There are some so-called news items that never go away. They will take a reprieve from time to time, if nothing else out of boredom. But eventually, the media will return to the topic for another kick at the can.
I'm referring to the ongoing debate about hockey violence, or more specifically, the repercussions of this violence, concussions.
I've been playing hockey and have been around hockey players for 55+ years. Me and my hockey buddies are generally reserved enthusiasts who think of the game only as a fun way to get some exercise and and participate in inane dressing room banter (the two are equally important).
The men who are getting in the news by having their heads slammed into things are not in the game for the same reasons as most of us. The fact is, they're freaks, as in, not human. I wish I could say they became this way honestly, but that wouldn't be true. They were created in the tradition of Frankenstein.
It starts with a parent or two who have this idea that the hockey community in Canada has a lot to teach their kids about life. The child enters a program at 5 or later and the coaches and parents begin the endless process of shaping their attitudes towards absolutely everything, including how to treat their women, their team mates and people of authority. If they happen to have gay tendencies, I pity them. Believe me when I say nothing good will come of this. A hockey dressing room in an organized Canadian league is one of the most homophobic communities in sport. It is not about fair play and justice for all. It's about kill or be killed. Bullies in the school yard are woosies compared to these boys/men.
Those that go into serious programs like Junior hockey stop living in the world the rest of us know. They're removed from their home early in life and ride buses full of kids who are going through the same indoctrination. They feed each other's biases and values and learn to speak as one. If they dare to have a thought of their own, the team will take care of this in some very nasty way, be it physical or emotional. They will experience ridicule that most of us could never imagine. Oh, and this would be very public ridicule so it would have a greater impact. Oh, and those who would be dishing out the ridicule would be praised and encouraged by everyone, including their coaches and probably by many of the parents.The rinks in this country are full of Don Cherry's and believe me when I say there is nothing good about this. This is particularly true of the 99.99999% of these kids that eventually give up the dream and in many cases, give up the game entirely.
Physically they're freaks. For most of their young life, they ride on exercises bikes for hours a day. Some take steroids. Their legs become tree stumps. As for the rest of their body, it's moulded to hit and be hit, over and over. By the time they're 12, not some but all of them have already had numerous concussions with no medical follow up and this is intentional. They must be taught to never admit you're hurt and that it's noble to play through all injuries. They must also be taught that when asked by someone "outside the club", they must admit that they like and need the extreme violence we've grown to expect in the game. They actually believe this shit and forgive me for having an opinion on this but I find this disturbing. The lack of individuality in the dressing rooms of the country is perplexing but understandable. If you've heard one of these mouth pieces interviewed by the media you know what I'm talking about.
Yes folks, these are not citizens of the world in the normal sense. They are gladiators, paid to beat each other up for the entertainment of the general public, eager for a distraction from their day to day grind. And that's OK.
So, why should we care what happens to these people? We shouldn't. Let them do what they do and let's give up this debate about making hockey safe for these guys. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
Let's fill the newspapers with more worthy information.