Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site l5.uucp Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!ptsfa!l5!laura From: laura@l5.uucp (Laura Creighton) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Hockey Message-ID: <252@l5.uucp> Date: Sat, 9-Nov-85 09:54:10 EST Article-I.D.: l5.252 Posted: Sat Nov 9 09:54:10 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 21:11:47 EST References: <237@gargoyle.UUCP> Reply-To: laura@l5.UUCP (Laura Creighton) Organization: Nebula Consultants in San Francisco Lines: 61 In article <237@gargoyle.UUCP> carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes) writes: >Shortly after Teddy Green of the Bruins took a hockey stick in his >brain, *Newsweek* (October 6, 1969) commented: > > Players will not adopt helmets by individual choice for > several reasons. Chicago star Bobby Hull cites the simplest > factor: "Vanity." But many players honestly believe that > helmets will cut their efficiency and put them at a > disadvantage, and others fear the ridicule of opponents. The > use of helmets will spread only through fear caused by > injuries like Green's -- or through a rule making them > mandatory.... One player summed up the feelings of many: > "It's foolish not to wear a helmet. But I don't -- because > the other guys don't. I know that's silly, but most of the > players feel the same way. If the league made us do it, > though, we'd all wear them and nobody would mind." > >The *Newsweek* story went on to quote Don Awrey. "When I saw the way >Teddy looked, it was an awful feeling.... I'm going to start wearing >a helmet now, and I don't care what anybody says." But viewers of >Channel 38 (Boston) know that Awrey did not. --T. Schelling >-- Hello there. Bobby Hull is older than my father. This is ancient in hockey playing standards, where 27 year olds are considered ``veterans'' and 30 year olds are called ``aging''. Almost all hockey players are Canadians less than 35 years old. Most are in their early 20s. All of these people did junior hockey in Canada which is more organised than football in the US. As kids these people were *forced to wear helmets*. This is the ruling. If the NHL forced people to wear helmets, they would wear them but lots of people would mind. Remember that all the people these days who are not wearing helmets chose to take them off. Hockey helmets do decrease your periferal vision, and it is the case that a player will whack a helmeted player on the head if the referee i snot looking. This sort of thing does not happen as frequently to unhelmeted players. Also, if you are ever in a fight, a good many of the more comfortable helmets turn out to be lousy protection from directed punches and can do a great deal of damage. There are helmets that do not have this problem but they are lousy helmets for performance reasons. Helmets are hot. I've seen kids pass out because they were too hot in their helmets, though never a profesional. The fact is that unhelmeted professional hockey players have chosen to live this way. They are not minors. Why are you in such a hurry to take this choice away from them? Laura Creighton (daughter of minor league hockey coach, dater of professional hockey players, most of which are younger than I am now, sigh) -- Help beautify the world. I am writing a book called *How To Write Portable C Programs*. Send me anything that you would like to find in such a book when it appears in your bookstores. Get your name mentioned in the credits. Laura Creighton sun!l5!laura (that is ell-five, not fifteen) l5!laura@lll-crg.arpa