NHL must address head-hunting
March 8th 2010 14:01
If I were a Boston Bruins fan this morning, I'd want to exact revenge against the Penguins for Matt Cooke's hit on Marc Savard. And I wouldn't want to take Cooke out, because why bother taking out a 3rd or 4th liner who's main job is to be a pain in the ass and hit people? No, I'd want to exact revenge by taking out Crosby or Malkin, or Gonchar or Staal, and I'd take great delight (as a Bruin fan) in seeing that happen.
Frankly, the NHL has a problem with head shots, and they're getting worse. As much as I hate the NFL for calling unnecessary roughness penalties on clean hits to a defenseless person, I can see the rationale. The teams invest too much money and time in their players to have them get broken in half by a ravenous defender first chance he gets. Head shots have long been deemed illegal, and the NFL now is actually starting to take steps to fix the concussion problem.
The NHL must follow suit. It's a game that has just as much physical violence as football when there is physical play. It's a game in which fans adore the devastating open-ice, bone-crushing hits, but seeing one of those when the defender is expecting to get blown up (a la Jagr in the Olympics) versus the one we saw yesterday is totally different. Savard didn't see it coming, and couldn't protect himself. Jagr, at least, knew he was about to get dropped, and was able to prepare his body for the blow.
I don't like writing this, since Cooke is a Pen, and an integral part of the team, but I think he needs to be suspended. And not just for 2 or 4 games. If the NHL wants to send a message - a real message, that hits like that won't be tolerated - then Cooke needs to be suspended for the remainder of the year, without pay, and during the playoffs as well. It would hurt the Pens chances at winning a Cup, but if Savard can't get back to the ice soon, then what chance does Boston have? Maybe Cooke should be suspended until Savard returns, and then add the actual suspension of 4 or 8 games on top of it.
What's going to be tough is drawing a line between a clean, brutal hit and a dirty, brutal hit. If Ovechkin lines up Crosby and delivers a hit to Crosby like he did Jagr, would Pens fans scream that it was a dirty hit and Ovie should be suspended (only to get a competitive advantage, yes)? The open-ice hit is particularly devastating because the receiving player often doesn't see it coming, and thus is more suspectible to injury. I think personally, that any hit like that front the side or behind is immediately illegal. Get rid of that crap. If you can blow up your man in a face-to-face situation, good luck. Have at it. Don't lead with the elbow, go shoulder to shoulder, and man up with the hit. Blow him up if you can, just do it cleanly, and avoid the head.
These players are too good, too skilled and paid too much money to be lost for lengthy periods due to head injuries. Furthermore, you'll erode the game's talent if you continue to allow them. There is a wealth of evidence on ways to prevent concussions, but treating them can last a lifetime. There's no amount of money that can be put on a man's health! Finally, the NHL has to be aware that professional sports IS a public relations game. Fighting is an area that I can take or leave - it's kind of fun to watch a big fight, and it sure pumps up the home crowd and the players - but I see the pointlessness of it as part of the game. Taking away dirty head shots makes the game more palatable to the average sports fan. The die-hard hockey fan will live without them. But to ensure the long-term success of the NHL, they have to try and adapt to changing times. As much as I dislike what the NFL has done, they are adapting to changing times. It's time the NHL does the same thing before a really high-profile player like a Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin is lost for a long time due to a head injury sustained by a dirty shot. And that cannot happen for many reasons.
Frankly, the NHL has a problem with head shots, and they're getting worse. As much as I hate the NFL for calling unnecessary roughness penalties on clean hits to a defenseless person, I can see the rationale. The teams invest too much money and time in their players to have them get broken in half by a ravenous defender first chance he gets. Head shots have long been deemed illegal, and the NFL now is actually starting to take steps to fix the concussion problem.
The NHL must follow suit. It's a game that has just as much physical violence as football when there is physical play. It's a game in which fans adore the devastating open-ice, bone-crushing hits, but seeing one of those when the defender is expecting to get blown up (a la Jagr in the Olympics) versus the one we saw yesterday is totally different. Savard didn't see it coming, and couldn't protect himself. Jagr, at least, knew he was about to get dropped, and was able to prepare his body for the blow.
I don't like writing this, since Cooke is a Pen, and an integral part of the team, but I think he needs to be suspended. And not just for 2 or 4 games. If the NHL wants to send a message - a real message, that hits like that won't be tolerated - then Cooke needs to be suspended for the remainder of the year, without pay, and during the playoffs as well. It would hurt the Pens chances at winning a Cup, but if Savard can't get back to the ice soon, then what chance does Boston have? Maybe Cooke should be suspended until Savard returns, and then add the actual suspension of 4 or 8 games on top of it.
What's going to be tough is drawing a line between a clean, brutal hit and a dirty, brutal hit. If Ovechkin lines up Crosby and delivers a hit to Crosby like he did Jagr, would Pens fans scream that it was a dirty hit and Ovie should be suspended (only to get a competitive advantage, yes)? The open-ice hit is particularly devastating because the receiving player often doesn't see it coming, and thus is more suspectible to injury. I think personally, that any hit like that front the side or behind is immediately illegal. Get rid of that crap. If you can blow up your man in a face-to-face situation, good luck. Have at it. Don't lead with the elbow, go shoulder to shoulder, and man up with the hit. Blow him up if you can, just do it cleanly, and avoid the head.
These players are too good, too skilled and paid too much money to be lost for lengthy periods due to head injuries. Furthermore, you'll erode the game's talent if you continue to allow them. There is a wealth of evidence on ways to prevent concussions, but treating them can last a lifetime. There's no amount of money that can be put on a man's health! Finally, the NHL has to be aware that professional sports IS a public relations game. Fighting is an area that I can take or leave - it's kind of fun to watch a big fight, and it sure pumps up the home crowd and the players - but I see the pointlessness of it as part of the game. Taking away dirty head shots makes the game more palatable to the average sports fan. The die-hard hockey fan will live without them. But to ensure the long-term success of the NHL, they have to try and adapt to changing times. As much as I dislike what the NFL has done, they are adapting to changing times. It's time the NHL does the same thing before a really high-profile player like a Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin is lost for a long time due to a head injury sustained by a dirty shot. And that cannot happen for many reasons.
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