Friday, January 30, 2009
Random SBP Thoughts
- Thanks goodness the bus strike has come to an end. But what really takes the cake is the shot of a gas-guzzling stretch Suburban in today’s newspaper taking away union leader Andre Cornelier after the agreement to go to binding arbitration. So if he doesn’t mind screwing students, the elderly and the disabled from providing what is an essential service, he obviously also doesn’t care much about the environment or conserving union dues and taking less-gaudy means of transportation.
- God bless Ray Emery for continuing his boneheaded shenanigans by attempting to beat up a trainer who was simply doing his job by asking him to wear a corporate-sponsored hat. I’m not sure what his chances are of coming back to the NHL when he’s trying to clean up his act, not reaffirm his reputation as a hot-head, even though he's posted strong numbers.
- So Mickey Rourke has now stated he will NOT wrestle at Wrestlemania 25 in Houston, but will still be in attendance to watch the show. Perhaps some kerfuffle will result from his ringside seat (perhaps some good old fashioned interference while watching Chris Jericho wrestle) but at least this is a far cry from entering the ring. I firmly believe if he went through with it, his chances of winning the best actor Oscar would have been slim to none.
- Finally, Chris Benoit's doctor pleaded guilty to illegally distributing pain medication to his patients, although the name Benoit was not specifically mentioned at the court hearing. But really, it doesn't need to. I hope this gets the message across that doctors don't have carte blanche to distribute this crap to those who should not being taking them.
- God bless Ray Emery for continuing his boneheaded shenanigans by attempting to beat up a trainer who was simply doing his job by asking him to wear a corporate-sponsored hat. I’m not sure what his chances are of coming back to the NHL when he’s trying to clean up his act, not reaffirm his reputation as a hot-head, even though he's posted strong numbers.
- So Mickey Rourke has now stated he will NOT wrestle at Wrestlemania 25 in Houston, but will still be in attendance to watch the show. Perhaps some kerfuffle will result from his ringside seat (perhaps some good old fashioned interference while watching Chris Jericho wrestle) but at least this is a far cry from entering the ring. I firmly believe if he went through with it, his chances of winning the best actor Oscar would have been slim to none.
- Finally, Chris Benoit's doctor pleaded guilty to illegally distributing pain medication to his patients, although the name Benoit was not specifically mentioned at the court hearing. But really, it doesn't need to. I hope this gets the message across that doctors don't have carte blanche to distribute this crap to those who should not being taking them.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
PETA'S Banned Superbowl Ad
The people who accept $3 million for each 30 second spot aired during the Superbowl feel the above ad is a little too racy for audiences to take in. So of course as a public service to you, my loyal blog reader, I present it to here for you to discern what you can and cannot watch. No comments about a certain someone in my life who carry the initials M-C! :-)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Right at your fingertips...
Perhaps most of you may not see this as a big deal, but after ordering a micro SD card (as a memory chip for my cell phone) it took me back at just how powerful and how far technology has come.
Take a look at the photos above. This is actually on the lower-end of the micro-SD cards you can buy as it "just" holds two gigabytes of memory space (you can find some that hold as much as 16G) but to me it's just mind boggling that something so small can hold 1,200 photos or about 3 1/2 hours of video! Look at them again: that tiny plastic piece on the tip of my pinky can hold all that stuff!
We're surrounded by these technological marvels all the time so it's very easy to take it for granted, I guess I just felt the need to say, "Neat!"
Monday, January 26, 2009
Only in Wrestling
It might surprise most, but for those familiar with Vince McMahon and WWE, you never say never in wrestling.
It has been reported that Mickey Rourke, outside of his acclaim by film critics for his performance of broken down wrestler Randy the Ram in The Wrestler, has also drawn high praise for his in-ring abilities by trainers and pro wrestlers alike. So much so that he is slated to wrestle Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XXV in Houston, Texas.
You can't make this stuff up.
At first, my initial reaction was "sellout". Rourke was very critical of the wrestling business when doing PR for The Wrestler, citing the industry needed to do a better job of taking care of its performers. I couldn't help but agree with those sentiments. But afer signing a deal with McMahon to perform at the "Superbowl" of wrestling; I don't know, to me it feels like he's signing a deal with the devil or something.
But upon further reflection, Rourke was just doing what someone who was ignored and down on his luck (reportedly looking for a job in construction before landing his comeback role) and is grabbing the brass ring while he still can. I thought to myself, would Randy the Ram make the same decision?
