Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
I was always on the 'keep your head up' side of the fence.
But here's the thing:
1) there are times when your head is down. It happens.
2) the game is way faster now
3) shoulder pads are made of hard plastic
4) we actually now have some understanding of concussions
The old 'keep your head up' argument isn't going to cut it if we want to actually do something about concussions. There has to be an onus on the player throwing the hit to recognize when a player is vulnerable and not drill him with a potentially career-ending hit.
This shouldn't be about whether or not the hit was clean (it was)
It shouldn't be about whether or not he had his head down and shouldn't have (he did, but the simple fact of the matter is that sometimes players do - sometimes players are in vulnerable positions)
It should be about whether or not we want to stop (or at least reduce) serious injury. Not just head shots. Not just dirty hits.
Injury.
Until people want to get off the old-school, keep your head up, train, injuries will continue unabated.
I have changed sides. I don't need to see a crushing hit so badly that I am willing to accept that people often get concussed from them. I am no longer will to throw a guy under the bus with the 'keep your head up' refrain, just so that I can watch a big hit.
|
Injuries are part of the game. particularly when you leave yourself wide open to them by doing what he did. Hitting is a massive part hockey...might as well make it illegal if this incident crosses the line because Hjarmalsonn had two choices...hit him or dont. He chose to and its because Rattie was in the position he was that he got hit where he did.