The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Yeah...that's kind of what I was suggesting. NHL refs just aren't the brightest lights on the tree. If you ask them to 'use judgement' instead of calling everything, we end up back in clutch and grab land. This may be a hopeless case. Then again, were we to eliminate the instigator rule, players might become more self-policing - fewer calls AND fewer infractions being the result. Whether that would reduce obstruction, that's another matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 CC, nice to see i'm not the only hockey fan who wants the instigator rule taken out. Hi sticks, kneeing and cheap shots will go down when the instigator rule is taken away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 CC, nice to see i'm not the only hockey fan who wants the instigator rule taken out. Hi sticks, kneeing and cheap shots will go down when the instigator rule is taken away. Not to mention concussions which are up big time since the instigator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
option+ Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Not to mention concussions which are up big time since the instigator Yeah, but that might also be just as much of a by-product of the equipment becoming more like armour in the past 10 years. Last night I saw Jason Williams get stretchered off the ice after being shoulder checked cleanly by Rafi Torres. It wasn't a malicious hit either... he just caught him flush with those ridiculous shoulder pads. And situations like that happen with alarming regularity. I know I sound like Don Cherry here, but it's kind of true. This isn't to refute the argument that the instigator is a bad rule... only to say that the problem with concussions is a complex issue, and removing the instigator rule probably won't stop them from happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordi Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 Yeah, but that might also be just as much of a by-product of the equipment becoming more like armour in the past 10 years. Last night I saw Jason Williams get stretchered off the ice after being shoulder checked cleanly by Rafi Torres. It wasn't a malicious hit either... he just caught him flush with those ridiculous shoulder pads. And situations like that happen with alarming regularity. I know I sound like Don Cherry here, but it's kind of true. This isn't to refute the argument that the instigator is a bad rule... only to say that the problem with concussions is a complex issue, and removing the instigator rule probably won't stop them from happening. Jason Williams was just unlucky, the hit seemed normal. I think people are beating a dead animal concerning that hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 really come on now you really think refs are biased towards there calls? I was an umpire in baseball and I got ridiculed for being 'biased' because I called everything a strike behind the plate even if it was close (well it was hot outside and I wanted to be an A/C) I think one pitcher had a no hitter for 4 innings oh well anyway refs are not biased. They call what they see. When I was an umpire I called anything that looked like a strike? Did I get yelled at by coaches and parents, yes. But was I biased? No. The officals are simply calling what they see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoHabsGo_24cups Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 I haven't read this thread so this statement may be a repeat. I'm tired of seeing people complain every game about the officiating. Outside of extenuating circumstances (Oiler game last week) the players decide the game 99.9% of the time, regardless of the officials. I'll complain about a call as much as the next guy during the game, but when the game is over, it is really lame to blame officials for a loss, or even claim they were bias. The calls balance out in the end, and the players decide who wins and losses, not the players. Having said all this, SCREW YOU KERRY FRASER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zumpano21 Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 To add to the mix: For everyone who's complained about the refs - have you actually tried reffing before? I have and it is hard, real hard. In reality, how do you take a hotly contested bipartisan competition between two teams where both teams have huge egos and expect everyone and their fans to walk away happy. Would you ever sign up for a job with that kind of description? No, of course not. I'd like to see the colour commentators on TV give more respect and lip service to the refs after they have a good game. That way it reverberates through the audience and instills some motivation in the ref to build up a good reputation. I'm not saying that I've never been upset with a ref but I've had bad games myself and it sucks. It weighs on your mind and makes you wish you could take back your mistakes. I'm sure all the NHL refs feel that way to some extent after a bad game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beliveau1 Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 To add to the mix: For everyone who's complained about the refs - have you actually tried reffing before? I have and it is hard, real hard. In reality, how do you take a hotly contested bipartisan competition between two teams where both teams have huge egos and expect everyone and their fans to walk away happy. Would you ever sign up for a job with that kind of description? No, of course not. I'd like to see the colour commentators on TV give more respect and lip service to the refs after they have a good game. That way it reverberates through the audience and instills some motivation in the ref to build up a good reputation. I'm not saying that I've never been upset with a ref but I've had bad games myself and it sucks. It weighs on your mind and makes you wish you could take back your mistakes. I'm sure all the NHL refs feel that way to some extent after a bad game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beliveau1 Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 (edited) Jason Williams was just unlucky, the hit seemed normal. I think people are beating a dead animal concerning that hit. People aren't really beating a dead animal when they point out the impact that today's 'new & improved' equipment has when it comes to serious head injuries. 10 years ago that hit would have had minimal effect on the player who was on the receiving end. However the heavy armour now being worn by players is a significant factor that needs to be addressed, as there is absolutely no need for this degree/type of addition to shoulder pads or elbow pads. Sadly though, as long as these type of pads continue to be sported by players injuries will continue to happen - unless a zero tolerance approach to head contact is established. If you take a close look at the number of head injuries you will probably see a trend that shows the fact that open ice hip checks, which are now a lost art, cause few of these. Most hits are now a combination of elbow, forearm & shoulder blows that have contact with the head. With that type of padding the results aren't surprizing in the least. There are only two ways to reduce the problem: you institute a zero tolerance rule, or you eliminate that type of added padding from that equipment? The reality is that until something happens, 'clean' hits like the one on Williams will continue to have just this kinds of results..... Edited November 10, 2006 by beliveau1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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