Wannabe Apprecation Station of Badassery and Ass-Kicking and Chewing and Large Pizzas with Extra Testosteroni.

[#44wannabe 4]

Ok... just to clear one thing up with regards to douchebags in Beer league.. they will always be there and they may not necessarily hide behind their cage. A lot of the time they will hide behind the fact that they think because its just beer you wont bother hitting them. Biggest douche i play pick up with wear a visor. In beer league everyone plays for fun, why increase your risk of ruining your fun by getting hit in the face by a puck? But if you feel you would play a different game in beer league without a cage then you DEFINITELY need to tone it down. Beer league is for FUN, not necessarily to run around like a 7 year old on speed.

However, in relation to the scenario of my rant i play in a competitive league where we play teams from all the south of the UK and where a hell of a lot guys get PAID to play. Fighting is also an accepted and tolerated part of the game in the league. Face cages are mandatory for players aged under 18 and once over 18 the IIHF ruling on visors is applied. I have NO ISSUE with guys playing hard and within the rules. What i was pissed off with was that this guy/kid was playing seriously dirty when he knew the refs back was turned, but would not back his dirty play up beyond saying 'come on then, hit me' which is probably i ranted about face cages so much as he was wearing one.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Not sure if this was touched, but what bothers me with caged guys is stickwork. I think that's where the invincibility feeling comes in, because guys who wear visors/nothing tend to be a bit more careful with their sticks. At least once a game in beer league I have to tell a caged guy to keep his stick down.

[mgoblue 0]

I think that's where the invincibility feeling comes in, because guys who wear visors/nothing tend to be a bit more careful with their sticks.

Exactly.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

I mean, I'm seriously not trying to throw any caged guys under the bus (because I think it's idiotic to go none especially when you're not getting paid to play) but chances are your caged players are guys who either never played in a situation where they had a protection choice, started out as an adult, or simply chose to wear it because they know the risks.

Regardless, there is that aura of invincibility when it comes to cages and sticks because it was an element of the game that they never had to learn to deal with (getting hit with a high stick) Hell, you even see it in NCAA.

[noodle3872 40]

Talking about cage/visor wearers being terrible with their sticks and cheap shot artists seems so stereotypical but in my experiences in league and shinny hockey it's generally the case. I can think of one guy in town that plays with a Jofa helmet and visor that comes to his chin slough footing everybody that goes into the corner with him. He's also the master of the crosscheck to the lower back in the front of the net. When he's told to tone it down he comes back with shit talk. The worst thing is he's a good player but the intangables make teams avoid him.

[chippa13 1844]

I mean, I'm seriously not trying to throw any caged guys under the bus (because I think it's idiotic to go none especially when you're not getting paid to play) but chances are your caged players are guys who either never played in a situation where they had a protection choice, started out as an adult, or simply chose to wear it because they know the risks.

Regardless, there is that aura of invincibility when it comes to cages and sticks because it was an element of the game that they never had to learn to deal with (getting hit with a high stick) . Hell, you even see it in NCAA.

There was scuttlebutt back about 15 years ago when stickwork and crosschecks around the head started getting really bad in the NHL that they might want to consider taking the cages off in NCAA hockey. Guys were coming out and completely careless with their sticks because they were so used to the protection that they had in college.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

It's all relative -

Cageless guy tell Tweety to keep the sticks down

Tweety comes at you and chirps at Cageless guy

Cageless guy chirps back at Tweety about wearing a cage

Now there's a fight

See what i mean?

I mean, I'm seriously not trying to throw any caged guys under the bus (because I think it's idiotic to go none especially when you're not getting paid to play) but chances are your caged players are guys who either never played in a situation where they had a protection choice, started out as an adult, or simply chose to wear it because they know the risks.

Regardless, there is that aura of invincibility when it comes to cages and sticks because it was an element of the game that they never had to learn to deal with (getting hit with a high stick) . Hell, you even see it in NCAA.

There was scuttlebutt back about 15 years ago when stickwork and crosschecks around the head started getting really bad in the NHL that they might want to consider taking the cages off in NCAA hockey. Guys were coming out and completely careless with their sticks because they were so used to the protection that they had in college.

Exactly right, I remember that. Finishing checks several strides after the puck's gone and hitting high and hard are staples of NCAA hockey, doesn't translate well to NHL

[Jason Harris 31]

I mean, I'm seriously not trying to throw any caged guys under the bus (because I think it's idiotic to go none especially when you're not getting paid to play) but chances are your caged players are guys who either never played in a situation where they had a protection choice, started out as an adult, or simply chose to wear it because they know the risks.

Regardless, there is that aura of invincibility when it comes to cages and sticks. Hell, you even see it in NCAA.

If you're talking about playing dirty or talkin' smack, I agree about the "aura of invincibility."

