March 10, 2004
Never-Ending Violence and the NHL
The National Hockey League has temporarily suspended Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi for his unprovoked "retribution" attack on a Colorado Avalanche player that left the opponent with a concussion and broken neck, lying face down on the ice in a pool of his own blood. Sickening. Ghastly. But sadly, totally consistent with the culture of needless violence that has become embedded in the NHL for decades.
I played hockey in school and remain a fan. But this reminds me of the sort of stick-fighting rampages that I would have hoped had been rooted out back in the 1960s. They haven't, and the sport is poorer as a result.
AP sports columnist Tim Dalhberg writes:
The culture of violence that's so much a part of the NHL, though, will continue. It's too inbred in the league to stop without some drastic action. Maybe someone will have to pay the ultimate penalty for it to stop. Maybe someone has to die. And with players now bigger, stronger, faster and more reckless than ever, maybe someone will.
Perish the thought, but I suspect he's right.
Posted by glenn
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