In a heartbeat. In a lot of ways, they feel they have little choice. It's their chance to shine again in the limelight, because they know the pain all too well of seeing it fade in front of their very eyes. Who wouldn't want all the attention and money tied into this gig?
Forget making a statement. It's all about the dollars, and that is what Randy the Ram, and Mickey Rourke, are all about. Who am I to judge that reasoning?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
I wish he was on my team...
Purely for show...but man, Ovechkin is the best in the world and he's also having the most fun.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Academy Awards Blew It
If you blinked, you may have missed it.
The Academy Award nominations were announced yesterday. And let me just say this: They blew it.
Check out the five Academy Award nominations for Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, and Slumdog Millionaire.
Three of the five pictures have a box office gross of less than $10 million each. No wonder nobody is talking about who might win: No one cares.
Now box office sales, of course, cannot be the guiding light for deciding who will win Best Picture, otherwise we'd have Independence Day and The Transformers to discuss as "art". But the movie the Academy passed on that would have generated enormous buzz and interest in the awards presentation is going to have to take consolation in having eight other nominations, including one for supporting actor. Of course, I'm talking about The Dark Knight.
Yes, it's about Batman. Yes, it's a comic-book movie. Yes, it's also an action film. But so what? IT'S GOOD! Few films can generate cross-appeal to both the mass audiences and critics alike; just head over to rottentomatoes.com to see the 94% critic approval rating combined with almost $1 BILLION in ticket sales worldwide. This film connected with a huge audience and it's one of those movies that will be talked about for years, and not just because of the likely post-mortem Oscar that Heath Ledger will win for his memorable role as The Joker.
The Academy had a chance to show it's not set in its ways and won't be constrained by what's considered an "ideal" best picture winner by giving The Dark Knight its day in court. Sadly, and I guess without surprise, they snubbed it.
Screwjob!
(But I will take the time to say I was very happy to see Mickey Rourke get his best actor nomination for The Wrestler. If he and Ledger win, that might make it memorable enough for me).
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
History is Made
Who could get tired of this, even if the Chief Justice screwed up the swearing in? My only fear is that President Obama is coming into a power at a horrible time: the economy is in dire straits while debt continues to mount, and his critics looking to destroy him might be able to damage his credibility if it isn't fixed (even if this whole problem was handed to him by the previous administration). He has a lot of work ahead of him, but hopefully he can turn things around in time so that he can enjoy a 2nd term as President.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Wrestler
To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t a movie out there that deals with the industry of professional wrestling with any sort of heart. The media overall isn’t a fan of the wrestling business, as the stereotypical fan resides in a trailer park, eating a bucket of fried chicken while wearing a beer-stained wife beater. As such, the performers no doubt are cut from the same ilk, right? Not really. I’ve known this for a long time, but I’m glad a film has finally come out about wrestling that first off, is good, and second, shows the emotional and physical trauma a pro wrestler goes through. In other words, that they’re human, too.
Mickey Rourke has gotten a lot of attention for The Wrestler, topped by his Golden Globe win for best actor which all but assures he gets at least a nomination at this year’s Academy Awards, and personally I hope he takes the Oscar home. I respect a performer, even when the film fails, who will do anything to make his character come across as more authentic. Rourke did his homework, getting proper wrestling training to perform his own acrobatic moves in the ring and worked a strict exercise regime to get the build of a pro wrestler. He also toured with independent regular Necro Butcher to understand the goings-on in the locker room before, during and after the matches. As someone who is well versed in the goings-on in the wrestling world, this film portrays the business in an authentic way which adds to the realism Rourke’s character Randy the Ram endures in his daily life.
Randy the Ram is a former 1980s icon who, like many former wrestling stars, failed to save his money while earning the big dollars during their career peaks, partied too much, neglected his family, and is yearning to get one more crack at the big time before they have to hang it up for good. Of course, the beat-down condition he’s in is completely ignored as he shouldn’t be performing in the first place, and while many performers have virtually no chance to resurrect their careers at the WWE level, they still have an addiction to the limelight that can only be soothed by performing in auditoriums and school gyms in front of small crowds of a few hundred people. Simply put, they can’t let go.
