Wade Belak found dead - from calgary sun

[SLY]

Nope. I'm sorry. Belak, RIP brother. There has been fighting in hockey for years. Now all of a sudden you got guys offing themselves because they can't control their addictions. I am sure they were going through pain, but I have no sympathy for suicide. No reason to change the sport and its tradition as it has been since what 1916 or some shit. The league can invest some of its millions into developing a real good program on educating players to speak up when they are at their threshold and are in pain. Drug rehab, and so many other ways to go about it. Some players live with pain just from hard and heavy hits. Fighting is a part of the game. Regulate it, but do not get rid of it.

Belak.

 

[Automattic]

Three....

This will garner attention and it should.

All three were fighters.

Repeated head shots for years.

Flame me if you want, but I am a trained epidemiologist. This is a pattern worth exploring. If the reports are true this is 2 suicides and an "accidental" overdose in one offseason by a group of guys with similar histories. We know a lot more about CTE now. This is most likely exactly what it appears to be and it is slapping everyone in the face.

Get rid of the pointless ritual.....

I see nothing wrong with giving a guy a punch to the face while he is trying to do the same to you. It's the cheap head/knee shots to an unaware player that are ending careers.

Fighters know what they are getting into. Would you really be doing them a service by taking out fighting? What the fuck would they all do then?

 

[SLY]

I see nothing wrong with giving a guy a punch to the face while he is trying to do the same to you. It's the cheap head/knee shots to an unaware player that are ending careers.

Fighters know what they are getting into. Would you really be doing them a service by taking out fighting? What the fuck would they all do then?

Exactly. It is the cheapshots and dirty hits that are doing this to people. The league can put an end to that by having extremely strict penalties. If you are a repeat offender, well, say good bye to ever playing hockey in the NHL or AHL ever again. Done. They wont fuck around then, I promise you that.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Getting hit in the head hundreds of time over the course of a decade or so does nothing to the brain?

Dementia pugilistica

Letting guys do this, hell, ENCOURAGING guys to do this as an extra-circular part of your sport is idiotic.

I have had this argument a bunch of times and dint care to again but their is no logical reason for it. I won't convince any of you and you won't convince me. Maybe when someone dies directly as a result of a fight...oh never mind, that already happened....

Some people will never get it.

It is funny to me how hockey is the only sport that "has to police itself"......well some hockey.....the NHL and Canadian version of the sport.....

 

[SLY]

Cause North America owns all those other pussy countries.

 

[apachef4]

Also, if I remember 46n2's previous rants on this subject (forgive me if I'm wrong, I've been awol for a while), a lot of this has to do with the perceived hypocrisy. How can anyone seriously believe that the league cares about head injuries when it condones people punching each other in the head? It sends out the mixed messages to the players that head shots are ok sometimes and not others. I know, I know, they know the difference between cheap shots and fighting. I just don't think they really take the cheap shots seriously (unless it happens to them), and the mixed message may be part of the problem.

 

[Automattic]

Getting hit in the head hundreds of time over the course of a decade or so does nothing to the brain?

Dementia pugilistica

Letting guys do this, hell, ENCOURAGING guys to do this as an extra-circular part of your sport is idiotic.

I have had this argument a bunch of times and dint care to again but their is no logical reason for it. I won't convince any of you and you won't convince me. Maybe when someone dies directly as a result of a fight...oh never mind, that already happened....

Some people will never get it.

It is funny to me how hockey is the only sport that "has to police itself"......well some hockey.....the NHL and Canadian version of the sport.....

They all make that choice though. I'll never understand why all this research is done to show the effects of getting hit in the head. Taking shots to the dome affects your brain? Ummmmmm......No shit, Sherlock! My 9 month old son could tell after whacking his head on the coffee table that he didn't want to do that again. But here's the thing.....These guys do want to do it again and again. And I want to watch.


Maybe the issue is the sick fucks like me that want to watch it. But just as your views won't change, mine won't either. And Neither will society's appetite for violence.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

They all make that choice though. I'll never understand why all this research is done to show the effects of getting hit in the head. Taking shots to the dome affects your brain? Ummmmmm......No shit, Sherlock! My 9 month old son could tell after whacking his head on the coffee table that he didn't want to do that again. But here's the thing.....These guys do want to do it again and again. And I want to watch.


Maybe the issue is the sick fucks like me that want to watch it. But just as your views won't change, mine won't either. And Neither will society's appetite for violence.

...what happens when one of these guys goes all "Chris Benoit" and chooses to take others with him.

 

[SLY]

Once again, this is a problem that is just arising now. People were not killing themselves in the past, and hockey players in North America have been fighting since the early 1900's. They can police the cheap shots without getting rid of fighting if they wanted to.

 

[TOX1]

Fighters from everywhere know all of the risks involved. It is their lives to live.

Period. End of story.

 

[SuperFlyer13]

...what happens when one of these guys goes all "Chris Benoit" and chooses to take others with him.

Weak argument, sick fuck likes this loser take thier and others lives all the time.

For people who don't want to see fighting in hockey, it's simple.. Quit watching. I will not stand for another sport to become pussified like football, what a joke..

 

[Automattic]

...what happens when one of these guys goes all "Chris Benoit" and chooses to take others with him.

