Guest Column
Martin Karasick
NHL must share blame for violence in hockey
The world events of the day include a trial of Thomas Junta, who is charged with the death of Michael Costin. The objective of the trial is to determine if Mr. Junta is guilty of the wrongful death of Mr. Costin or if he merely defended himself against an attack by the smaller man. From the bits of conflicting information collected on the television, it is difficult to know exactly what happened. However, what is clear but not mentioned is the responsibility the National Hockey League must shoulder in this tragic death.
Kids are particularly vulnerable to imitating the acts of their sports heroes. This is true for every professional contact sport, be it football, baseball, soccer, boxing or ice hockey. As adults, we are responsible for correcting antisocial behavior and teaching kids the difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately, some adults never mature. They see machismo and adolescent behavior as fun and teach "might makes right." Many years ago, the Philadelphia Flyers had a mediocre hockey team. To attract more fans, they became the Broad Street Bullies. Quickly, the fans came to the arena — not to see a hockey match, but to see the bloody Friday night fights.
And where does the NHL stand on all of this? They must love it. Yes, hockey is a tough contact sport. Yes, the sport is not for the timid. Yes, tempers can flare up and grown men might resort to their fists rather than their hockey skills. How does the league react? They assess five-minute penalties for fighting. Rarely is a player ejected or suspended from the league for inappropriate conduct. I think they love it. It sells tickets.
In the sport of football, contact and hitting are also part of the game. However, football is different in that there are no weapons (sticks) as in hockey. Further, football players wear far stronger protective equipment than do hockey players. In both sports, players are violent because of the head-to-head contact and the inertia ending in sudden collisions. However, there is one great difference at the professional level. Football players who fight are not tolerated by the league. They are held accountable and fined and/or suspended accordingly. The NHL seems to foster fights. Rather than breaking up fights, the officials will let the players go at it for two or three minutes before intervening. Long suspensions are unusual. This is considered a part of the show. As such, some youngsters imitate what they see in order to appear macho.
The death of one father by a much larger man is an escalation of the excessive rough play on the ice. This was no accident. It was an inevitable casualty resulting from the macho-image mentality we see on NHL television regularly. It will likely happen again unless perceptions are corrected. The time has come for adults to separate fighting and use of a stick as a weapon, from "hockey," the sport. Next, we must explain this difference to our kids. They must know that fighting anywhere, including on the ice, is wrong, not a part of the game. Leadership should begin with the NHL. Until then, I am so abhorred by the NHL standards that I will boycott sponsors of the NHL. I encourage those who share my perspective to do the same.
Martin Karasick is a resident of Marlboro Township