When Macho=Stupid
February 14, 2008 by Jodie Lynn Boduch
Filed under Sports Rumors
Imagine you’re an NHL player. Now imagine that one of your peers, oh, has his carotid artery sliced open (by a skate) and loses 5 units of blood. Do you:
a. Resolve to wear a neck guard for the rest of your days on ice;
OR
b. Poo-poo neck guards because they’re “something worn by junior and amateur players, not pros.”
Remember now, answer this like a hockey player, not Joe Schmoe from the Sofa who can barely skate once around the rink without knocking over three little kids.
Yep, the correct answer is b. Despite the horrific accident Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik suffered in Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, some egomaniacs players still dismiss the notion of neck guards. Some don’t find it comfortable, others think it provides a false sense of security, and still others don’t think it would have prevented a Zednik-like injury.
Excuses, excuses. Most players won’t wear a neck guard simply because it isn’t macho. We get the importance of being a manly man in sports. But sometimes, macho and stupid are one in the same. Here’s the mathematical equation that explains it all:
Being Macho — All Semblance of Common Sense = Sheer Stupidity
And that’s when Macho=Stupid.
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These are professional athletes, who’ve been playing the sport all their lives. This was an injury that is rare. If they don’t want to wear a neck guard I would have to think that is their decision, and they are not being egomaniacs. I’ve played hockey on and off my whole life and I wouldn’t wear one either.
Egomaniacs–what, didn’t you notice the strikethrough? ;-)
Hooray for choice (of course!), but not all choices are created equal. We just think that if most players suddenly decided there was nothing un-macho about neck guards, there would be no stigma attached.
Fingers crossed that we aren’t about to cause a bench-clearing brawl here or anything . . .
Sometimes safety devices are needed. Take for example, the HANS safety device for race car drivers. It doesn’t look cool, but it prevents serious neck and head injury for a driver during a crash. It took a number of serious crashes before NASCAR mandated this. Regarding the Zednik injury, Howie Carr would say: “How many more, Mr. Speaker? How many more?”
Sadly, look at Dale Earnhardt–outspoken against a safety device that could have saved his life.
On a much lighter note . . . way to go, Bee! NICE Boston pop culture reference!!
Hi Jodie,
Have you ever played hockey? Are you like the “Joe Schmoe” who cannot get off the sofa? I bet you are. I’ve been playing hockey for 30 years and never had a close call like this–ever! Additionally, I’ve never seen it happen to anyone–but like you, I’ve read about it. The bottom line is that injuries like the won by Zednik are extremely rare at any level of hockey, for the NHL I read that the rate was two injuries in about 19 yrs. In fact, a throat guard is more to protect players from swinging hockey sticks and the odd flying puck that might hit the adams apple not from a throat slashing…..Thankfully, people like you who know nothing about hockey are not the ones making the rules….In fact, it’s people like yourself who will have us all wearing helmets when we drive our cars…….if throat guards become necessary, you will begin to see players wearing them at the Pro level–just how you now see them all wearing helmets…….
I could get pretty snarky about the personal insults hurled here, but I’m not going to take the bait. This is obviously a meaningful issue to you and you’ve taken the time to express your viewpoint, and for that I am grateful.
However, I can’t help but think of the days when professional hockey players didn’t wear helmets or mouthguards, either. Sometimes freak accidents lead to wake-up calls if people are willing to take the ringer off mute. No neck guards is OK, in my view, as long as the reasoning behind it is something other than “not macho enough.”
Snarky comments?? Personal insults?? You are the one who refered to certain people as “Joe Schmoe from the Sofa who can barely skate”–now that was snarky–it may be true, but snarky. It is also snarky on your part to leap to the conclusion that “Most players won’t wear a neck guard simply because it isn’t macho” and even though you crossed out the work “egomaniacs” it was clearly designed to be read–you could have removed it, eh.
The reason hockey players in the hockey league I play in or at the Pro level don’t wear throat protection is simply because we don’t believe it is necessary. There are very few hits by elbows, sticks, pucks, and skate blades to the throat to warrant the wearing of throat protection. This is not a “macho” thing. You are correct that there were times when hockey players didn’t wear helmets. For many, many years helmets were not even worn by goalies–and this was the case right up to the mid 60’s….but, the game changed, sticks got curved blades, players began to condition themselves differently, shots got faster, harder–when I was 20 it was unthinkable that you could even play hockey effectively at 6′4′ and 230 lbs….but that is becoming very common now. The game got rougher, and eventually, goalies started wearing masks which evolved into the players wearing helmets. BTW, the helmets got better too—lighter, far better visibility, more comfortable, etc, and more players started wearing them.
You may find some players who think it is macho to not wear certain protective devices but that is not the main reason here.
Anyway, folks, the game is fine the way it is. If a future need arises for throat protection then it will evolve into that. But to call players stupid and macho, and a host of other comments is simply not a valid explanation for not wearing this protection.
Of course, now that I said, I’ve probably jinxed myself and I’ll probably go out and get my throat slashed in the game tomorrow night……..:-)
…..
Hey, this is a gossip blog, so I have a free pass to be snarky all the time. Really! :)
No sweeping generalizations were intended here—but IF a player was strongly against neck guards only because it wasn’t macho, then it would be stupid. But no way are all players painted with the same stroke—in any sport.
Doug, whatever you do, PLEASE don’t go and get your throat slashed just to prove my point, OK? ;-) Seriously, stay safe. But give someone a good hip check on my behalf.