight that Spurred the Comeback
Well, despite players saying for years that tough teammates give them more leeway to play their game and offer protection, they know better....so in this case, I'm sure the players are wrong again.
I don't doubt that it offers guys some extra space to play their game. but the idea that having a heavyweight today somehow saves them from big hits and cheap shots (which is what often gets argued) is directly contradicted by what we've seen in Boston over the last several years
Unless, there were even more cheap shots that were prevented by the presence of the tough players they had.
You're right,but in the middle of this CTE issue,you'd think they'd come forward,along with hundreds of others.We have no idea what they may or may not be feeling.
While he may not have, It did make me feel better when McQuaid dusted him right then and there. Something we won't see from our current team, unfortunately.You're a smart guy Sarge. So let me ask you. Do you think Raffi Torres shied away from a cheap shot because the other team had a fighter? or Sean Avery? Or Tom Wilson? Or even Brad Marchand? Guys that blur the line regularly have been doing it for years, even when there legitimately were fighters on the other side. It may have meant they had to stand up for some of their actions, but it surely didn't stop them from doing it.
You're a smart guy Sarge. So let me ask you. Do you think Raffi Torres shied away from a cheap shot because the other team had a fighter? or Sean Avery? Or Tom Wilson? Or even Brad Marchand? Guys that blur the line regularly have been doing it for years, even when there legitimately were fighters on the other side. It may have meant they had to stand up for some of their actions, but it surely didn't stop them from doing it.
You're right,but in the middle of this CTE issue,you'd think they'd come forward,along with hundreds of others.
At the end of the day I think there will be a correlation with less fighting and lower TV ratings. I love hockey and all but the added entertainment factors being taken away incent me to tune in less and less, nothing personal to hockey, it just gets boring with no drama. I'm at the point where the only must see sport for me is the NFL, and even that's getting less physical.
I have learned not to use absolutes in the vast majority of situations in life, however, I am relatively certain that of those players you've listed, none have ever been intimidated into not delivering a cheap shot.
I am equally as certain, however, that there are other, less crazy/reckless players who have been intimidated enough to play differently, at least for a shift/game or playoff series.
I'll ask you this, can you with 100% certainty say that, in the tens of thousands of games played in the NHL, that nobody was ever intimidated into toeing the line or toning down their game because they did not want to answer for it?
Seems very unlikely, based on the sheer number of games played, players involved and the comments of some players about it.
At the end of the day I think there will be a correlation with less fighting and lower TV ratings. I love hockey and all but the added entertainment factors being taken away incent me to tune in less and less, nothing personal to hockey, it just gets boring with no drama. I'm at the point where the only must see sport for me is the NFL, and even that's getting less physical.
I think many players "stay in line" knowing they could get their ass kicked. I also think the league has a bunch of sociopaths that no matter what you do they will act a certain way. There are certainly some players that are still intimidated.
You read about enforcers not being able to sleep knowing they were going to have to fight the next game, can you imagine some of the non fighters?
While he may not have, It did make me feel better when McQuaid dusted him right then and there. Something we won't see from our current team, unfortunately.
I remember when Lucic ran Miller, no one did a thing... then the next game Gaustad squared off with him and looked like he was legit shitting his pants during the square off. You could see absolute fear in his eyes.I think many players "stay in line" knowing they could get their ass kicked. I also think the league has a bunch of sociopaths that no matter what you do they will act a certain way. There are certainly some players that are still intimidated.
You read about enforcers not being able to sleep knowing they were going to have to fight the next game, can you imagine some of the non fighters?
I think Miller is the better player, but he picks his spots a lot more than McQuaid. He's also had a rough go with his shoulder and now is recovering from a broken hand. I'm not sure how much we can lean on a guy like that to enforce in certain situations.Yeah, back when they signed McQuaid and Killer to those extensions, I thought that would mean one was going to be the odd man out and I'd have preferred to keep McQuaid because of his willingness to stand up for his teammates. Miller has really improved though, so I get why McQ was the odd man out.
I have had Center Ice for however long it's been out, and I watched hockey every night and 2-3 games on the weekend a lot of times. I don't do that anymore. I loved watching the fights and rivalries but for the most part they are gone. I would watch the Buffalo-Toronto games. Flames-Nucks. Lots of them. The regular season game for me just doesn't really make me want to tune in like I did. I will still watch every Bruins game. I watch the Devils when they are on when the Bruins aren't. Rangers sometimes. I'd honestly rather watch something on Netflix now then a game if the B's aren't in it.
Now, the NHL still gets my center ice money, so I doubt they care.
I think many players "stay in line" knowing they could get their ass kicked. I also think the league has a bunch of sociopaths that no matter what you do they will act a certain way. There are certainly some players that are still intimidated.
You read about enforcers not being able to sleep knowing they were going to have to fight the next game, can you imagine some of the non fighters?
Players don't stay in line because there's an enforcer out there. Every time there is a dirty hit the linesman grabs the culprit and gets him off the ice as fast as he can. Then maybe a few months later if the teams play again that year he has to fight someone.
I have learned not to use absolutes in the vast majority of situations in life, however, I am relatively certain that of those players you've listed, none have ever been intimidated into not delivering a cheap shot.
I am equally as certain, however, that there are other, less crazy/reckless players who have been intimidated enough to play differently, at least for a shift/game or playoff series.
I'll ask you this, can you with 100% certainty say that, in the tens of thousands of games played in the NHL, that nobody was ever intimidated into toeing the line or toning down their game because they did not want to answer for it?
Seems very unlikely, based on the sheer number of games played, players involved and the comments of some players about it.
I'm in the exact same boat, will watch as many Bruins game as I can and I follow the local team here bc it's hard to escape it.
Used to stay up for the west coast games all the time, maybe I'm just getting older but it seem lots of these games in the NHL are just going through the motions so there is no real reason to stay up minus catching a few of the elite western players.
We're gonna disagree,if you have had several concussions or sub concussions you should quit. I think we're seeing a tiny fraction.even if everybody who ever played was forthright. We're changing the whole nature of the game because of a few that we know about. 5%? 10%? 20% of those that ever played?I think it's a personal choice maybe. Some of those old guys are fiercely loyal and maybe don't want to be in the "limelight".
Where I hit the NHL in the pocket book is the live games. Went from 10-15 to 3-4 to probably 2 this year. The games aren't worth my money anymore. Now, I'm not seeing my favorite team obviously, I would get season tickets.