The Tale of the Tape

Hockey is a great sport, but it would be nowhere without all of the fights that are in the game. I know that the game is all about finnesse, agility, and speed, but many people just go to hockey games in hopes that they will see a fight. Yes, fights can be entertaining, especially at the professional level. You can pretty much guarantee that you will see a fight at least once every two games. It's always interesting to see who is willing to drop the gloves and it's always fun to watch it when it actually happens. Fights have been a big part of the game and it's the only thing that seperates the sport from others. You can see fights at the professional level on a regular basis, but nowadays you can find it ging on in junior and youth hockey. This isn't necessarily a good thing. When developing young players, the focus should be on strength and speed, not sizing up who you are going to fight next period. It's a sad day when you see 10 year olds going at it on the ice. Fighting should only be allowed in the pros and college and should never be encouraged before then. I have even seen coaches teach their kids how to fight in a game. I believe that's stupid. Yes, fighting is important to the sport, but it should only happen with old guys. Fighting has gotten big in the NHL as well. Some TV stations even place a graphic on screen that shows the "tale of the tape" of the two fighters during the game. Personally, that's pretty cool. Everybody loves fights and without the fights, hockey just isn't hockey anymore.