That would depend on if it could be proven that the pitcher did it intentionally. Being in close proximity of speeding fastballs is part of documented NBL gameplay. On the otherhand sucker punches from behind is not established and documented NHL gameplay.
Your analogy would be valid if we were talking about, say, a malicious hip check.
Remove the pitcher/batter relationship in baseball and you cease to have baseball. Remove punching/fighting from hockey and you’re still left with hockey, although the marketability will change.
Agreed, albeit unfortunately. Maybe hockey should go the way of the WWE where games and fights are scripted. Bloodlust gets satisfied and real injuries are minimized.
The problem is that this was no accident. Bertuzzi made a conscious decision to throw a punch; that is perfectly controllable element.
Agreed. In addition to Bertuzzi, I think coach Crawford or any other superiors who advocate head hunting should be disciplined.
The NHL is facing some hard issues right now. Making a scape goat out of Bertuzzi is a cop out on the league’s part.
As I am aware an individual cannot ‘sign’ away his rights and protections under criminal law. In this case Moore declined consent to fight and was blatantly and undeniably assaulted. Therefore he and only he, should be able to press charges just like any other citizen. There are no designated law-free zones, be it the NHL or Ice Capades.
Someone (actually, a few of y’all) said that the NHL is at fault for this because they allow fights, but the reason why fighting is permitted by the league is because of the players’ code: it’s supposed to be “consensual” and not assault! It also allows for what many of us know as “T-Rage.” Most men have had experience with this affliction!
And for those weak on matters of law, when two guys get into a fight and the police are called in, charges are usually dropped if both parties take responsibility and elect not to make it a criminal matter. Often, the police officers won’t even make an arrest if the situation allows for it.
TwistedLocal said [quote]“You cannot even remotely [relate] street violence and violence in sports and if you think you can you are obviously someone who has never played an intense game.”[/quote]. I disagree, bro. I’ve played intense, contact sports in my day, and the guys who take cheapshots like this one are always the same pricks getting into street fights and beating their women or some poor store clerk. They usually use sports to jusify their behavior, but that’s just an excuse. They’re assholes, or weak fucks who act like assholes to impress people or fit in. But I do agree with you that much violence in sports is just a natural “competitive” thing that gets out of control here and there. Usually, a penalty or ejection is enough…but sometimes, it goes too far.
Bertuzzi is a prick for what he did. He violated the code, hurt the league, and he deserves to be suspended. If his victim wants to press charges, he should not fear criticism for doing so, IMHO.
Nitrox wrote:Assault. IMO plain and simple. Consensual fighting on the other hand is not. The only gray area comes from the NHL’s level of enforcement. The original Moore hit on Naslund was also arguably assault, definitely deserved a major/misconduct yet he got nothing
Like i stated before, most penalties are then assault. If ya went and slashed someone with a stick in public, it’s assault. Professional sports are different than everyday life, ya can’t argue that. With your logic every instigator should automatically have a game misconduct, plus an assault charge. Sorry, but i completely disagree.
First I don’t know hockey but I do know combat sports. Seems like hockey has a large element of combat sport as part of the game. Thats fine but just like in Boxing, NHB some things are just unacceptable. The whole world was outraged when Mike Tyson took a chomp out of Evanders ear, personally I say big deal it certainly didn’t threaten his life. But if a boxer was to stomp on the head of a downed opponent i would call this assault and welcome Police intervention. In NHB many organisations abound with various rules and regulations. Some where you can kick someone on the ground, some where you can’t even elbow. But if anyone was to tried to seriously gouge someones eyes out i would say that is unacceptable.
The same goes for NHL, and sucker punching someone from behind and then landing on someone 50lbs lighter with a stick pressed to their neck is just unacceptable. And yes the outcome is significant as is the intent just as it is in law which generally mirrors what we find acceptable morally in society as a whole. Send him down and let him become the block punk.
one thing that bothers me bought suspensions in pro sports (specifically hockey) is that they are so outcome specific. They only look at the damage that was caused, not at the fact that someone may have been lucky. Imo, if someone is lets say hit from behind, goes head first into the boards, intentional hit, it shouldn’t matter if his neck is broken or if he just ended up with a bump on the noggin. Similarly when sundin was suspended earlier this year for whipping his broken stick into the crowd. He got off pretty damn easy with a game or two, that’s all. Now what if that stick hit a child, or someone in the eye or something, seriously injuring them. Just somethin that bugs me, like if bertuzzi sucker punched him, and even jumped on him and moore got up afterwards and skated to the bench, sure there woulda been a suspension, but the rest of the year? don’t think so. the league has to take more responsibility and do somethin bout this, i think.
Todd’s a good guy, a respectable human being of solid character, but he let his emotions get the best of him as he has done in the past. What he did was assault, plain and simple and he should be charged. I’m all for players squaring off and taking care of business, but what Todd did needs to be seen for what it was. The culture of hockey has always been that you are basically allowed to have an adult version of a temper tantrem on the ice and get away with it. It’s silly and takes away from the game. Being an enforcer, protecting other players and fighting other tough guys is fine, letting your emotions take control and assaulting a player who does’nt even see it coming, is pathetic. Todd should be suspended for as long as it takes for Moore to recover and get back to playing. If that’s never than Todd should never play again. Being a nice guy who screwed up does’nt take away the need for accountability.
If bertuzzi should be out for the same time moore is out then what if moore is back in 4 weeks? There’s been a report that the avalanche released misleading medical reports of Moores injury to the NHL. And that the doctors that have treated him say he’ll be able to play in 4 to 6 weeks, because the “broken neck” is only two small hairlines fractures which will take less time than the concussion to heal. But the avalanche madeit sound like the “BROKEN NECK” was the worse of the injuries, when apparently it may not of been. they just mislead the media and the public to increase the coverage pressuring the NHL to suspend a team hot on their heals in pursut of a division title.
I wonder how valid this is, it is something to consider however, i’ve seen the same thing occur in similar incidences in sports.
I should have been more clear in my belief that TB should be suspended for the rest of the season at a minimum and for the duration of Moore’s recovery if longer than next year. The media have been misleading in this incident and have used it as an attack on hockey in general.