As expected the additional suspensions for the Michigan State Hockey team were handed down last night. Both Tropp and Conboy were suspended for the rest of the season by MSU. The CCHA agrees with the punishment and will not do anything else on this matter.Sparty Hockey coach Rick Comley: “What happened near the end of the game this weekend is not the way in which we want our hockey program represented. We cannot condone their actions. We felt that we had to send a strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated. However, one thing needs to be clear — this was an incident that was an emotional, split-second action, for which these players are being punished. I don’t want this to be portrayed that this was anything premeditated or that any single player was targeted.”
As you might expect the local news and Michigan blogosphere has some things to say about this incident and turn of events. Brian at MGoBlog says it is not enough because Sparty's season is essentially over anyway. Jason at MichiganHockeyNet is pleased with the decision. Packer at the Blog that Yost Built is OK with it based on the fact that Kampfer was not seriously hurt. This thing is even getting national media attention as both the NY Times and ESPN have picked up the story.
Here is my opinion: I believe that what happened on Saturday night was an emotional/frustrated outburst from a couple of undisciplined hockey players. But the fact still remains it was an assault with a weapon and needs to be looked at and resolved within the legal system. The self imposed season long suspension is appropriate given the fact that Kampfer was not seriously injured. The CCHA has a problem on its hands right now, as I believe we will see a wild-assed display of hockey justice the next time Tropp and/or Conboy skate against Michigan. Strap yourselves in, it may be a bumpy ride.
* Talentless Hockey University Goon Squad
Edit: The Free Press is reporting Andrew Conboy dropped out of school. I think it safe to assume we won't see this hack in the CCHA ever again. The News is now reporting that both players are no longer with the MSU program, which seems like their suspensions are like... forever. If this is the case I would consider the issue between the two program closed and future anarchy is put on hold. I still think the Washtenaw County DA may have more to say.
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Getting the legal system involved would be going way too far. Especially since it would then be argued anytime someone in football crushed someone with their helmet they could claim it as a weapon. Or in baseball a pitcher beaning a batter could also be strued as a weapon. If this were a matter of the player attacking someone outside of the playing field like a spectator or arena worker then I can see it as being assault but when it is between players there is an understanding that you may be injured. That doesn't condone the infraction and I still agree with the popular sentiment that they should be expelled from the CCHA but that is not for us to decide. If this escalated into a legal battle it would be terrible for all sports in general and mostly for hockey since hockey has been on thin ice so to say for a few years in the states.
I plan on being at the game next year for sure. I love chaos.
I tried to find out when the first game against MSU would be next year but could not find it on the CCHA website or on MGoBlue. I hope the first time they play is at Yost. Even if it is not, when they do play at Yost the students are not going to forget. It should be very interesting. I would bet that the MSU coach will scratch these two for that game. We will have to see.
Hamm I agree it is a slippery slope, but there is already a precident for this. The NHL has had two cases of "assault" (Marty McSorley and Todd Beruzzi. Granted both cases were made in Canada, but it is still a thing for the DA to consider.
I also remember a college baseball case (involving a Wichita State pitcher) in which a pitcher warming up threw at an on-deck hitter. This case was settled before the jury could decide.
The clubbing assault that Tropp delivered was entirely outside the context of the game.
Hockey is in a terrible state right now as far as support in this country. There are literally no NHL games on tv anymore when years ago I used to watch them all the time. I remember watching Gretzky break all those records and they were on ESPN about 3 nights a week. With the country's current move towards less violence (how is this possible if you watch any of the shows on tv nowadays?) hockey has been pushed aside as a game of thugs and hooligans. If this turned into a legal issue it would bring hockey once again to the center stage as a violent senseless sport. I think it's one of the greatest professional sports we have much better than basketball and baseball and almost on par with football. I don't want to see the game shoved into the toilet anymore than it already has.
The first game at MI next year against FYS will definitely not be a "bring the family" game.
I guess living in the Detroit area I do not realize how much hockey is not as prevalent in other areas around the country. I can see every Red Wing game and many games on Canadian television so it seems like it is still very well represented. I agree with Andy, however, that this incident was way beyond what is normal in a hockey game and the penalties given out are maybe not enough.
But Hamm don't you agree that putting this into the legal system would send a message to the world that this type of "thuggery" can not be tollerated and is outside the scope of the game ?
I think that by sweeping it under the rug and letting Sparty impose their own punishment is telling the world this stuff has a place in the game.
He took his stick (his weapon) and purposely swung it at another players head while that player was knocked out on the ice. There is a clear video of him doing it. In my mind there needs to be something more done on the legal end.
I don't see it as sending a message that this is ok. What sends that message is their mediocre suspension of the rest of the season. What is that like 8 games? At least in the NHL when these things happen the players get not only suspensions (which are usually quite substantial as their season is much longer) but they get huge monetary fines as well. Maybe something like that should be implemented here where FYS has to give a substantial monetary donation to either the University itself (doubtful) or the CCHA (also probably doubtful) or a youth hockey organization in the area. I would love to see Universities start to take monetary responsibility for their players. Just because the players are not allowed to earn any money doesn't mean that they aren't "making" money for their University. This goes for all sports and I would love to see it come about.
BAH,
I'm totally jealous and wish I could be at the next UM MSU game, but I respectfully disagree with hockey's demise being influenced by its incorporation violence.
I feel that Pro football is the most popular sport in America partly because of its manly image associated with it's trainwreck hits and glorified violence. The fans love the violence and I love it in hockey, in the context of the game (including the fair fighting). No other sport has that niche for it where players can break out in brawls and then the game can non-chalantly resume after a winner is decided. The great majority of fans love the fighting in the pro hockey game.
