Example research essay topic: National Hockey League Point Of View - 1,414 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the hockey games were fast-paced, exciting, and full of tension and well-coordinated offensive plays. And as I was watching these games it readily became apparent to me that the reason the players were focusing entirely on their skill was that none of them were approaching the aggressive type of playing they had during the regular NHL season. Crosschecking against the boards was rare; penalties tended to be even rarer, and throughout the entire Olympics there were no fights. The Olympics play contrasts to todays NHL, where people are frequently crosschecked and injured, penalties are frequent, and rarely do teams get through a game without at least one fight.

I feel that if the penalty for excessive violence in the National Hockey League was equal to the penalty in the International League, NHL game play would be greatly improved. Therefore I feel that the penalty for violence in the NHL should be increased to the standards held in the International League. In the International League, players caught fighting are instantly ejected from game play; after being ejected, a player is not allowed back in for the rest of the game and can sometimes be barred from multiple games as a result of one fight. Their penalties are strictly enforced; anyone caught crosschecking or pushing receives an immediate 2 minute roughing penalty and a player can also be suspended from the game if he receives two roughing penalties in one period. In contrast to this, in the NHL fights are common, averaging one a game. While the rules state that any player caught fighting after being instructed to stop receives a game misconduct, frequently all that happens to the players in a fight is a minor 2 -minute penalty for all players involved.

Also the Nhl's stance on penalties is much more lax then that in the International League, in the NHL players often shove and crosscheck others into the boards in order to stall or delay them from getting the puck. In the International League this could be considered equivalent to a fight which would lead to a player getting ejected, but in the NHL this is commonplace. The fighting in the NHL is often glorified and portrayed as something that only real manly men can do. Several websites, the most popular of which is web offer in-depth coverage of every fight in the NHL: there are statistics of every fight done, commentaries on some of the better fights, and even a blow by blow break down of the fight. Fans seem to take pride in the fights; fans now think that fighting is an essential part of the game and should be more widely accepted. When a player gets in a fight, the fight can last several minutes, and when a fight does end, any momentum that may be guiding the play before hand is lost and both teams have to start again from the beginning.

Also with the repeated penalties that are incurred, many teams are often forced to play shorthanded against another team, turning the play into either a one-sided defensive struggle or a stalemate because neither team has the manpower to continue playing. Watching a fight at the NHL is reminiscent of scenes from the movie Gladiator where two people fight in a circular ring while in the stands people yell and scream and cheer for the two people beneath to fight to the death. When one goes to a hockey game, it is easy to see why the attitude a crowd exudes during a fight is like a scene from Gladiator. Sometimes the build-up of emotion during a hockey fight can override peoples common sense and make them do actions they would not normally even consider. After the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1994, thousands of angry Vancouver fans took to the streets in a riot; thousands of dollars of damage in property was done and very few people were actually charged for the offence.

Two years ago, Marty McSorley used his stick as a weapon against Donald Brashear, giving Brashear a serious concussion him and leading to a suspension for the rest of the season. Many people thought that in the aftermath of this violence, something would be done about the rules regarding the treatment of violence in the NHL, but, instead the rules remained the same as they have always been. The question could be raised as to whether or not it is necessary for the violence to be more tightly enforced in the NHL. Critics may point out that it is just a game, that tempers will run high, and that since all players enter knowing that a fight may occur they should be allowed to act as they like. The problem with this argument is that it is not just the players who are watching the fight and acting how they feel; every action taken by a player is regarded by thousands of fans, a good portion of these fans are children. Children regularly watch NHL games and they see their sports heroes getting in fights and not being penalised.

The extreme violence in the NHL might discourage some children from playing hockey because they are afraid of getting hurt; other children might be attracted to hockey, not for the love of the game, but because they are attracted to the violence. Children watching hockey may start to think that fighting is something that is excusable if it is done in a game or among friends and may begin serious fights with their friends unaware of the consequences of their actions. Is the message being sent out from this violence that fighting is all right as long as you are rich or popular enough that the courts and police will excuse you, or that all competition must involve violence? Why should hockey be given a lack of enforcement on penalties; given all the recent tragic events revolving terrorism and bombings, is it right for North American society to be sending a message out to people that you can let off your frustrations in a bare-fisted fight?

If the rules that are enforced on the International Hockey League are not brought to the National Hockey League then it is not unreasonable to say that hockey games may be raising a generation of children who could see violence as the first and preferred method for solving their conflicts. Rhetorical Analysis In this essay the intended audience is the general public, though its points will most strongly appeal to parents of children who play hockey and the children themselves. The essay could also be read by the committee in charge of setting regulations for the NHL in the hope of persuading them to alter their current rules on penalties to International League rules in order to improve game play. The essay was written in order to have people change their way of thinking towards hockey fights; they were meant to change their opinion from one of viewing hockey fights as a glorious event to the savage brutality that the essay makes it out to be. In order to approve the ethos, or ethical appeal of this issue, the essay was written from the point of view of a concerned citizen who does not enjoy violence.

By making numerous references to the savagery of fighting, and references to Gladiator when crowds fight, it is suggested that the point of view is one of a gentle, concerned citizen who uses reason to win over their audience. This adds to the credibility and means that a reader will take note of the gentleness and insight contained within the essay. For logos appeal the benefits are listed of changing the rules from the current standard to the International standard. It is pointed out how the game play will improve, and players will focus more on the technical aspect of the game. This is a very logical and straightforward appeal to people who enjoy hockey as a game and want to see improved games. For pathos the essay points out how the children, the group people are most concerned and emotionally attached to, are affected by the violence.

The fact that the children are repeatedly exposed to this violence then could go out and play hockey thinking that violence is acceptable or justified, is a direct emotional appeal to any parents reading this essay to consider what is being said for the good of their children.

Research essay sample on National Hockey League Point Of View