I like watching people punch each other.

So the fact that journalists are calling for the end of fighting in hockey after the death of amatuer player Donald Sanderson has me a bit annoyed. Yes, it’s a shame that he went into a coma after hitting his head on the ice and never recovering, but it’s also a shame that the fishermen featured on shows like “Deadliest Catch” die all the time just so you can have butter dripping down your chin.

Life has risks. You take a greater one every day just from getting in your car than you would by fighting someone on ice skates (just don’t let that same person slide skate-first into your throat). But don’t mention that to the people at The Hockey News, who are on a self-righteous rampage to ban any and all violence in a sport that contained exactly what they’re railing against since they became a fan in the first place.

I have to imagine guys like that get completely disgusted when they accidentally flip across UFC or any of the other MMA leagues cropping up around the country. It’s a sport totally built on trying to hurt your opponent and it’s rapidly gaining in popularity. So yeah, banning fighting in the NHL would totally make hockey more popular. What other phantom speculations do you have for me?

Everyone who’s ever been to a hockey game (and if you haven’t give it a shot, it’s a sport that’s really meant to be seen live) knows, people only stand up for two things and that’s either goals or a fight. So stop trying to act like you’re too civilized to enjoy fighting and start complaining about real problems in the world that kill people, like genocide.

But hey I’m a Flyers fan so maybe I see the world through goon-colored glasses.