Happens all the time, in all walks of life. Happens here in small town Iowa where everybody still waves to each other on the street. It sucks, but people go crazy all the time.

Benoit had a mentally handicapped kid and a steroid problem. That was kind of unfair for you to throw his name in here. Plus I bet you would love to know that "The Crippler" was one of my favs....But I bet you already knew that, huh?

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Happens all the time, in all walks of life. Happens here in small town Iowa where everybody still waves to each other on the street. It sucks, but people go crazy all the time.

Benoit had a mentally handicapped kid and a steroid problem. That was kind of unfair for you to throw his name in here. Plus I bet you would love to know that "The Crippler" was one of my favs....But I bet you already knew that, huh?

Chris Benoit had the brain of an 80 year old alzheimers patient because of....wait for it.....multiple head traumas. Roids had nothing to do with it.

As for this being the first time. It is the first time we know abou I because for once people are paying attention...

We will see....

 

[Automattic]

Chris Benoit had the brain of an 80 year old alzheimers patient because of....wait for it.....multiple head traumas. Roids had nothing to do with it.

As for this being the first time. It is the first time we know abou I because for once people are paying attention...

We will see....

I was told all those flying headbutts were FAKE!!!

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Also, since you are a Benoit fan, you may find this interesting:

Wrestler Chris Benoit Brain's Forensic Exam Consistent With Numerous Brain Injuries

It may not have been his being a total monster. He had a disease, and a severe form of it.

 

[SLY]

These guys make millions... If they don't want to be an enforcer and they want to focus on being a skilled player then they can choose to do so. But if they choose to make their millions fighting, then that is their choice.

 

[pixburgher66]

They don't like fighting. They do it because they think they have to. Seriously, you've seen the videos of guys talking about it. It was shown in 24/7. Enforcers will do it if they have to. Sorry fellas, I'm with 46 on this. I like violence, bit hits, scrums, and I do love a good fight. But these guys who are employed just to fight (and don't kid yourself, that's the only reason they're around. Eric Godard doesn't have good hands or fast feet) are in severe danger of having Alzheimer's way too early in life. They're killing their brains. They need to do SOMETHING about it at least. Maybe not completely removing it, but perhaps making the penalty a lot bigger for those that do fight. Some incentive to NOT drop the gloves. And don't say it's "pussifying" the sport. No, it could be saving lives. The league is responsible to protect these guys. Sure, they voluntarily get into fights, but a lot of times they feel they "have" to. There's the issue. Obviously that involves changing the culture...and that falls on the players.

 

[SLY]

The league has had fighting in it since its inception just about. This would be pussifying the sport. If they do not wish to fight, they do not have to. If people want to watch hockey without fighting, watch college hockey where they do not get paid.

 

[dash]

I've posted this before on other threads discussing similar topics, but I think fighting will be eliminated from the NHL one day. I don't know if it will be in five years, 10 years, or even longer, but eventually it will be banned. As mentioned already, there is no fighting in college hockey and the OHL now hands out penalties for all checks to the head.

Not to diminish the impact of head trauma, but in my opinion, the pain medications that these guys are on can really screw up a guy's head. If that is combined with abuse of drugs/alcohol, that's a very dangerous cocktail.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

They don't like fighting. They do it because they think they have to. Seriously, you've seen the videos of guys talking about it. It was shown in 24/7. Enforcers will do it if they have to.

The league is responsible to protect these guys. Sure, they voluntarily get into fights, but a lot of times they feel they "have" to. There's the issue. Obviously that involves changing the culture...and that falls on the players.

I dont know what to think right now ... while I think its too early to blanket speculate that its cumulative head trauma that did this to the 3 players who died this offseason, Im beginning to think its naive to think it didnt play some kind of role. Is it the sole catalyst or are the types of personalities that embrace this enforcer role already predisposed to a mental illness of some sort? idk

the enforcer role is a psychological meat grinder and the biggest baddest guys have publically said they fear knowing they have to potentially fight every night. Again its like the WWE ... if you dont step up and do whats tacitly expected of you every night ... youre toast ... kiss your career and your lifestyle goodbye ... and good luck dealing with the physical ramifications after your career is over because youre on your own.

Regarding the depression element... these guys are low man on the totem pole ... everybody (fans & media) reminds them what they have to do to stay in the league and that they arent really hockey players but just some loose meat that needs to throw the body and punches when warranted. Talk about a drain on self esteem.

read this earlier about Fedoruk and his drug/alocohol problems. he had an interesting observation:
Needless to say Fedoruk saw himself to some extend in the death of Boogaard this year given they fulfilled the same roles in the game. He wasn't available to speak on Belak's passing. He knows full well that Boogaard could have been him, because he had an alcohol addiction by the time he was 20 and thought he had it under control only to find it and a few other problems had him under control. But hopefully what has been such an unhappy outcome for these families will be a big lift to the one Fedoruk heads. He says players who do his role don't always feel they fit in on a team which is why they may have the problems off the ice that so many of them seem to be experiencing.

Alot of these guys got the attention out of junior because they actually had skill ... ie Nick Kypreos had 62 goals in 64 games in the ohl in his draft year. Somewhere along the line they were all convinced they couldnt make the nhl unless they fought and they all bought it hook line and sinker. I just dont know how you change the culture other than banning fighting outright.