[FanIn80]

Gotta say, it's a bit worrying how many people seem to think there shouldn't be ramifications for breaking unwritten rules. There are tons of unwritten rules in all areas of life that govern how not to be a dick to people around you (read: how not to entice people to want to punch you in the face).

Taking some of the "who cares" comments in this thread and applying them to other scenrios...

- awww did your feelings get hurt when i cut you off on the freeway?
- poor baby, are you crying cause I cut in line in front of you at the bank?
- aww gee, does someone keep putting their feet up on the back of your seat at the theatre when you're trying to watch a movie?
- hey man, it's not illegal for me to hit on your date in front of you. don't know why you're getting all pissy about it.
- don't mind me, i'm just shovelling all my snow over onto your clean sidewalk/driveway. it's a free world homie, suck it up.
- oh no! am I standing directly in the middle of the stairs and blocking about 20 people from seeing what's happening at this hockey game? whatever. your "code" sucks, deal with it.
- whoops! did I just hot dog a puck into your empty net off a breakaway with 5 seconds left in the game? is that why you're crying?


At the end of the day, you guys are right. Nothing legally prevents you from doing any of that stuff. You know what does prevent it though? The knowledge we've all gained over time that if you do it enough times you're eventually gonna get your ass beat.

Unwritten rules exist, and the insinuation that they don't (or even that they shouldn't) is incredibly asinine.


(Edit: I'm saying Rielly was within his rights to do somehing. I'm not saying that something should have been a crosscheck to the head. Maybe just a bump into the boards and a couple of words... no different than when someone flips the puck into your net after a whistle.)