May 20, 2004

Sorry hockey fans, I'm sure you've seen this: Best Hockey Punch Everrrrr.

posted by dusted at 12:22 PM on May 20, 2004

Holy crap! That was unbelievable!

posted by grum@work at 01:19 PM on May 20, 2004

It was a great punch, but I thought it was all a set-up for a commercial. I mean, I just don't get it. The officials just back away and let these guys square up and have a boxing match? Is this what that instigator rule is all about? (Really, I don't know. I'm not that well-versed in the rules.) I mean, if people squared up like this in football, baseball, basketball or just about any other sport (but martial arts) refs and other players would be jumping in to stop it, and people would get ejected as soon as the first punch was thrown. I know it's all a great spectacle, but if this stuff is sanctioned at the top level, how is it done at the lower levels going down to peewee leagues? Is this what it means to play at the top levels? I'm not trying to be a troll, so please forgive me if this starts an argument again. I know I've been down that road before. I like hockey. I just don't like the sanctioned fighting part of it. And I don't think hockey is better for it.

posted by worldcup2002 at 01:45 PM on May 20, 2004

if people squared up like this in football, baseball, basketball or just about any other sport (but martial arts) refs and other players would be jumping in to stop it, and people would get ejected as soon as the first punch was thrown. Maybe if something like this could happen in other sports, punks wouldn't be so eager to take cheap shots. For example: Anthony Peeler would NOT have thrown an elbow at Kevin Garnett if KG could have fought back without being suspended. Can you imagine? KG would kill him. Instead, lame sportswriters were calling KG soft (instead of incredibly smart and self-controlled) for backing down, and made the punk look good for taking a cheap shot. The situation in baseball and basketball in particular is comical - guys that have no intention of fighting putting up huge fronts because they know there is no chance they'll ever have to back up their words. I'm no fan of machismo, but in an odd way allowing fighting would probably cut down on the machismo. I'm not a big hockey fan, but there sure doesn't seem to be as many fake macho players as in other leagues.

posted by dusted at 03:27 PM on May 20, 2004

Fighting isn't allowed in any leagues up to the junior (17yrs+) level. You fight, you get tossed out of the game and might even get suspended. Fighting is strictly for adults. The reason fighting doesn't seem so odd in hockey is that you have a VERY small area with VERY big bodies moving at VERY fast speeds trying to hit each other (to separate them from the puck) VERY hard. That amount of aggression is going to lead to some sort of confrontation. The "conventional wisdom" is that if you take out the fighting, you'll end up with more stick work. I call "bullshit" on that thought process (we already have the stick work, even WITH the fighting, and we've ALWAYS had the stick work, even before the instigator rule). The reason we have fighting is that the fans love it. Just look at the crowd during that clip! They are going nuts. That one-punch-knockout is a RARE event in a hockey fight. The reason it doesn't happen very often is that it's REALLY hard to fight on skates and in full hockey equipment. Your arms have a restricted range of motion in the jersey/shoulderpads, making it hard to throw punches. Your skates are constantly sliding around on the ice, making you readjust your balance every couple of seconds. You can't pivot on on the balls of your feet, or take a proper step forward to throw a punch. Usually a hockey fight is a combination of grabbing and jabbing. The players tilt their heads down a bit so that the incoming punch hits the crown of their skull (hurting the hand and lessening the damage). That's why the most damage done in a hockey fight is to the knuckles.

posted by grum@work at 10:10 PM on May 20, 2004

The thing I don't get about hockey in regards to interpersonal contact is why the same action sometimes is a penalty and sometimes isn't, even going beyond the whole 'refs don't want to take over the game' explanation. Sometimes you can crunch a guy into the boards, sometimes you can't; same for poking a stick in the other guy's eye.

posted by billsaysthis at 11:10 PM on May 20, 2004

why the same action sometimes is a penalty and sometimes isn't 1. Ref didn't see it. 2. Ref didn't, as you say, want to take over the game. 3. Interference and/or boarding. 4. Unwritten NHL rule: it takes more wrongdoing to get a penalty in the third period, and a lot more in overtime. Or the playoffs. Almost anything goes in overtime in the playoffs. same for poking a stick in the other guy's eye High sticking is one of those penalties that get called even in overtime if the ref sees it. Flames are in! I'm happy.

posted by alex_reno at 01:10 AM on May 21, 2004

but there sure doesn't seem to be as many fake macho players as in other leagues Very true. While there IS a lot of macho in the NHL, most of it is hard-earned....shrinking violets need not apply.

posted by smithers at 07:59 AM on May 21, 2004

yay! my evil boss is quitting!

posted by danostuporstar at 02:37 PM on May 21, 2004

oh, nm...it had been so quiet this afternoon, i'd thought mebbe the database was full again, so that was a test post. i guess it isn't full, so doubly good news!

posted by danostuporstar at 02:38 PM on May 21, 2004

its quiet when i dont post about red sox.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:50 PM on May 21, 2004

Speaking of which, I thought you'd have posted about Ortiz's contract by now.

