Bruins Canadiens thuggery

I'll state this right up front: I think fighting in NHL hockey games is stupid.

Stupid, unnecessary and the absolute lowest aspect of a terrific sport.

I've had debates with people about it. One guy even explained to me that obviously I just don't understand the game (he hasn't seen me play every week with my team and see how well we play -- or perhaps he's saying that because he *has* seen me play. I guess that's an 'either-or' kind of thing.)

I understand the rough physical nature of the sport. A good solid body check is a beautiful thing to behold. And because of that physical aspect of the game, the NHL is hesitant to take action against head shots and the concussions that can be the result. They seem to collectively shrug their shoulders and say "It's part of the game."

And heaven forbid the NHL ever do anything to stop the fights that occur on ice. No other professional sport has fights the way hockey does and fans seem to eat it up; therefore, once again, the league doesn't want to do anything to keep it controlled. After all, it's the fights that allow clips of the game to play on sports networks. It goes like this on the sports clips shows: "Here's a tiny bit of hockey, here's a nice play, here's a nice goal and WOW look at the fight that broke out during the game! Let's take a good long look at that fight!! WOW!!"

Last night's game between the Bruins and the Canadiens is sure to have all the sports shows buzzing, not because it was an exceptionally good game, but because it had 192 minutes in penalties.

A regulation game lasts 60 minutes. This game had 192 minutes in penalties between the two teams. Any way you do the math, that's a lot of penalties.

But the worst of the night came from Boston player Gregory Campbell. In his fight against Canadien Tom Pyatt, Campbell is seen taking his elbow pad and swinging into Pyatt's face. (I honestly don't feel like embedding the video, but it occurs at the 4:14 mark here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEz0khSQtk0 if you're inclined to take a look.)

Pyatt gets a punch in, Campbell yanks Pyatt's helmet off and he then starts whaling at him with his elbow pad. It's difficult to see if Campbell even made contact with his fist or even tried -- he just gives Pyatt uppercut after uppercut with the elbow pad.

And make no mistake: elbow pads are not soft and they are not foamy -- they're like bumpers on a car. So, imagine someone ramming your face into a car bumper over and over again. That's what Campbell did to Pyatt.

I don't know the history between the two players and I don't care. What Campbell did was disgusting and thuggish and criminal.

If fighting is a necessary part of the game (and it's not, because if it was, there would be more fights during the play-offs) then let the players fight and break their hands and ruin their careers. But when a player uses a piece of his equipment to attack an opponent, it's like using a weapon.

It's a deplorable and sad part of the game when something like this happens.

And as you may notice, no one will take note of it. Because it will make the sports channels. And that's all the NHL cares about.