Act Quickly!

About two months ago I dived into a conversation with The Venerable Off Wing Opinion about why the NBA is quick to remove video files of NBA brawls from websites such as You Tube. The VOWO suggested that the NBA does want those videos being spread around because they could be used to hold the league and its players in a bad light. I agreed with his assessment and of course asked why the NHL shouldn't feel the same way? I got bunch of gobbledygook in response.

One month ago I continued my tradition of posting fight videos from other sports and rhetorically asking "Where are the boos? Why are these leagues going after players who are doing things that are making the fans cheer? The fans love this, don't discipline these players." This of course is in response to our Ultimate Fighting On Ice (UFOI) fans who constantly point out how hockey fans go nuts when the fights begin and for that reason alone, fighting should remain in the game.

Well, I'm sure most of you have heard by now about the dust up between Jason Ellison and Joe Blanton after Ichiro Suzuki was shoved by Blanton. I finally found a video clip on You Tube yesterday of the incident but I did not have time to post it over here.

Well today the clip is gone because according to You Tube "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by MLB Advanced Media" As a matter of fact, the Derek Lee-Chris Young fight is also gone from You Tube. So now add MLB to the list of professional sports leagues who think that video clips of their athletes fighting on the field of play is a bad idea.

The evidence is becoming overwhelming, despite the roar of approval from the fans in the stands, sports fans do not want to see fighting when they are attending a sport that is, well... not boxing or Ultimate Fighting. If this were not the case, the NHL would have a national broadcast TV contract in the United States that pays for the rights upfront and the NBA and MLB would be relegated to networks trying to build a profile for itself.

And if you want a laugh, check out the VOFO tut-tutting over color commentary about the Tony Kannan - Sam Hornish, Sr. brouhaha. When you sleep with dogs my friend, don't be surprised you wake up with fleas.