But again the reason sports don’t want it to escalate is because that’s not what the viewers want to see. Even in hockey, where many of the fans still love fighting, they got rid of the bench clearing brawls, because they were boring and stopped the game cold for 10 minutes. If the fans wanted it, and they felt it would result in star players getting injured and not playing, all the sports would allow fighting.
Not true again. For one thing just look at how often after a play where no flag was thrown the players players complain they were held, clearly they DON’T think the player is likely to be held accountable. And as for circumventing the rule, they kind of all do that. How often do we hear holding could be called on every play? So we know that both team are holding, circumventing the rule, the question is are they doing it in a way that should/ does draw the flag.
Because that component only exists in your head. Out here in reality escalation really is only an issue when it grinds the game to a halt.
Not completely valid.
The whole concussion monitoring movement in the NFL -- along with safety rules like "targeting" -- has impacted other professional sports as well.
You've had even some NHL players outright attacked -- and have lost their careers.
And it's not just the injuries itself.
The insurance industry has come alongside teams and said unless you want your rates to go up, we suggest you place certain safety measures in the very rules of the sport. That has been a secondary incentive for leagues to change some of these rules.