Baldwin Grad on Ralph Nader, Head Hits, Fighting in the NHL

Consumer advocate and former U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader has written an open letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that condemns fighting in ice hockey.

Some have disagreed with Nader, while others—like T.J. McAloon, a native and alumnus—are on-board with the activist.

"The National Hockey League must take immediate steps to ban fighting and outlaw all blows to the head," Nader's letter reads. "Fighting in hockey can no longer be a long-debated issue pitting those who find it barbaric and unsportsmanlike and those who argue that it's an integral part of the fabric of the game. The growing mound of research on sports concussions and brain injuries has taken the fighting issue to an entirely different level. We're talking about short- and long-term damage to the brain, the very foundation of who we are as people."

McAloon, in a Feb. 8 column for Bleacher Report, writes, "If the NHL takes fighting from the sport, it will not hurt the overall product that we watch every night ... 

"Fighting is banned in a number of other hockey (organizations), like the International Ice Hockey Federation (and) NCAA Hockey, while the Ontario Hockey League has banned 'staged fights' that are set up between two players. These leagues still provide compelling action without slowing the pace of the game because of a brawl between two players."

McAloon also takes on the safety issue of fighting.

" ... Mr. Nader was right; it's time to fix the game and make it a safer environment for the league's top stars," McAloon writes. "The league is already taking steps to make the game better by banning blows to the head. They must now make the next move by banning fighting."

Writes Nader, "Science has yet to provide us with all the answers when it comes to head trauma and concussions. But we do know that concussions are a big problem, and we all intuitively know that a fist swung against a skull at a high rate of speed is not good for the brain inside that skull."

With Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby out of the game because of hits to the head (albeit not from fighting), concussions are a hot topic for hockey fans, especially Pittsburgh ones.

How do you feel? If the NHL is cracking down on hits to the head, shouldn't league officials consider a fighting ban, as well? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

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