The, hockey is a minor sport due to fighting etc... shtick is so lame and wrong. Doesn't matter whether you think fighting should be in the sport or not, or whether you think Torts sideshow was outragious or not, the fact of the matter is it has next to 0 impact to the long term or genuine appeal of the sport down south.
All fighting does for hockey in the States is the following:
- Some sports fans who aren't really into hockey get interested for a minor second when something crazy like this hits and grabs their attention - I guess this is good, but it's a pretty minor benefit to the game.
- Actually hockey fans don't change their opinion on the game and simply keep watching, whether they like it or not - indifferent eaction.
- Sports reporters who don't follow hockey, or don't like it already, use an incident like last night to "justify" or "explain" why they don't follow it or can't speak about it in an informed fashion. It represents a tangible reason for them to explain why they don't like the sport, because the actual reason is much harder to articulate.
Nothing more nothing less. Anyone who pretends fighting hurts the sport is out to lunch, and anyone who claims the sport couldn't make it with out it is equally missinformed.
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