The Italian Football Federation suspended all matches indefinitely following the death of a policeman at a riot during Serie A match between Cantania and Palermo last week. Officer Filippo Raciti was fatally wounded when violence flared during the Sicilian derby. According to reports, 38-year-old Raciti was severely wounded when a small explosive detonated in his face as he attempted to deal with fighting outside the stadium. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries. After the match, fans continued to fight, running battles with police on the streets outside the stadium. Over a hundred people were treated for injuries while dozens were taken to hospital.
Clashes between supporters and the police in the IFF had become more frequent over the last few weeks, and this tragedy brought the issue to the forefront. The Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said that what is needed is a “strong and clear signal to avoid the degeneration of this sport.” England Head Coach Steve McClaren reacted to the news by insisting that Italy take the same harsh action that Britain did 20 years ago to eradicate football violence. He noted that safety at most grounds in the UK improved with stricter control and tighter security.
But while Italy is seriously concerned about increased violence in soccer, NHL hockey encourages fighting to make the game more entertaining and exciting. Hockey violence differs from soccer rioting, since players abide by rules and referees stand ready to pull them apart if fighting gets too dangerous, but the fact that fans cheer when their players throw their gloves to the ice seems to me to detract from what they should really be enjoying. Does society accept fighting as just ‘part’ of the game because Belak, their favourite Leaf enforcer, is allowed to take out his frustration in this way?
Watching people around me engrossed in NHL games has opened my eyes to the fact that fighting in hockey adds entertainment value, can change a game and have fans talking for days, especially when someone like Flames right winger Jarome Iginla or the Leafs right winger Darcy Tucker lets off some steam. In comparison to the riots in Italy, hockey fights are usually honourable and consensual, but I find it difficult to comprehend that people come to NHL games for fights. Surely they are there for puck action and to see players like Crosby show off their skills?
Some sports commentators claim that fighting actually serves a purpose in the game, deterring would-be acts of disrespect and dirty play, but to me it seems that dropping your gloves to give the opponent a club across the face is not justifiable. Take the Olympics, where fighting is banned and not one player on the Team U.S.A. squad took out their competitive aggression in these ways during the entire tournament. The games were full of excitement, drama and action-yet there was not one fight. The players knew that if they fought, they would receive a game misconduct call and a one-game suspension. The stakes were just too high and players learned to curb their aggression.
When Tom Brady or Peyton Manning is “jacked up,” NFL players don’t fight. Even on an illegal hit, players rarely react with fighting. Sometimes there is pushing and shoving, but the 15-yard penalty is bad enough. If the NHL had five- or 10-minute penalties for hits from behind, or 10-minute penalties for intent to injure, those plays would probably decrease.
