Under Review: Should hockey allow fighting?

Hockey is a sport that has a culture of fighting. It is one of the only sports where fighting is allowed. I did not grow up with hockey and I was unfamiliar with the sport. The only thing I did know about it was that fighting was allowed and the phrase “drop the gloves” was used to describe it. Now is there any room in sports for fighting like they do in hockey? I would argue that there is no need in sports for fighting and I especially do not think there is need for fighting in hockey. I went to the Philadelphia Flyers game vs. the Washington Capitals on November 1. In the third period, an all-out ice fight broke out including the goalies. The Flyers goalie skated down the whole length of the ice just to throw some punches on the other team’s goalie. The Capitals goalie was defenseless and the Flyers goalie just kept whaling on the guy. I was standing up screaming during the fight but as I sat in my seat afterwards I just though, what was the point to that? In a time where we are worried about safety of players and concussions, how are we still letting these guys fight like this? That Capitals goalie could have gotten a concussion and have been seriously injured. There is no need for that fight to break out. Here is the thing: for one, if we are so worried about player safety, how are we still letting these fights break out, and two, where in society can we just go around beating the heck out of people? I know I am new to following the game of hockey and I sure did not ever play hockey, so I do not know the inside culture of the sport.  But what I can see from afar is that these guys go on the ice just to mess people up and there is no need for it. Honestly, I feel it makes the sport look bad. I say that because many families will see those fights and then will not let their kids watch or play the sport. It is just too aggressive and if we look at safety with sports professionals something is going to have to change. These players could and will get seriously injured from these fights.