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While I can side with Brad Sohn's view in "How Not To Stick It To Them"(Column, Feb. 28) that prosecution in the Marty McSorley NHL slashing incident borders on the ridiculous, I resent Mr. Sohn's view of Canada's national pastime...
...first big problem with this ordeal is that many people are failing to view the malfeasance in context. The NHL has tacitly allowed this sort of behavior since its inception. Players brawl, hook, spear and bleed and fans buy tickets expecting a WWF-like performance. The league does not suspend people for everyday fights and does not even eject players for such behavior. The players and the league have perpetuated this type of on-the-ice conduct...
McSorley's role as an NHL "goon" or "enforcer" is well-documented. He has been suspended from the league 6 times for actions involving his stick, cross-checking and other "unsportsmanlike" performances. Every team has a player like this: one who attempts to instigate conflict with a star on the opposing squad and put him in the penalty box for five minutes. Even Vancouver has one: Donald Brashear. In fact Brashear has logged 132 penalty minutes this season and averages about five minutes played per minute in "the box." This wasn't little orphan Annie being smackedup side the head...
...NHL has made the conscious decision to condone fighting at some level--much more so than any other professional league. It faces the consequences of this decision in its day-to-day operations. Hockey has a stigma like no other sport. It is the only sport that does not receive a major network broadcast of its championship games. Incidents like this do not help its reputation. But it has made the decision to allow this behavior at some level, and should deal with the consequences independently...
...province of Vancouver really wants to do good in this situation, they should meet with NHL commissioner Gary Betman and recommend a change in the game or more draconian action against McSorley. Filing charges sets an ugly precedent for sports and will do little in terms of changing game play in hockey...