The cost of this “stardom” is usually placed squarely on the family, and it is here where the film falters a little bit. Randy seems sincere when he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, and without giving too much away, manages to earn another chance. But there are too many questions left unanswered (i.e. what happened to mom?) and the whole father-daughter conflict the films tries to portray felt too rushed to really buy the resolution the story hands to the audience. I would have also liked to have Randy in a few more scenes with his crush, a stripper named Cassidy (Marisei Tomei). I really bought into the idea these two damaged souls could connect and be together. But, I thought the movie did not give enough screen time with the two of them. (On reflection, maybe that’s what the movie was trying to say: Randy’s chosen career path doesn’t allow any chance for him to spend enough time with those he loved).
The violence and brutality in the wrestling ring, combined with the drug use and pain killers taken by the performers, hammers home the hardship of being able to wrestle while having the proper look to get over with the crowd. It might seem a little over the top, but I bought into it. As I've mentioned before in my blog, the list of pre-mature deaths of past and current wrestling stars is much too long and this film definitely offers a strong opinion as to why.
Randy the Ram is a former 1980s icon who, like many former wrestling stars, failed to save his money while earning the big dollars during their career peaks, partied too much, neglected his family, and is yearning to get one more crack at the big time before they have to hang it up for good. Of course, the beat-down condition he’s in is completely ignored as he shouldn’t be performing in the first place, and while many performers have virtually no chance to resurrect their careers at the WWE level, they still have an addiction to the limelight that can only be soothed by performing in auditoriums and school gyms in front of small crowds of a few hundred people. Simply put, they can’t let go.
The cost of this “stardom” is usually placed squarely on the family, and it is here where the film falters a little bit. Randy seems sincere when he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, and without giving too much away, manages to earn another chance. But there are too many questions left unanswered (i.e. what happened to mom?) and the whole father-daughter conflict the films tries to portray felt too rushed to really buy the resolution the story hands to the audience. I would have also liked to have Randy in a few more scenes with his crush, a stripper named Cassidy (Marisei Tomei). I really bought into the idea these two damaged souls could connect and be together. But, I thought the movie did not give enough screen time with the two of them. (On reflection, maybe that’s what the movie was trying to say: Randy’s chosen career path doesn’t allow any chance for him to spend enough time with those he loved).
The violence and brutality in the wrestling ring, combined with the drug use and pain killers taken by the performers, hammers home the hardship of being able to wrestle while having the proper look to get over with the crowd. It might seem a little over the top, but I bought into it. As I've mentioned before in my blog, the list of pre-mature deaths of past and current wrestling stars is much too long and this film definitely offers a strong opinion as to why.
I have some minor quibbles with The Wrestler, but these complaints are minor. This movie is one of the best of 2008, a great character study of a person in a world that desperately needs intervention to ensure the health and safety of its performers.
(On a side note that tragically demonstrates the state of pro wrestling, a regular indy wrestler and extra for The Wrestler, Paul E. Normus, died last week of unknown causes. He was only 33 years old.)
(On a side note that tragically demonstrates the state of pro wrestling, a regular indy wrestler and extra for The Wrestler, Paul E. Normus, died last week of unknown causes. He was only 33 years old.)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Arizona Cardinals
I like rooting for underdogs.Or sometimes, just the franchise without much to celebrate.
Generally speaking, I like to watch sports, despite only really following one pro league, the NHL. But during playoffs and championship games of other sports, it's hard not to get sucked in to watching "the big game". A lot of people go to Superbowl parties even though they may not have sat through one football game all year. I have this "goal" that I'd like to see happen in my lifetime: that I will have attended each major sports event in person at least once. So one Superbowl, one World Series, one Stanley Cup final (yup, I didn't have the $ to see one of two games that came to Ottawa so hopefully it'll happen again sometime in my life).
Anyway, I'm getting a little sidetracked. Today, the Arizona Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles to make it to the first Superbowl in franchise history. This is significant, because they've been in the league since 1898. And prior to this year, they've won only TWO playoff games in their history.
So really, wouldn't it be nice for a team to finally overcome the hurdle of choker after decades upon decades of failure and have a championship to bring home to the city they play in? Sure, you might have your NFL favourite team already (almost everyone I know likes either the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Franciso 49ers, Dallas Cowboys or Buffalo Bills) but if you have no emotional tie-in to the teams like me, I think a Cardinals win would make for a great feel-good story.
Oh, there's also a tight-end on the team named Ben Patrick. Ben Patrick with a championship ring! Has a nice, uh, ring to it....