However, after reading a few of these threads over the past couple of years, the issue is more a lack of awareness, since we haven't been put into the position of nearly getting hit in the face by a stick. For instance, I'd never thought twice about pulling my stick up over my head as I tried to needle my way through two players on a direction change. Since I had never been hurt with a stick to the face, it never occurred to me that I might be coming perilously close to someone else's face. I never hit anyone, but I now can see how this could be a scary sight to them.

Still, we've had these discussions before, and, as much as I'd be bothered by guys with cages swelling up in their chest, I'm equally bothered by the overreaction of guys without cages. Too often, it's "Hit first. Ask questions later." It might have been a clean play, but they become so stunned by being hit in the nose, they immediately want to throw punches to get even. It happened to me with a friend during pickup. We both arrived to the puck at the same time, but his head was down so he didn't quite see me. I tried to wrap him up to soften the impact, but as I leaned forward to do so, my helmet and his nose collided. His immediate reaction was, "Jesus....Jason!!!" Fortunately, his buddy told him it was an accident, because he was definitely angry at me. I'm positive his reaction would have been far more muted if it had only been cages that collided.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Yeah, actually I had edited my post a little bit ago to reflect that.

[Chadd 916]

The whole respect thing in hockey can be so childish at times. Can we all just shut the fuck up and play this GAME for FUN? Just because someone talks shit to you doesn't mean you have to go and lay his ass out to prove a point, you're becoming just as big of a douche bag who initiated it in the first place.

I agree entirely, but I can only put up with so many hits from behind, spears and other cheap shots before I lose what little self control I have. I'm not bragging, not proud, but a little embarrassed to admit it. The only way those guys ever understand that their actions have ramifications is when something happens to them. I've done it no more than two or three times in my life and hope that it never has to happen again.

[roller to ice 0]

i wear a cage simply b/c i have a history of face problems and broke my face once and know how much it sucks to not know if i am going to need to get surgery to my eye or not for a month and i play as hard as possible without being a dirty ahole whether it be roller ice beer league or open hockey and i am sick of people having this stereotype of just b/c i wear a cage i am either a giant wuss or am dirty i am neither and think this must stereotype must be stopped i just want protection

[mgoblue 0]

I'll echo the sentiment that I take no issue with guys wearing cages, but in doing so, they forfeit all their rights to talk smack on the ice to a cageless player.

That's all I'm saying.

[eric42434224 1]

So only non-cage wearers can talk smack to anyone, and caged players and goalies can only talk smack to other caged players? That is just kind of silly. I just had a mental image of someone signing up for USA Hockey Adult League hockey, and the guy asks him for his USAH registration.....and oh yeah....will you be wearing a cage?....here, please sign this document forfeiting your rights to talk smack to all non-cage wearing players. LOL :)

[mgoblue 0]

So only non-cage wearers can talk smack to anyone, and caged players and goalies can only talk smack to other caged players?

Goalies notwithstanding, yes.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I'll echo the sentiment that I take no issue with guys wearing cages, but in doing so, they forfeit all their rights to talk smack on the ice to a cageless player.

That's all I'm saying.

That may have been a direct quote from the "great big book of hockey stupidity"

[mgoblue 0]

Alltalknosubstance

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Alltalknosubstance

I see what you did there. Very very clever.

How is me saying that it's stupid for you to assess who can do what and when in a hockey game, based on your own set of guidelines?

Are you the arbitrator of smack talk in your league? How did you get that position, are there certain exams you have to take?

Talking about no substance, you should read some of your own posts

[eddyo57 0]

i want to know what having a cage in juniors has to do with anything.... we have a team rule that you have to wear one. the point of juniors is to try and make it to college (for the most part) and at every college level you have to rock the full cage. so whats the point of gettin used to playin with a halfer just to go back to the big ol' JOFA when college comes around???

guy must have serious problems

[eric42434224 1]

Maybe....just maybe....there is a side to this story that I havent taken into consideration. The above statement about cage wearers, if about hockey in general, is in fact just silly. But, perhaps in a specific league or level of play (one that I have no personal experience in) it may have some miniscule merit. If you play in a league that has a fight or four every game, and it is a commonly held maxim that anyone who trash talks will certainly escalate it to bare knuckle brawling....then maybe the cage statement holds water in a kind of thuggish, meat-headed, code of honor kind of way. But in general, and certainly in amateur adult leagues the statement is indeed kind of stupid. No offense.

[mgoblue 0]

Alltalknosubstance

I see what you did there. Very very clever.

How is me saying that it's stupid for you to assess who can do what and when in a hockey game, based on your own set of guidelines?

Are you the arbitrator of smack talk in your league? How did you get that position, are there certain exams you have to take?

Talking about no substance, you should read some of your own posts

i) Thanks. Your retort was well-formulated as well

ii) How is it... what? That didn't make any sense.

iii) Did I say that I make the rules, or did I merely state them?

iv) All my claims have been substantiated with my reasoning. You, baselessly, called my reasoning foolish. Hence, "all talk no substance."

Welcome to a logical argument.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

All talk locked topic