Hockey Far From WWF
While I can side with Brad Sohn's view in "How Not To Stick It To Them"(Column, Feb. 28) that prosecution in the Marty McSorley NHL slashing incident borders on the ridiculous, I resent Mr. Sohn's view of Canada's national pastime.
Sohn's comparison of the implications of the slash to a boxer delivering a fatal blow in the ring is off-base. A better comparison might be to a boxer delivering a blind-sided swift boot to the head of his opponent while the latter makes his way back to his corner. Sticks to the head are far from the type of actions that he claims the NHL has "tacitly allowed...since its inception." Most fans of the game don't "buy tickets expecting a WWF-like performance." I have heard innumerable comments from first-years from warmer climates, after seeing their first hockey game at Bright, describing the excitement associated with hockey's speed and aggressiveness. Slashing, injuries and blood never accompany these statements.
Hockey is a game of aggressive body checks, tough physical confrontation and exciting competition. Feel free to dismiss the criminal aspect of McSorley's brutal, cowardly act, but please leave Canada and its national pastime out of it.
Andrew G. Braithwaite '03
Feb. 28, 2000