Rei's presentation in class the other week made me think about the sport of hockey. Rei explained his opinion that punishments should be more strict for fighting in hockey and how fighting sets a bad example for young teenagers who play the sport. Rei's video clip heavily supported his opinion because it was sad to see young teens resorting to violence. I agreed and disagreed with the presentation. I think that fighting in hockey does set a bad example for young teens and acts as a bad role model. When kids see there favorite athletes throwing punches, what does that influence them to do? The problem with this is that fighting keeps hockey popular. Hockey is losing popularity and already struggling to keep a steady fan base. If fighting were taken away from hockey the sport in my opinion would fold. Many people I know only watch hockey for the fights, and that is the only reason I have ever watched it. A few years back two players in the NHL were in a fight, causing the one player involved to sustain serious injury's that threatened the players career and long term health. Even though fighting makes the sport entertaining is it worth sending bad messages and risking the health of the players?
