IT'S THE FANS THAT SHOULD BE PUNISHED

Professional ice hockey is a fast and furious game played by some really tough guys that generates a lot of fan excitement. As with other sports, fans can get carried away at games when supporting their home team. When they’ve had a few too many beers they tend to become absolutely boorish.

Years ago, before there was a glass barrier between the player benches and the stands, it was not uncommon for a visiting hockey player to leave the bench and jump into the stands to kick the shit out of some really obnoxious fan who had singling him out by shouting the vilest of obscenities at him.

I remember being at a New York Rangers game when the whole Philadelphia Flyers team jumped into the stands and whipped the living shit out of a bunch of drunks who had hurled beer and food at them. Many of the Ranger fans applauded the Flyers and the cops took the busted-up assholes to jail or to the hospital.
　
And from time to time I still see fans throwing beer and food at visiting players as they head for the dressing room after having been ejected from the game. And I’ve also seen them throw things at the visiting team as it is leaving the ice at the end of the game.
　
During Tuesday’s 6-2 loss at Minnesota, Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien got into a scuffle with some Minnesota Wild players for which he received a double minor roughing penalty and a game misconduct. As he was headed down the runway to the dressing room he suddenly grabbed a taunting fan leaning over the railing. Rypien was pulled away by teammate Manny Melhotra.
　
The National Hockey League has suspended Rypien for six games.
　
James Engquist, 28, the obnoxious fan, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that he’s "definitely seeking legal representation. I was assaulted, that’s just the bottom line. I was just standing straight up applauding as he was getting kicked out. He was out of control. And then I said, ‘Way to be professional,’ and he obviously didn’t care for that comment and decided to grab me and almost dragged me over the rail."
　
Now if you believe Engquist’s version of what happened, I still have some beachfront property in Phoenix that I’ll sell you for a damn good price. You can bet that this asshole shouted obscenity-laced insults at Rypien and never calmly said, "Way to be professional."
　
I’m not implying that what Rypien did was right and that he did not deserve the six-game suspension. But I do not believe that fans should be able to yell and say whatever they want to the players, even if they’ve paid $300 for their ticket. There should be some way to punish a fan who is so obnoxious as to provoke retaliation by a player.