The Killing Fields

8 thoughts on “The Killing Fields”

1. GMFO-

   Badger took me to task the other day for comments about hockey. They said that if I condone the hitting in football that I should seemingly not have a problem with the violence in hockey.

   I like the hitting in football. The players wear protective equipment, helmets, etc. The league has drawn a line at hits to the head, hitting a defenseless receiver etc. the threat of lawsuits for injuries has been the driving force behind the changes in the rules

   the hit in the blackhawk game is an example of what the NFL has banned. the player clearly left his feet and launched himself at the another player, who did not have the puck, the puck was no where near him and went for the head. WOW it sounds like he hit the NFL trifecta- defenseless player, throw himself at him, and went for the head. Three strikes and you are out.

   The penalty minutes given out during the first 25 games of the playoffs are equal to almost 4 games in and of themselves. Hockey, the sport, takes talent. the NHL’s version is just this side of professional rasslin’. Its hard to take it seriously.

   As far as 95% capacity- the tickets may have been sold but the fans seem to be disguised as seats.

   Its small wonder that the NHL can’t land a major tv contract until the playoffs. From what I remember Hockey is on the same network that carries the tour de france, versus!

   I have ranted enough. Omaha has three hockey teams including a college team that plays with the bigger colleges. The hockey they play is fun to watch and yes they fight but the game does not revolve around waiting for those fights to happen.

   So other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?

   Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

   Gene

2. Dear Drew,

   I have thoughts on two subjects. I need to share both with everybody.

   #1: This is going to sound sick and perverted but in many way’s this years playoffs are reminding me of a old Bill Cosby routine about why he wouldn’t play pro football. Take the comments and adjust them for hockey and the material still works.

   Cosby said,”Football is the only sport where a guy can really rip your neck off and all he gets is a 15 yard penalty. Then you have to line up against the guy and he gets another shot at you.”

   Joke adjusted for hockey,”Hockey is the only sport where a guy can really rip your neck off and only get a 5 minute penalty. They you have to line up against the guy and he’s got another shot at you.”

   My other thought. I hope and pray Drew that your next cartoon somehow features the retirement of Pat Summit a women I can only think of as the John Wooden of Womens College Basketball. After the cartoons you’ve drawn lately it might give you a chance to unwind a bit. I guess you could say that Summit is leaving her summit behind and nobody will ever be there again.

   All the best

   Louis

3. Louis – Dead on about Pat Summitt. Women’s basketball has made strides thanks in large part to her, her Lady Vols and her rivalry with Geno from Storrs.

   As far as hockey “allowing” this rash of violence – they don’t. The three major perpetrators of the Pens-Flyers debacle were suspended, and the Pens called up three to fill their spots in the line. So what happened? The Pens win 10-3 without the instigators. Every instance of illegal hits and fight instigation has been met with penalities from the league office. The only one who got off free – Shea Weber, who slammed Zetterberg’s head into the glass, to no injury – was dealt with on the ice, with a tough guy vs. tough guy fight.

   There have been a rash of penalties in the first round, but so far nothing close to what Dale Hunter slapped on Pierre Turgeon or Ron Hextall on Chris Chelios.

   I’m watching the excellent Rangers-Sens and Blues-Sharks series: If you look for what you hate in a sport, you’ll find it. Same if you look for what you love in it.

4. Drew,

   You have a short memory. I seem to recall Av’s – Red Wings series with broken bodies, smashed out teeth and blood on the ice. (Remember your past goaltender/goon Patrick Roy). I get the feeling that you’re just whining about hockey because the Av’s didn’t make the playoffs.

5. Dave, thanks for the comment. Yeah, I recall vividly the mess that the Avs-Red Wings series became. But what’s going on in today’s game has little to do with the the rivalry and the violence that escalated out of control because of the Claude Lemieux hit on Kris Draper.It has nothing to do with the Avs not making the playoffs, which really doesn’t effect me. I draw cartoons about stuff. I don’t have a deep allegiance to the game or to the Avs. Sure, it’s fun around here when they are on a roll, but I hardly construe my recent cartoons as “whining”.

   It could be debated that the Lemieux hit was the beginning of this madness. Lemieux certainly had a well deserved reputation as a dirty player. But I still view the Draper incident as somewhat of an accident. I don’t think Lemieux had the time to sense where he was in relation to the glass which caused the injury to be so severe. I could be wrong. I actually believe this kind of cheap shot hockey began with the Todd Bertuzzi hit on Steve Moore, which was far more premeditated. Moore never saw it coming. Bertuzzi attacked him from behind. The game has since unraveled into these random cheap shots that have nothing to do with hockey. It’s become dangerous and to be honest deadly. Hockey is inherently a rough sport. But it doesn’t have to descend into the disgusting depths it currently finds it self in.

6. Gene, phenomenal comments! You amaze me! And it is SO great to hear you are driving again!

7. Drew:

   You could say that the Pens-Flyers series has a LOT to do with the rivalry – When I worked in Pennsylvania, I actually saw an Amish person get into a loud argument over it!

   And you’re right about Lemieux’s hit – Clean, but unfortunate. He didn’t target the head, and even under the Shannahammer, it would have been cleared (although Shanny didn’t like it while he was playing!). The Bertuzzi hit on Moore was thuggery – and honestly, I haven’t seen its like yet this playoffs. The true low point was Dale Hunter’s hit on Pierre Turgeon in the 1993 playoffs (YouTube it – I’ll put it up against any hit this series for sheer evil).

   There weren’t even that many cheap shots this regular season – suspensions were up, mostly because of the heightened efforts of Shannahan to crack down on head and from behind hits.

   I still say reward the good: Devils-Panthers, Blues-Sharks, Kings-Canucks and Rangers-Sens are all great, mostly clean series.

   Now, if I may interject a little more levity into the discussion, here’s a take from my favorite source, The Onion.

   http://www.theonion.com/articles/nhls-critics-find-no-evidence-that-penalty-box-ref,26701/

8. Badger–

   Your comment about an Amish person arguing about Pens-Flyers hockey made me laugh out loud. Too bad you didn’t get a YouTube video of that.