MMA on ICE

    So we have a wonderful tournament of international hockey players, all drawn from the NHL, Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland. Best on best, what everyone wanted. After that first game Canada vs Sweden, so many were gasping and out of breath! Not only the players but the fans! It was NHL at it's fastest ever! Everyone was pumped.

But the Canada-USA game took a huge step backwards. At the drop of the puck we retarded into goon hockey. Like in the olden days when fighting was everything and blood was your ticket to enduring admiration for your bravery and ability to hurt the other guy. A brawl on ice seems sort of like a progression from octagon 'entertainment'.

Fighting has been tolerated in the NHL but aimed at a bad hit, or a dirty slash, and an instant flash of anger. The NHL was trying to move towards a skill sport, but with the latest example of pugilism it disintegrated in the first few moments of the game to fever pitch, MMA on ice. 

What was most disgusting was the attitude of the Sports Media, who have always been enamored with the term, 'these teams hate each other,' leading some people to wonder where the sport is in that expectation? And those commentators all believe they are pumping the action with their words. In last night's TV game, the so called TV panel were thrilled, expounding, Ron Mclean and Jennifer Botterill, not so much, but well expressed in their silence, while Kelly Hrudey and Kevin Bieksa were proudly blatant in their comments, 'The best opening for a game ever, in any sport!' Positively glowing with excitement. But get real guys, not everyone thinks so. For shame on those panelists for believing violence and misguided aggression are even sport. 

Which makes some of us, perhaps only a few who still believe it is the fastest game anywhere,  full of skill and speed, wonder where the sportsmanship went? The TV director was proud to show us Wayne Gretsky down on the ice and out of a game years ago, concussed because goons were still in charge then. And if you think Ovechkin is really going to eclipse Gretsky's records when Gretsky played in a different era and he was the target for maiming, think again.

You can wonder IF Canada and USA match up in a final, it could be like the NFL did once, that is put a bounty on star players like McDavid OR Matthews to get them out of the game. Are there odds on the many gambling sites advertising in sport on that event? One wonders how many Moms will be steering their kids away from hockey because of the costs and now the gathering attitude towards violence which will filter down to the minor kid's leagues. 

It is too bad that some players (and fans) are holding on to the old style of beer league rock 'em sock 'em. But what is worse is that our hockey commentators, front and center at every game, are endorsing their opposite view of what sports is all about. And they're not even embarrassed about it.

This changes everything for me. I don't care anymore.