Singing Our Tune

Another “bring back fighting” article.  It seems mainstream media members are also tired of some of the robotic games we’ve seen this season.

From Kevin Dupont, Give fans what they want — the fights:

Remember, it was not fighting that muted the talents of skilled players in the ‘90s.  Boring defensive schemes and the reluctance of on-ice officials to whistle interference penalties sucked the life out of it.  But the Lords, by clamping down far too much on fighting, are equally guilty.  They neutered the game’s passion factor, in the hopes that Americans would approve in the form of TV ratings.  Instead, the result has been just that tiny blip at the bottom of the ratings radar screen.

This was written just a day after Sports Illustrated published Allan Muir’s Fighting is still a valuable and integral part of the NHL

Look, if you don’t lke fighting, that’s fine. But you can’t argue that the majority of people who have demonstrated a willingness to to pay for the product don’t enjoy a round of on-ice fisticuffs delivered with relish and brio. And those people are the ones whose interests need to be addressed—the folks who have slipped away as the game devolved into a no-touch tea party. They’re the future of the NHL, not Sally Soccer Mom who doesn’t take her precious children to a game for fear of the “negative influence.”

At least some in the media aren’t above listening to the fans.