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Great Red Hope
Martin Gerber's "conditioning" stint in Binghamton pretty much signals the end of his career as an Ottawa Senator, barring injury. He had a reuptation for working hard, being a team guy, doing whatever was asked of him, but much too often would let in many bad goals and play inconsistently thus costing a lot Sens chances at victory. He will still be paid his $3.7 million salary while he plays in the AHL, so I won't feel too sorry for him as he buys a few more ivory backscratchers on the bus trips to his games.
So plan B for Ottawa is to baptize 23 year-old Brian Elliott as the new starting goaltender for their struggling franchise. Let's face it folks, this team can't get much more worse than it already is, and since the team is finding it difficult to complete a trade (and certainly doesn't want to fire a third coach in two years) it has to show the fans it's attempting to turn things around. Elliott fits the bill for that purpose.
So far, I like what I see. He hasn't let in a softee in his three games played, and provides the odd big save to keep the team in it. Let's face it, there's been plenty of deflating goals this season where the smallest mistake ends up in the back of the net. The Sens seem to be always fighting from behind and their lack of confidence in their goaltender certainly didn't help.
The jury is still out on him, but I bet a strong performance tonight against a good Montreal Canadiens squad in front of the home crowd will definitely reassure the team this guy is the real deal. It doesn't look like the Sens are playoff bound this year, but they still have to think of next season and the future of their franchise. Brian Elliott has been given the chance to show he can be the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come; I just hope he pulls through.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Random SBP Thoughts
- My bank card apparently got copied. No funds were lost from my account but I'm trying to think of how/where it could have been done. It's such a pain. You try to be careful as best you can but here you are. Anyway, gotta pick up a new card tomorrow.
- Nortel's stock has plummeted to 13 cents per share today, getting halted from any further trading as it files for bankruptcy protection. When I think of the time it was once valued at about $125 a share, what goes through people's minds when they buy stock? Do they think it's a secure investment? They should just call it what it is: glorified gambling. You should put money in you can afford to lose, and nothing more. But that doesn't happen, and $700 billion in bailout money courtesy of U.S. Joe Taxpayer is the result.
- I haven't read any Sens fan message boards in a long time, and today I reminded myself why. Fans calling and writing in saying the team needs to tank the season to get the draft pick have no idea what they're talking about. As much as I kid about it, no player will purposely tank a season for something like a draft lottery pick. The team plays to win, period. Someone else wrote that if Ottawa managed to make it to the playoffs, it would be a waste anyway since they would be swept in the first round. Hmmm...well, if they need to win about 30 of the last 40 games to have any sort of chance of making it, wouldn't you say that they are all of a sudden a very competent team to play against? Just saying...
- Did you hear about that guy who donated his kidney to his dying wife...then she cheated on him and filed for divorce? HE WANTS THE KIDNEY BACK! Or he'll take $1.5 million compensation. Everyone out there, when you decide to donate an organ, BE SURE OF THE PERSON YOU'RE GIVING IT TO!
- Nortel's stock has plummeted to 13 cents per share today, getting halted from any further trading as it files for bankruptcy protection. When I think of the time it was once valued at about $125 a share, what goes through people's minds when they buy stock? Do they think it's a secure investment? They should just call it what it is: glorified gambling. You should put money in you can afford to lose, and nothing more. But that doesn't happen, and $700 billion in bailout money courtesy of U.S. Joe Taxpayer is the result.
- I haven't read any Sens fan message boards in a long time, and today I reminded myself why. Fans calling and writing in saying the team needs to tank the season to get the draft pick have no idea what they're talking about. As much as I kid about it, no player will purposely tank a season for something like a draft lottery pick. The team plays to win, period. Someone else wrote that if Ottawa managed to make it to the playoffs, it would be a waste anyway since they would be swept in the first round. Hmmm...well, if they need to win about 30 of the last 40 games to have any sort of chance of making it, wouldn't you say that they are all of a sudden a very competent team to play against? Just saying...
- Did you hear about that guy who donated his kidney to his dying wife...then she cheated on him and filed for divorce? HE WANTS THE KIDNEY BACK! Or he'll take $1.5 million compensation. Everyone out there, when you decide to donate an organ, BE SURE OF THE PERSON YOU'RE GIVING IT TO!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Someone smack this Wii kid...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Root Beer
Cola.
Beer.