Hockey is suffering because it is a cold weather sport, because of the recent lockout, because of its good guy lack of personality and fire image, and because it is so expensive to play thus limiting the number of young potential fans it can reach.
Americans are becoming a warm weather culture that enjoys the fair temperatures all year round as it allows them to find more things to do in the now, always... thus contributing to the nation's overall general decline in patience as the good weather allows one to get what one wants that much quicker. We are becoming a fast paced, now based culture where not much is worth waiting a long time for, good weather, and sports out of place (temp wise) included.
Just look at it this way... the best fan bases for football are in the north for the pro game (worse weather and thus less options of things to be doing otherwise, Dallas is a notable expection) and in more rural or northern locales for the college game (there's nothing to do in the south save in ATL, NO, and NASH). The lack of things to do in harsher climates (GB), and all year pleasant weather in spots like L.A., Miami and Houston demonstrate the vice that creates the severe gap between fan loyalty. Houston is the fourth largest US market and it couldn't even keep a pro team despite being in the most football obsessed state. Miami is notorious for it's horrible fan base in all sports, and L.A. hasn't been able to get a pro team in over a decade despite being the nation's second largest market. USC, like Miami is one of the most bandwagon schools in America. At both places you can find nearly 40,000 missing for conference home games. I believe there is more patience in the people in harsher climates who have accepted an adapted to the fact that there are less options of activities to enjoy... thus leading to the markets with more people, and less to choose from to generally come to the same conclusion more often, thus leading to their more enthusiastic fan bases. In all sports, hockey even more so, patience and fortitude are required from the fan base in order for the sport to excel. That is why it is suffering so drastically in the south (which they never should've gotten into when there are cities like Seattle that open for expansion) and it's lack of exposure and show value can be considered root causes of its slow decline in the northern states.
Show value is a big one... look at the farce that NBA games have become with the stupid announcers who are turning the game into an AND1 event where fans need to be told when to get loud, clap, and what they are seeing and how incredible it is.
Pro basketball can be considered somewhat of an exception to the climate rule based on its national image as the sport of tatted out thugs, thus leading to its popularity in more southern, big city climates, whose culture is more permeated by fans who idolize that type of behavior and image. The NBA is the game of thugs and hooligans and that is why it is enjoying a resurgence.
You're always hearing about NFL players getting arrested and staying in the news. Hockey players are on a whole the most well behaved, well grounded, well to do citizens of any pro sport (its full of Canadians, many of whom after becoming top draft picks live in the basement of some coaches friend for a few years so as to slowly acclimate to life away from home... NFL and BBALL players are like PACMAN) and perhaps that family man image is the reason it suffers. NFL and NBA players get arrested for cocaine, and guns, hockey players still wear turtlenecks and have mullets. Two sports represent the glorified direction that our nation seems to be glued to and in some ways headed, and one sport seems headed for the way of the family man, into suburbia until it vanishes from sight.
Andy,
Nice job on the precedent thing.
I thought mayhem was the point of hockey. Something white thugs can play and be good at. Isn't it a kind of a midnight basketball program for French Canadians and second-generation Eastern European kids?
I learn a lot from this community.
The NHL shot itself in the foot when it decided to go on strike for a whole season. It was during that time that they lost the contract with ESPN and they also lost alot of fans who realized there are other things to watch besides hockey. After the strike, the NHL could only get a deal with Outdoor Life Network (now Versus) and a handful of weekends on NBC. It's really a shame too because I think there is more going on than basketball.
At this moment we are at 99990 visitors. We 10 more visitors until we get past the 100K mark !! Wooo Hoooo....
The Detroit Free Press reported today that one of the MSU players has dropped out of school.
The player that dropped out cited "a lack of family values in the MSU Hockey program." He is transferring to THE Ohio State University. Rumor has it that he will be rooming with a former Michigan football player.
GBBob: Thanks for the tip. I have added that to the bottom of the post. Nice to see Conboy gone. He is a no-talent thug.
He is more of a loser than I thought.
Andy and T9,
Congrats on reaching 100,000 visits. I have to admit that I have been logging in and out for the last few minutes trying to be number 100,000 but I just missed it. I was 99,999 and by the time I could try again was 100,002. I guess I will have to wait now to try to be number 1,000,000. Whets was probably number 100,000 and did not realize it. Oh well, I am sure I will be contributing to the growing numbers in the future. I have to check out Spawn at least three or four times a day to see what is going on.
GoBlueBob,
That would be T9 and Andy, not "Andy and T9" why? Ladies first. We were taught manners in that MAC University in the 616 (now 269.)
However you want to say it...both T9 and Andy need all of the Spawn Nation to "bow down" in The Spirit of Yost, blessed be his name.
I'm just saying...
on a hockey related note...Rick Nash beat the Wings 3-2 tonight
O_G,
It was a good performance by Nash and the (Maise &) Blue Jackets are in the hunt for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It will be interesting to see if they make it and do well. I am thinking that the Red Wings will win it all again this year but we will have to see.
Cleveland needs to get off their ass and get a NHL team. I can't get into the Blue Jackets as I despise most things Columbus. I have enjoyed going to some of Cleveland's minor league hockey games over the years but there's never more than 5k people there. Back when I watched hockey religiously my parents got me season tickets to the Cleveland Lumberjacks when they used to play at the Colliseum (owned by Michael Jordan) that were 2 rows back from the glass. It was fantastic.
We have an AHL team coming to the Austin area next year. I am very excited.
616,
You are right, I should know better and have better manners but I just did this alphabetically (sounds good, eh). Actually, as T9's blog name implies, I am declaring gender equity so it should not matter who is first. Either way, as you mentioned they both deserve kudos for keeping the traditions stared by Yost going and providing a place for all of us to talk about our passion for all things Michigan.
GoBlueBob,
you rock.
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