Same reason they are allowed to sell nerf bats for children. It looks violent, but in reality is essentially harmless. Two guys trying to keep steady on ice while grabbing onto each other’s jerseys have no leverage. They’re both wearing mouthguards and helmets and as soon as they fall to the ice where leverage IS possible the refs stop that shit immediately.
You ever see either of the 2 ‘combatants’ get examined by a medic, let alone rushed to the hospital, after a fight? No. They go right to the box for 5 minutes to cool down because all they did was tire each other out. Hockey players have to deal with far more violent events dozens of times a period in normal play.
Boxing and Pro Wrestling are far better targets for people against this. It is literally a sport about fighting. Ban martial arts competitions too while you’re at it. 2 guys flailing on ice to rile up their teammates is small fry.
Even if it is so called “harmless”, that is still no reason why it should be allowed at all. So tell me why it is allowed?
It’s a way to keep other players honest.
In a game where your career, or your life, could be over in a matter of seconds over a single hit, the idea that you could get your teeth knocked out by someone for it is at least a slight deterrent.
When the fines amount to little more than pennies and suspensions rarely go beyond a handful of games, having to answer the bell for your actions can help keep a player honest.
And people may rarely get injured fighting, but try and tell me someone 6’ weighing 200lbs punching you full in the face isn’t going to hurt.
If it is harmless then how does it keep someone honest?
1 it isn’t completely harmless, but the chances of getting a lasting injury are vanishingly small
2 just because the chances of being injured are low, doesn’t mean getting punched in the face doesn’t hurt
3 in a (mostly) consequence free environment, getting punched in the face can be considered a reasonable punishment.
You said they did way more violent stuff during the game and all the fighting does is tire them out.
I feel like the reasoning of both “it’s harmless” and “it keeps people in line” don’t both work at the same time…
No I didn’t?
Sorry, mistook you for the person above. Anyway, seems like there’s two competing theories, in addition to it being just popular with the audience.
Even if they still have on their padding, it’s going to hurt getting punched in the face. Those gloves are heavy with thick leather on the outside (how it’s made
The one and only time I’ve been punched in the face was in full boxing protective gear just messing around, and that was enough for me to avoid any situation that might get me punched in the face for the last 20 years. But it was a hook to the temple in just the right spot.
They drop their gloves to show that they agree to the
rightfight, otherwise the refs break it up sooner
Theres a documentary that will at least shed some light on the psychology of it for you called “Ice Guardians” its genuinely interesting.
But to put it very simply the refs cant see everything and its easy to make an attack thats outside of the rules look like an accident. If “A” team has a little guy who is exceptionally skilled the “B” team has literally no reason to not play dirty and attempt to injure him out of the game. Especially with the speeds the players are moving a “get him out of the game” hit could become a permanent life changing injury. So you put your enforcer on the ice and he will have a word “If you guys try and take him out again, I will punch the fuck out of the guy who does it in front of all these people, You have been warned” pretty simply, Hockey players police themselves and its unlikely that an on ice fight will lead to long term injury but the fans will see that beatdown and they know why. Keep it clean, keep it about the hockey or we can make it about the other thing.
Its a lot less prevalent than it used to be, which is probably a good thing. Its also a lot less necessary with all the modern high def cameras on a NHL game. But sometimes someone needs a message delivered in a very tactile fashion immediately not 6 weeks after the game after a tribunal has reviewed the footage and your lead goal scorer is still recovering from a severe concussion and may never play again.
Same reason nerf bats are allowed.
I’m pretty sure that the basic answer is that the audience likes to see fights.
That’s why the punishment for fighting is relatively small. If the league gave severe punishments for fighting, players would be forced to stop fighting.
Because the punishment is relatively small, players are more likely to start a fight. When players are in the middle of fighting, it is more dangerous for a referee to interfere, so they let them fight until they find a less dangerous moment to break it up.
That is why referees let the players fight.
IIHF and European leagues banned fighting a long time ago because there’s no audience for it outside north America.
You’ve missed out on “great” stuff like the time every semi-pro player on the ice threw gloves down and started brawling before the first puck drop of the game, due to an old rivalry that likely had nothing to do with any of the players on the teams.
The penalty boxes didn’t even have standing room. Glorious because of how silly it was.
I’d be fine with fighting dying off, as I’m sure it makes some kids not want to play who otherwise would, but at least a lot of the pro stuff does stop the fights these days, so we are getting there…
counterpoint: I think we ought to introduce fights into baseball.
There’s fights in baseball. It’s gotten rarer and there are now automatic suspensions for the instigators.
If the shortstop can’t clothesline someone stealing third then we’re not talking about the same thing my dude, add fighting to baseball.
I think we can go farther… fights in tennis? Cricket? Cutting? Golf?
Actually that last one would be pretty good if we kept the same whispering announcers.
Snooker, because they wear suits and have to keep one foot on the ground at all time.
One of those snooker bats could take an eye out
From a hockey player:
Not only do the fans like it.
Hockey is incredibly dangerous, it is ridiculously fast compared to other contact sports, and everyone on the ice is a potential target. Every single shift a player could choose to attempt to end someone’s career. The consequence of attempting and failing is relatively small, fighting exist to balance the repercussions of players being egregious. There is a general code to fighting.
Hockey is so frustrating. You’re trying to manage a bouncy rubber puck on skates on a sheet of ice, and the entire time you’re getting bumped, stick checked, slashed, and hit in upper leagues.
Best to have an outlet other than somebody at the end of their rope just going fuck it and cross checking an opponent into the boards from behind.
Why not let them drive the zamboni? That should be sufficiently relaxing.
The explanation I heard from a hockey fan is that it’s better to let the guys with knives strapped to their feet have a “legitimate” framework for fights with basic rules, than for them to just get violent with zero framework.
I haven’t seen that illegitimate stuff become a problem in hockey without the fights
Good god there’s been 27 seasons of that show, and he’s been on it for 26 of them. WTF?
Don’t forget all the spin offs! He wasn’t in any of them other than the odd cameo here and there but still!
Sound of two slap shots
SLAP SLAP
…DUM DUM
… boxing?
No players in boxing.
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