Tea.
Coffee.
No matter what the beverage, with or without alcohol, there is always a variance in flavour that lets you know the beverage in question is made by a different entity. Kind of like the Pepsi challenge: Pepsi tends to taste sweeter than Coke, but both are colas. And you have about a hundred different sorts of cola beverages you can buy at the supermarket, all tasting ever so slightly different.
But there's one drink that seems to be pretty consistent, and I'd be damned if I can tell if someone switched bottles in mid-swig that I can tell the difference.
Root beer!
Think about it: Hires, A & W, Barq's...they all taste exactly the same to me. M-C actually bought me a can of the stuff...St. Blue's I think it was called, can't remember...but this micro-soft drink producer made a drink that's consistent with all the others. I was impressed!
But why is it that way? The independent label I enjoyed was selling the fact it used all natural ingredients and there weren't any weird chemicals in it. But it still tasted just like its mass-marketed counterparts. No one seems interested in altering the flavour a little just to differentiate itself from the others.
Anyway, yeah, slow news day I suppose. But...good times with the Root Beer!
Friday, January 09, 2009
1-6-1
That was the record for the recent eight game road trip of the Ottawa Senators, concluding with a 6-4 loss to the Bruins last night.Changes are a-coming.
And I have to admit, the sting of seeing my team find new ways to lose is offset by the rumoured changes that could take place in Sens brass.
Bob McKenzie of TSN mentioned on a Montreal radio station the possibility of coach Craig Hartsburg, GM Bryan Murray and President Roy Mlakar being replaced by Pat Quinn, Bob Nicholson and one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Steve Yzerman.
Like that song, how does it go (I changed the lyrics a little: "When Yzerman was announced, as a potential GM, I j***** in my pants..."), that would be a huge shakeup for the Senators. Owner Eugene Melnyk isn't a passive owner and if he feels this is what should be done to turn things around, he'll do it.
Yzerman may have no desire to leave Detroit as he's been with the organization for over two decades. But still, you never know, he grew up in Nepean and has family in Ottawa, his brother Chris Yzerman actually a participant in my auction pool this year (one of the players he took was Sean Avery...meh, we're not all perfect). Red Wings GM Ken Holland has been doing a terrific job and Stevie Y may think he won't get a crack at a GM job with Detroit so Ottawa would be an alternative. It's not an entirely crazy idea.
But how much can coaching and management change to alter the team's misfortunes and turn back into a contender? The goalies aren't stopping the puck. The defense can't get the puck out of their zone. The scorers aren't scoring (ranked dead last in the league in goals for). Maybe it's the players that need to be singled out.
Is it time to rebuild?
Well I will tell you one thing...I saw the World Junior championships and saw a player named John Tavares light up the lamp each & every night. Tavares donning a Sens uniform would definitely ease the pain of a losing season. Add to the fact Leafs fans everywhere would be crying their eyes out over that would be icing on the cake.
Maybe Ottawa should just stay the course?
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Tangible Media - Enjoy it While it's Still Here
There’s something very satisfying about opening a new blu-ray disc or the latest Xbox 360 game.It’s almost like opening a Christmas present. A cover that displays colourful graphics to illustrate the product you have just purchased, with a brief description and screen shots on the back of it to let you know what you have to look forward to. And when you open up the case of said game or movie, you see it: the round, silver disc laser-imprinted with all the goodness you are anticipating. You take the disc out of the case and, wow, you OWN it! Think about how cool it is to OWN a movie that cost millions of dollars to make. I remember when the 10th anniversary DVD of Reservoir Dogs came out: You could buy the movie with one of four main characters pictured on a cardboard sleeve over the DVD package, either Mr. Blonde, Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink or Mr. White. My friends and I, without consulting each other, each picked up a different "colour" reflecting our tastes and personalities somewhat (I had Harvey Keitel's "Mr. White" character, being a big fan of his early 1990s work). I thought that was pretty cool that we managed to pick up in essence a different copy of the same film.
But I know this is something that won’t last forever. In reality, manufacturing discs and packaging is an expensive and environmentally un-friendly way of selling media to the public. Downloading content is the wave of the future. We can already do so with a cable box or satellite dish, and in just a few clicks we can order any movie or pay per view event offered. My Xbox 360 has an ethernet port for internet hook-up, allowing me to download and purchase old and new games alike and have them permanently stored on my hard drive.