posted by Jugwine at 03:02 PM on May 21, 2004

why don't you FPP it?

posted by jerseygirl at 03:21 PM on May 21, 2004

'cause I just link dumped it ;)

posted by Jugwine at 03:24 PM on May 21, 2004

all righty, so its done. ;) honestly? i thought about posting it, but didnt think that a) people would care a whole lot but if they did, they'd post it themselves and b) it would be thought of as small-potato red-sox-centric news. i found a baseball message board and spending time there, its good times. happy friday, kids!

posted by jerseygirl at 03:34 PM on May 21, 2004

doug pappas (of SABR) died.

posted by goddam at 04:42 PM on May 21, 2004

goddam, that's sad. weird to see a blog post from tuesday and his obituary on friday.

posted by billsaysthis at 05:13 PM on May 21, 2004

Another tribute to Doug Pappas.

posted by grum@work at 08:21 PM on May 21, 2004

Okay fuckers, here's a linkdump. Best Rangers Blog: Hockeybird. Best Short Fiction about Donald Brashear and Time Travel: McSweeneys Do yourself a favor and read that the McSweeneys piece. I'm upset that I didn't think of it. "And that is how a six-foot-three, 225-pound African-Canadian nearly became the King of the Jews." Thanks to 86 for sending it to me in the first place.

posted by Samsonov14 at 03:08 PM on May 22, 2004

I almost peed myself laughing at that one.

posted by grum@work at 03:43 PM on May 22, 2004

the punch link went to a 404 page for me but it seems the media is here.

posted by gspm at 11:34 AM on May 24, 2004

rickey henderson on NPR. (via baseball musings)

posted by goddam at 02:44 PM on May 24, 2004

Michigan high schooler Andrew Kinney hits three grand slams in one game. I thought that only happened in video games.

posted by gspm at 07:17 AM on May 25, 2004

Here's to you, Mr. Grab the Audio from those Funny Bud Light Commercials and Allow us to Download it.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:26 PM on May 25, 2004

putting this here b/c of doublepost potential (didn't show up in a search, but i kinda thought i seen it here before). anyway...Going Poston

posted by danostuporstar at 11:56 AM on May 26, 2004

That's a travashamockary. Beer For The People! Now!

posted by garfield at 12:23 PM on May 26, 2004

The "travashamockery" comment ALWAYS makes me laugh, even after seeing it 100,000 times.

posted by grum@work at 03:56 PM on May 26, 2004

you mean im not the only beer-drinking, sports-watching, 20-something, male with internet access on the continent? seriously, i didn't know it was such a prolific neologism. googling produced a gem or two. or atleast alot of feedback.

posted by garfield at 04:31 PM on May 26, 2004

Have people seen the Wrong-Footed Kick?

posted by smithers at 07:31 AM on May 27, 2004

btw, surrounding material on page is nsfw...

posted by smithers at 07:32 AM on May 27, 2004

a direct link to the video clip. I presume. apparently I don't have the right compressor for QT to handle the clip. so i haven't seen it. *shakes fist at QT*

posted by gspm at 09:24 AM on May 27, 2004

*gets home, stops shaking fist, watches clip* that was pretty nifty. though wrong footed kick had me thinking of that guy slipping flubbing one in from the spot at the carling cup.

posted by gspm at 01:16 PM on May 27, 2004

Some Friday fun in honor of the Met bullpen.

posted by wfrazerjr at 02:42 PM on May 28, 2004

206mph.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:49 PM on May 28, 2004

nope, 284. 324mph. 356mph. my only motivation for this game is to hear that Good Times song.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:52 PM on May 28, 2004

391mph....and not sure how I did it.....(and no cracks about chafing)...

posted by smithers at 03:00 PM on May 28, 2004

that is embarassing...

posted by smithers at 03:02 PM on May 28, 2004

Argh! 390mph! So close! But I am enjoying some seat-dancing to that song, so it's all good.

posted by grum@work at 03:44 PM on May 28, 2004

Congratulations to those topping 250 mph ... Sportsfilter's expert monkey spankers. /didja see it coming?

posted by wfrazerjr at 04:03 PM on May 28, 2004

The Premiership of Wiping your Butt (4th item in the piece). Andrex = Man Utd. Charmin = Arsenal. Velvet = Chelsea. Supermarket own-labels = Newcastle.

posted by gspm at 01:51 PM on May 30, 2004

gspm, no Liverpool or Birmingham in this competition?

posted by billsaysthis at 06:07 PM on May 30, 2004

No one wipes their arse on us bill. You must know that. Is walking a sport? Even if it isn't this is very pretty.

posted by squealy at 04:11 PM on May 31, 2004

Fucking Ronald Reagan keeps finding ways to piss me off. Even when he dies, he pushes an MLS game off the air.

posted by taupe at 04:34 PM on June 05, 2004

Footie and Badgers (flash, requires sound)

posted by BigCalm at 08:13 AM on June 06, 2004

Man, those badger sure know how to score goals--wouldn't it be nice if the real English side could be so dominant?

posted by billsaysthis at 12:08 PM on June 06, 2004

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