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| The Boogey man beating the tar out of some stiff |
I would really like to see the ins and outs of this poll; I would like to see their data and who they sampled. I highly doubt that many NHL Hockey fans would like to see fighting taken out of hockey. There is a big difference between asking hockey fans from Canada about fighting in hockey and asking Canadians about fighting in hockey.
Bradley Bouzane, Postmedia News ---- While most older Canadians say fighting is not an important part of hockey and want the National Hockey League to crack down on violence, younger Canadians are less inclined to blow the whistle on dropping the gloves, an exclusive poll has found.
An Ipsos Reid poll, conducted for Postmedia News and Global National, found 54 per cent of those surveyed say an outright ban should be placed on fighting in the NHL. The poll also found 68 per cent disagree that “violence is just a part of the game and penalties for playing rough and tough should not increase.”
However, the majority (about 60 per cent) of respondents between 18 and 34 are opposed to an outright ban against on-ice fisticuffs. In fact, nearly half of younger Canadians say fighting is an important part of hockey.
In contrast, 56 per cent of the 35 to 54 age group support a ban, while 65 per cent of those 55 and over say they want an end to fighting.
Under current rules, fighting leads to five minutes in the penalty box — and often a spot on the nightly highlight reels.
Meanwhile, the majority of those polled also say the NHL should punish other violent behaviour — which has led to serious injuries, including concussions.
I doubt we will ever see fighting gone from NHL and junior hockey in our life times. Take fighting out of the NHL and you will be letting thugs like Matt Cooke get away with taking liberties on skilled players in the NHL, the level of violence will actually go up and there will probably be more head injuries. Allowing fighting in hockey lets the players police the game and doesn’t make the NHL teams and their players rely on the NHL front office to dole out suspensions and punishment for questionable acts of violence on the ice. For example; if I am an NHL hockey player and I knew I can take a run Crosby or Ovechkin an not have to answer for my actions by having to fight I basically have a green light to skate up and down the ice taking liberties that may never be answered for. Having to fight keeps the players semi honest.
