"The Good Old Hockey Game"

Last Tuesday evening I actually broke down and watched some of the hockey game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. What ever happened to hockey? Like so many young men I loved playing hockey, and for  years watched Hockey Night in Canada, especially the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, the beautiful skating, stick handling, and team playing has been transformed into a wild game of shinny where charging, cross-sticking and boarding are the norm. Occasionally, if you are lucky, you might even see a beautiful and brilliant move from the past!  And I don't mean the uppercuts!

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In 1892 the cup was called the Dominion Hockey Challenge trophy for amateurs. That original cup now rests in the Hockey Hall of Fame. La Coupe Stanley, a copy, named after Lord Stanley once Governor General of Canada, does not often get engraved with the names of a Canadian hockey teams these days. Probably just as well, I doubt good old Lord Stan would recognize the game?

Hockey has always been an aggressive sport and the players know there is always a chance of being hurt. Accidents are bound to happen in a hard fought contest. In fact, without aggression hockey would dull. Aggressive people stand up for their rights. Aggressive people have tenacity. Aggressive people go after things and want to win. But being aggressive does not include intent to injury! Cross-checking and charging are still cause for a penalty, not because they are a display of aggressiveness, but because their purpose is to harm. Perhaps, even more important, is having the fans cheer their approval and come crowding back again to the new Roman Forum. And there lies the problem - our love/hate relationship to violence! 

Recently Tom Brady of the Patriots was charged with tampering with the football - dubbed the Deflategate. For letting out air from the football he has been suspended from a number of games this fall and will lose approximately $2 million! In the meantime, Floyd Mayweather,  boxer and well known serial batterer of women, gets a suspension and a $3,000 fine. Oh yes, and 48 hours of community service! How we love to watch violence, and then complain about the male chauvinists whom we enthusiastically support and pay big bucks to perform.

At one time it was believed that men were naturally violent. This was thought to be a result of evolution shaping us as "warrior males". Today there is no evidence, no consistent system or pattern in the human body or mind that can be identified as the seat of violent aggressive behaviour. Violence is the fault of the perpetrator, not his genes! Let's not blame biology if the guy's a jerk!

Joan of Arc - 1412

Cross-cultural psychology studies the ways in which behaviour is influenced by cultural context (culture is the shared way of life of a group of people). Because of all the violence around us these days we see behaviours changing. There are two or three schools near where we live and the majority of the younger children are delivered in the morning by car, and picked up in the afternoon! Another example, we are witnessing the global return of religious violence. The 'armies of God' have been with us from Old Testament times! But we have to ask ourselves  how can religion be related to such vicious acts? How can men use religion to morally justify killing others? Think Northern Ireland, bombing of abortion centres, killing young kindergarten children, public beheadings - all in the name of God! Surely it is more than a symbolic statement that provides a sense of empowerment for desperate people.

For once I do not agree with Aristotle who taught us we can get rid of our unpleasant emotions by watching tragic dramas. Actually the opposite is more likely! At least that is what I observe.

I wonder how Stompin' Tom Connors would reword his  song, "The Good' Old Hockey Game" if he were around today? Goodbye Montreal Canadiens - just watch the Toronto Maple Leafs next season!

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week

Did you know?

NASA has been able to identify some 12,000 space rocks orbiting in our cosmic area. Now some businessmen hope to mine them for profit? A good investment for the future?