[winds-of-change]

I watched the Chicago Blackhawks play the LA Kings last night. This fight happened during the game. It seems this fight lasted for a minute or so. It got bloody. What I don't understand is there were two refs right there watching them fight that whole time. One ref was considerate enough to pick up a dropped stick, I guess so the fighters wouldn't trip and hurt themselves. Gloves were tossed off, a helmet went flying and John Scott from the Blackhawks ( my team ) bare knuckle whaled on Westgarth's face. Mind you, John Scott is 6'8" and weighs 258 lbs. and Kevin Westgarth is 6'4" and weighs 228 lbs.

John Scott vs Kevin Westgarth, Nov 27, 2010 - Hawks vs Kings - hockeyfights.com

Why do the refs let them fight? It isn't the rules of the game to fight and I know they get penalties but why do the refs let them fight for a while before breaking it up. Usually the fights get stopped when one of the fighters fall or there's blood but until then.........they FIGHT. If they're going to let them fight then it should be incorporated into the rules of the game, right?

[danf_fl]

IMO, the Hockey league allows that to happen to increase ticket sales and get the NHL talked about. I don't think that there is another team sport that allows for individuals to duke it out.

If it did not happen, would we be talking about the game now?

[winds-of-change]

Yeah, you're right, probably not.

[AusLach]

Would you volunteer to step in??

There are plenty of people in Aust who decry the fighting that sometimes occurs in the footy matches over here as well. It is a simple fact that heavy contact between adrenaline-fuelled athletes will always lead to flared tempers. Egos play a part as well, and there is always the underlying desire to 'win' at all costs. Referees simply can not jump into a melee expecting to immediately break it up. They are seen as the authority in the game but when a fight occurs that authority has been transcended, and it is between two guys. In this instance, the ref's job is to prevent others from joining in and to descalate the violence (I'm a level three Rugby League referee, and level two Rugby Union ref, this is what we have been taught).

The biggest thing I can't understand is when people act all disgusted when this sort of thing occurs. We as consumers promote this behaviour. These guys are playing a contact sport. Granted, the viewer doesn't always expect to see THAT much contact but put simply, we pay to see them wail on each other; that is the attraction. Why is UFC so popular do you think?

We pay them to participate in a form of battle then criticise them for taking it half a step further than what is essentially their job. I know it's not in the rules and I surely don't condone it as a referee but I certainly undertand it.

[winds-of-change]

Must be a 'guy thing'.

In baseball the umps jump right in the middle of a fight. If that ump gets hit, the players are thrown out of the game and/or suspended. It's a very bad thing to hit an ump in baseball. I never considered hockey to be a contact sport but maybe it is. To me, a contact sport is when it's part of the game to touch or impact on another player, like American football. But I don't really know what is considered a contact sport and what isn't.

In the end, I am a hockey fan no matter what.

[AusLach]

Originally Posted by winds-of-change

Must be a 'guy thing'.

In baseball the umps jump right in the middle of a fight. If that ump gets hit, the players are thrown out of the game and/or suspended. It's a very bad thing to hit an ump in baseball. I never considered hockey to be a contact sport but maybe it is. To me, a contact sport is when it's part of the game to touch or impact on another player, like American football. But I don't really know what is considered a contact sport and what isn't.

In the end, I am a hockey fan no matter what.

Ok ok, I accept that it probably is a guy thing

I have a rule never to quote wiki, but I'm going to break it here

Originally Posted by wikipedia

A contact sport is any sport in which significant physical impact force on players, either deliberate or incidental, is allowed for within the rules of the game.

Contact actions include tackling, blocking and a whole range of other moves which can differ substantially in their rules and degree of application.

Examples of contact sports are: Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union, American football, lacrosse, water polo, wrestling, European team handball, and ice hockey.

The nature of battle and full contact are integral to these sports. If a fight occurs it just adds to spectacle. Baseball is different and is seen as non-contact sport where a fight will be detrimental to the game's image, hence the tough penalties on fighting. As I said in my previous post but, it's hard for the organisers of contact sports to eliminate fights when the very nature of the sport promotes it.

On one hand these men (and women??? I don't wanna be sexist here lol..) are professionals in the same way that an office worker is, and you must ask yourself what the repurcussions would be if an office worker smacked another in the mouth and started a fight. On the other hand it's not part of an office worker's job description to belt the crap out of his colleagues in order to win a game on a weekly basis either is it?

[winds-of-change]

Originally Posted by AusLach

On the other hand it's not part of an office worker's job description to belt the crap out of his colleagues in order to win a game on a weekly basis either is it?

No, it isn't. But there have been times I wish it were.

[cpttango30]

I never considered hockey to be a contact sport but maybe it is.

What world are you living on? Hockey not a contact sport? Then why do they wear more pads than football players?

Ever heard of a body check?

I guess you have never heard the saying. "I went to a fight and a Hockey game broke out"....

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YouTube - This guy just gets DESTROYED!

YouTube - This guy just gets DESTROYED!

[2hot2handle]

Originally Posted by cpttango30

What world are you living on? Hockey not a contact sport? Then why do they wear more pads than football players?

Ever heard of a body check?

I guess you have never heard the saying. "I went to a fight and a Hockey game broke out"....

quoted for truth. I love the sport, thats why I play it. If you can't take the hitting it's probably not the sport for you. If you can't take the fighting...it's DEFINITELY not the sport for you. I hate goon hockey watching Matt Duchene play is a hell of a lot more fun than watching Todd Bertuzzi play in my opinion. But fighting has it's place in the game and that's the way it's been. No fighting is allowed at my level of play, but I'd be crazy to think that I might go onto the next level without dropping the gloves at least a few times. Why do you think I'm asking for a punching back for Christmas?

The referee's are there just to make sure no one gets seriously injured, other than that...it's a free for all. besides what are you going to do when all ten guys start fighting?

[Shihan]

Originally Posted by winds-of-change

Must be a 'guy thing'.

In baseball the umps jump right in the middle of a fight. If that ump gets hit, the players are thrown out of the game and/or suspended. It's a very bad thing to hit an ump in baseball. I never considered hockey to be a contact sport but maybe it is. To me, a contact sport is when it's part of the game to touch or impact on another player, like American football. But I don't really know what is considered a contact sport and what isn't.

In the end, I am a hockey fan no matter what.

Ever watch baseball guys fight, it is like a bunch of girls flailing their arms about. Now, compare that to the punches the Hockey guys throw.

Hockey not a contact sport? Ever get checked into the boards.