Is Rough And Tumble Hockey The Only Way To Play The Game?
Posted: Thursday, June 03, 2010
by Gerry Charbonneau
http://nibblednews.typepad.com
"By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 act of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game 1 of the NHL playoff series." -----Steve Rushin
It's hockey playoff time of the year again and devoted and/or disappointed fans are rallying around their teams in the hopes of capturing the much coveted Stanley Cup. The team sweaters are being worn proudly by the contending teams' fans and the excitement of another season prepares itself to blast the air waves.
One question asked if younger players (at all non professional levels of play) should be forced to adapt a "no contact" approach to the game.
Fourteen percent of those polled voted in favor of having this no contact, less physical style of hockey to be played by younger players. This more genteel approach would allow players learning the game to develop the essential skating and game playing skills needed to become proficient at the sport and develop a skating and team playing style.
Another fourteen percent thought that there was currently too much physical contact and violence on the ice and that this type of game should be more closely monitored. The time spent in the penalty box for rough housing and unnecessary roughing should be cut down to a minimum.
Seventy two percent voiced a more aggressive opinion and thought that hockey without violence was a waste of time and good money. They totally favored the goon squads, overly excessive body checking, high sticking and fighting that occurred on the ice.
Somehow they seemed to believe that this type of hockey got the fans and players adrenaline flowing and helped the audience get even more involved with the action on the ice. Scoring for them became more important than how the game was played.
All those polled felt that a women's hockey team did not need to display any form of excessive violence in order for fans to enjoy the sport. Somehow women players being overly aggressive on the ice struck a sour note with all respondents.
Many hockey parents favor a less physical style of hockey and hope that the violence and overly aggressive style of playing the sport will be monitored and eventually regulated.
This Article has been viewed 226 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.