i went to a fight and a hockey game broke out

This is a classic Rodney Dangerfield joke. But, like most jokes, it was birthed out of a truth. Fighting has always been and continues to be a big part of hockey (though it's certainly not as big a part as it used to be).

I love hockey. It's my favorite sport to watch, hands down. I love it because of the physicality. I love the toughness and the fighting. My favorite player growing up was Cam Neely. He was both talented and physical. My favorite player currently is Milan Lucic. He is also talented (not as talented as Cam) and physical (he was lacking in his toughness in the beginning of the year, but has been turning it back up lately. The Bruins (Go B's!) have always been and are still an incredibly physical team. They do not back down from a fight. And I love the fighting.

I'm not alone in my love of hockey and love of fighting in hockey. In fact, there is a web site dedicated to tracking every fight in hockey (www.hockeyfights.com). I would be lying if I claimed that I never check out that site.

But the question has become, in this new age of concussion awareness, should fighting still have a place in hockey? Polly often asks me what the point of fighting is. I tell her it's important for tone-setting, momentum-swinging and accountability (if you want to play cheap, you will pay for it). I do not want to see fighting gone from the game. But, is this selfish of me? I mean, I'm not the one facing potential brain damage. Claiming it could cause brain damage might seem extreme, but Boston University Medical School just released some findings based on the study of the brain of Bob Probert, a former NHL enforcer who died at age 45. Researchers at Boston University said Thursday that Probert had the degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

So, now, I don't know what to think. I mean, on one hand, how can you ignore the recent medical data regarding the dangers of fighting? On the other hand, I love the fighting in hockey. It's a huge reason why I watch it. But is that as barbaric as watching NASCAR for the crashes? I'm so torn.

What do you think?