I can imagine a future where a hard drive is either separate from or already pre-installed on your big, widescreen HDTV, with a direct wireless internet connection. You’ll have the option of streaming content or paying an additional fee to have shows & movies permanently stored on your hard drive. No silver discs, no extra packaging: it’ll be all in your computer. And all of your personal electronic items capable of playing back media will all have wi-fi capabilities, all hooked into the same main hard drive in your home to watch, listen or play as you please.
It's fantastic technology will allow us to do this. But still…there’s something about tangible media that can’t be replaced. Ownership of a movie or game is something really special. And having the ability to hold it in your hands, admire it, share it with friends...it’ll be something that one day I’ll miss.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Five Gold
Some questions to ask now that this tournament is over:
1. Who will be an Ottawa Senator first: John Tavares or Pat Quinn?
2. Will Bryan Murray go after that Slovakian goalie...what's his name...Stands On His Head?
3. Can Canada make it a record-breaking six gold medals in a row next year in Saskatchewan?
4. I'm I the only one who thinks Canada was L-U-C-K-Y LUCKY Russia decided to ice the puck rather than carry it in that final minute of the semi-final game?
5. Did the Ottawa crowd put on a show or what? Loved watching the sea of red & white throughout the tournament.
6. Would you believe if I told you I missed the third period so I could play indoor ultimate until 11pm and not be able to fall asleep until 1am? Probably.
Can't wait for 2010...the Olympics in Vancouver should just as equally be off the charts as this tournament.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Remembering Why I Love Hockey
The NHL's 82 game schedule can leave a lot of mediocre games with few rivals or must-win situations to give the players an extra jump to put on an exciting contest for the fans. Sometimes we forget that: pro sports, like movies or TV, is entertainment. We watch to see some exciting action, hoping our team wins in the process. But I can't blame NHL players entirely. I mean, if you're about to play your third road game in four nights against the Florida Panthers in front of an empty arena, how hard would it be to get excited for that?
Last night's World Junior game pitting Canada against Russia was hockey at its best. And old rival renewed (although with Russia winning the World Championships in the Spring, it probably already has), players on both sides wanting it bad. It was a won or done deal: win and you have a shot at the gold, lose and the best you can do is third place. No one had any interest in a bronze medal, so seeing the goals go back and forth until literally the final seconds...Canada dramatically tying it up with 5.4 seconds left to play in regulation after pulling their goaltender for the extra attacker. A four-on-four overtime had the whole crowd on their feet (actually I don't think anyone was sitting down as Canada tried to tie it in the third)and a shootout victory sealed the deal.
I thought I already saw a memorable game after witnessing Canada storm back from a 3-0 deficit against the Americans on New Year's Eve, but Team Canada did it again. But please, no more dramatics...take charge against Sweden and get 'er done tomorrow. I don't know how much I can take.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Hockey's First Fighting Death
In my mind, it was bound to happen.
And now that it has, I can't believe it did.
A young 21 year-old man named Don Sanderson died after being three weeks in a coma, the result of being involved on an on-ice hockey fight after his helmet became dislodged and his head made hard contact with the ice.
This incident will no doubt re-open the debate on whether fighting has any place in hockey. And whether or not you're in favour of a dust-up in the middle of a hockey game, you have to throw away the argument that no one gets injured in these fights, many of which are pre-meditated between two NHL heavyweights having to justify their salary. Today in a press release that is far less important, it was announced Senators call-up Cody Bass is done for the rest of the season, requiring shoulder surgery after having a fight with the Flames' Eric Nystrom.
Most people know my stance on fighting, and remember this is a guy that enjoys watching a UFC card. I watch hockey to watch hockey. I like the big hits and the battles for the puck that require effort and determination. I'll admit I've never turned the channel because of a hockey fight or hell, I've might have been seen cheering on Chris Neil as he got himself into another scrap.
But I've never felt ripped off after a game because no one dropped the gloves. The best hockey games I've seen: World Juniors, Olympics, World Cup, Stanley Cup playoffs...no one fought. And it is the only sport where bare-knuckle brawling, on top of a hard surface no less, is allowed.
Think about this: Even the UFC mandates their fighters wear gloves. And their mat has some give when they go crashing to the ground.
And once again, whether or not you think fighting has a place in pro hockey, you should not be surprised a hockey fight has produced the first death in its history, and if it continues, more will follow.
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