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Joined February 2015
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I am a born sports addict who religiously watches whatever is on the box! I'm especially into my tennis, cricket, football, F1, UFC and the occasional surfing too! I'm a freelance bl
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Let's be honest, some of the pool matches at the Cricket World Cup aren't the most competitive. You can be watching the world's greatest…
In 1985 Boris Becker, an unseeded 17-year-old, served his way to the Wimbledon title, beating eighth seed Kevin Curren in the final. The charismatic…
Definitely, the slowing down of the courts is a huge factor! I know a lot of fans don’t like the change, especially the Wimbledon lovers as it has taken away the serve and volley style. However I’m a big fan for change as I see it as a progression; it requires so much more than just one big weapon to win a grand slam nowadays.
I would agree too that Dimitrov struggled a little at the start; he had so much hype and pressure on him being dubbed the second Federer but I think he looks more settled and comfortable in his play now. Most importantly he’s gotten over the physical hump needed to make the transition from juniors to seniors. This is a hump Borna Coric will need to make to become a dominant force. I’ll be keeping a watchful eye out for him as I haven’t seen him play!
The future of tennis lies in the physical battle
Yeah I agree, I think this trend can be seen in a lot of sports. Rugby has also grown physically, you don’t see nearly as many overweight forwards that jog around just adding weight to rooks and scrums, they are now absolutely massive but fit at the same time. In terms of tennis, I think Nadal raised the standard of fitness and Federer was able to compete due to the sheer talent he possesses. He takes a lot of balls on the rise which allows him to conserve energy and allows him to still compete at the very top.
The future of tennis lies in the physical battle
Really enjoyed your article Andrew!
I have to be the one that disagrees however. I go to college in America and am in my fourth year there. Hockey is my favourite American game by far because of how fast paced the game is and the fact that it is ongoing other than the breaks between periods.
Although what happened to Boogaard is clearly very tragic he would have known the risks that he was taking when he stepped out on to the ice. It is similar to motorsports in that there is an element of danger to the athlete but they chose to take the risk for the sport they love, not to mention the lifestyle rewards of being a professional athlete.
I firmly believe fighting is a part of Ice Hockey; it adds to the spectacle and is part of the sports history. It also stands as one of the only sports that is not completely dictated by political correctness which is a welcome relief in a world where sports and politics mix far too often. However that is another matter.
With regards to fighting, I believe checking can equally be as detrimental to the athletes mental health. Maybe not if you compare it to consistent fighting such as that seen by Boogaard, however this style of enforcer is rarely seen in the NHL anymore.
Cross checking and shoulder checking an opponent into the hard barriers and then onto the even harder ice below is inevitably going to end up in some sort of pain. Very often concussions occur and head injuries ensue; it is not uncommon for example to see a hockey player missing most of his front teeth.
A hockey player can expect to be checked continuously throughout the match. The better the player, the harder the checks to try and discomfort them. In contrast there are rarely multiple fights a game in the NHL. Teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks are changing the game to where an enforcer is detrimental to the success of a team because it takes away a skilled player.
The Blackhawks have consistently been the best team over the last couple of years not because they have a big enforcer but because of the skill of their players, such as Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews and Patrick Sharp. Obviously there are still heavier, bigger, stronger players that provide muscle, but the role is not filled in the same way it used to be.
There is also the factor of the playoffs which take up the majority of the season and in which fighting is very rarely allowed. Referees stop fights and crack down on illegal checks in order to safeguard the best players. If they didn’t teams would target the best players and the Stanley Cup Playoffs would not be the spectacle it is.
Because of the history and the entertainment of fighting within Ice Hockey combined with the overseen nature of the fights I definitely don’t think it should be banned.
As for the lower leagues, I have to admit that I don’t know much about them. I rarely watch them and I don’t know the rules on fighting. But it does seem that the people who fight in those leagues do it to fight and that if it were banned they would only find another way to release their aggression.
With regards to kids playing the sport, I cannot find a legitimate reason for them to be allowed to fight. I again, don’t know how it works as I did not grow up with the sport, however, I can’t believe they are allowed to fight at least not until they reach a certain age of maturity.
Lastly, going back to Boogaard he may have known the risks he was taking but there must certainly have been a point in which his actions were not within his control. I don’t believe it is out of the question at this point for the team to take greater responsibility for their players and to recognize the mental stability or lack of in the case of Boogaard.
All players go through physical tests, however mental health seems to be irrelevant when it comes to our professional athletes. If teams were held more accountable for the emotional side effects they put their employees through we could quite possibly see the end to these sorts of tragic accounts not only in Ice Hockey but in many other sports as well.
Boogaard's sad death shows why the NHL must ban fighting