Is Bertuzzi's sentence strong enough?

[79Blazer]

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: Stefan

He is not a murderer. He was frustrated and hit the guy. He may have wanted to hurt the guy, but he didn't intend to knock him unconscious or have him break his neck when he fell. It is just a horrible result and he is getting pussished for his mistake. IMO, the incident with McSoreley was much worse. (however you spell his name )

bs.
It was a viscious pre-meditated attack designed with the sole purpose of seriously injuring him.
He should be incarcerated.
Body-checking is part of the game. Skating up behind someone, hitting them in the back of the head, and slamming their face into the ground is NOT.

I can't believe he had the nerve to say he didn't mean to hurt him. WTF else did he mean to do??

He was trying to show some love and give him a hug, DUH!

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: fermium

Originally posted by: Stefan
Well, I've seen the replay many times and I saw his press conference this morning. He seems very sorry for what he did. He broke down into tears.

I think that the penalty is fair. They are making an example of him and IMHO, it's about time. It is unfortunate that such a high calibre player did this, but this stuff ruins the game and needs to be dealt with harshly.

I am all for letting the players have the ice to settle their differences. It is a self regulating game. That is what hockey is about, and that is what makes it such a good sport. It is the respect players have for the game and for others playing the game. You do something stupid and you will get what is comming for you. Something like this goes beyond having respect for other players on the ice and as such should be dealt with by the league officials.

I'd be pretty damn sorry, and breaking down into tears too, if I lost half my pay for the year.

I'd be bawling if I just found out I was losing 600k as well. Had not thought of that angle

 

[Balt]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy

Originally posted by: Balt

Originally posted by: edro13

Originally posted by: TheBoyBlunder

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
Didn't deserve the sentence. Maybe a 3 game suspension and a smaller fine. This is BS.

Three games for fracturing a guy's neck, threatening his career, and initially his life. Yeah, that's a real fair sentence.

Yeah, he was trying to to kill him...

How many times have you punched a guy in the back of the head with hockey gloves, while he's whering a helmet, trying to kill him? He wanted to punch him, not slam his face into the ice and break his neck. He didn't mean to do that much damage...

So by that logic, if someone is driving drunk and runs over a pedestrian, we should only charge him with a DUI because he didn't mean to kill anyone?

Regardless of what he intended, he's still the only person responsible for breaking Moore's neck, and he has to be held accountable for it.

Retarded.

You = pwned.

Have a nice day.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Originally posted by: edro13

Originally posted by: TheBoyBlunder

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
Didn't deserve the sentence. Maybe a 3 game suspension and a smaller fine. This is BS.

Three games for fracturing a guy's neck, threatening his career, and initially his life. Yeah, that's a real fair sentence.

Yeah, he was trying to to kill him...

How many times have you punched a guy in the back of the head with hockey gloves, while he's whering a helmet, trying to kill him? He wanted to punch him, not slam his face into the ice and break his neck. He didn't mean to do that much damage...

I never said Bertuzzi wanted to put him in the hospital (see my first post in the thread), even if it may have sounded like it in my second post. I just think that this is the most idiotic thing anyone's done in the NHL this year (well, Marty Havlat smashing Mark Recchi's face with his stick was pretty stupid) and it deserves a suitable punishment, far more than a lousy three games. In this case, I think justice (at least from the NHL) has been carried out. If they suspend him for the 2004-2005 season (assuming there is one), that's going overboard. I think missing the playoffs will be punishment enough for Bertuzzi.

 

[Viperoni]

The attack was premeditated, BTW.
I think the sentence was a bit on the short side, he could have gotten a bigger fine at least.

The NHL really needs to do something with regards to the dirt in the game. ASAP.

 

[SunnyD]

No. If you intentionally injure another competitor in any sport... well, other than the pugilistic sports where physical harm is the name of the game... you should be out. Gone for good. You should be charged with whatever crime it would be outside the sporting event. No matter how many times you apologize and say it was a sport, if you put someone in a hospital in the name of the game, you shouldn't be playing the game.

 

[Cuda1447]

So if in the NFL a linebacker launches over someone and nails the QB in the helmet, giving him a concussion or some other nasty injury, should he be prosecuted?


Granted, its not the same thing as what Bertuzzi did, and I'm by no means trying to justify what Bertuzzi did, but fighting is part of hockey. It always has been, its something we like from time to time. Bertuzzi was trying to get a good shot in and start a fight, not paralyze the guy or kill him or whatever else you guys are thinking. Things got a bit to serious a bit to quick. He had no intentions of injuring the guy to that degree. He wanted to rough him up, give him a black eye and make him sore. Make him pay more or less. Not to end his career. The punishment for Bertuzzi is fitting. Unfortunate all around what happened. Hopefully both sides will recover from this.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
So if in the NFL a linebacker launches over someone and nails the QB in the helmet, giving him a concussion or some other nasty injury, should he be prosecuted?


Granted, its not the same thing as what Bertuzzi did, and I'm by no means trying to justify what Bertuzzi did, but fighting is part of hockey. It always has been, its something we like from time to time. Bertuzzi was trying to get a good shot in and start a fight, not paralyze the guy or kill him or whatever else you guys are thinking. Things got a bit to serious a bit to quick. He had no intentions of injuring the guy to that degree. He wanted to rough him up, give him a black eye and make him sore. Make him pay more or less. Not to end his career. The punishment for Bertuzzi is fitting. Unfortunate all around what happened. Hopefully both sides will recover from this.

You are right about one thing. It's not the same thing. It isn't even close to the same thing.
A linebacker is supposed to tackle the QB. That is part of the game and everyone knows it.
If a hockey player had broken someone's neck by body checking them while going after the puck, nobody would be suggesting he should be punished because body checking is allowed and it is part of the game.

If a linebacker came up behind a quarterback 10 seconds after he had thrown the ball away, punched him in the back of the head, forced his face into the ground and sat on top of him, then yes, he should be charged with a crime.

This was also not the same thing as when there is pushing and shoving during gameplay, emotions get heated, and a fight breaks out. That is normal for hockey and is a natural part of a game that involves so much aggression.

This incident was far far different. It had absolutely nothing to do with the game play. As I said, it was a premeditated attack on a person with the sole intent of injuring him. As such, he should not only be banned from the sport, but should face criminal prosecution for assault at the least.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: fermium

Originally posted by: Stefan
Well, I've seen the replay many times and I saw his press conference this morning. He seems very sorry for what he did. He broke down into tears.

I think that the penalty is fair. They are making an example of him and IMHO, it's about time. It is unfortunate that such a high calibre player did this, but this stuff ruins the game and needs to be dealt with harshly.

I am all for letting the players have the ice to settle their differences. It is a self regulating game. That is what hockey is about, and that is what makes it such a good sport. It is the respect players have for the game and for others playing the game. You do something stupid and you will get what is comming for you. Something like this goes beyond having respect for other players on the ice and as such should be dealt with by the league officials.

I'd be pretty damn sorry, and breaking down into tears too, if I lost half my pay for the year.

I'd be bawling if I just found out I was losing 600k as well. Had not thought of that angle

Bertuzzi issued his teary apology BEFORE the league's decision was announced... so he didn't know how long he would be suspended when he had that news conference...