Violence in Sport; Very Evident in Flyers/Penguins Playoff Series

This years Stanley Cup Playoffs Series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins has been more like a boxing match than a hockey series. The series has included 182 penalty minutes, and 5 fighting majors. The two teams were rivals coming in, so it is no surprise there would be a few cheap shots, but no one could have predicted the amount of fighting the series has exhibited. The Penguins came into the series as prohibited favorites, but the series has not gone that way at all. The Flyers have a commanding 3-0 series lead, and are not just winning games, they are destroying the Penguins. After the malee that broke out in game 3, the Penguins now have a few players who have recieved suspensions from the NHL.


The article explains how the Flyers are in total control of the series. It also explains how this is one of the most entertaining series in the playoffs this season. Through 3 games the two teams have scored a ridicuolous 32 goals. Most of the entertainment is not from the scoring though, it is from all the fights. The article states, "In short, it has been an absolute thrill-ride for fans of high scoring, venomous and snarl-filled hockey."
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1146363-nhl-playoffs-penguins-vs-flyers-is-a-lesson-in-attractive-chaos

We discussed deviance in sport in class on 4/3 and 4/5. Some research that was done that we talked about in class said that fighting and violence are less common in sports today than they were in the past. Clearly that statistic does not ring true to this series, as there has been an unbelievable amount of fighting. We also discussed bounty hunting, now I wouldn't go as far as to say these players have been given orders by coaches to go after players, but it's clear these teams are intentionally going after each other on multiple occassions throughout the games. Coakley discusses on the field violence on page 198, and discusses the different types of violence. He discusses "boarderline violence," and "Quasi-criminal violence." He defines borderline violence as practices that violate the rules of the game but are accepted by coaches and players. This kind of violence is the many fights and penalties that are discussed in the article. Coakley defines Quasi-criminal violence as practices that violate the formal rules and even informal norms. Thes types of acts would be the cheap shots or hits that warrant suspensions that were handed down to Penguins players, James Neal and Aaron Asham.