This is a trial all sports fans should keep an eye on. Although it happened in the NHL and in Canada, it could have implications across sports and leagues. Thoughts? http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/hkn/678025 Sept. 24, 2000, 7:48PM McSorley's assault trial begins today -- Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle News Services VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Marty McSorley, an NHL enforcer who has spent a career in penalty boxes, goes on trial today, charged with assault with a weapon: his hockey stick. This will be the first criminal appearance for an on-ice attack by an NHL player since Dino Ciccarelli, then with the Minnesota North Stars, was sentenced in 1988. He received one day in jail and a $1,000 fine for striking Toronto's Luke Richardson several times in the head with his stick McSorley hit Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks on the side of the head during a Feb. 21 game against the Boston Bruins. Brashear suffered a concussion but returned to play near the end of last season. Brashear, one of the NHL's premier tough guys, missed the Canucks' training camp in Sweden last week but recently signed a contract and is playing with the team. McSorley was suspended by the NHL for the final 23 games of the season. He lost about $70,000 in pay and is an unrestricted free agent. He still must meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before he is cleared to play. The key issue in the trial is not whether McSorley struck Brasher -- the slash was witnessed by thousands in Vancouver, shown repeatedly on TV and admitted by McSorley -- but whether such an attack in a pro hockey game constitutes assault with a weapon. The NHL contends disciplinary matters should left to the league, an opinion shared by Canucks general manager Brian Burke. "The league acted swiftly and appropriately and it should not be before the courts," said Burke, formerly the NHL executive in charge of discipline. The trial is expected to last a week and Burke thinks some players and staff will be called as witnesses. McSorley's lawyer, Bill Smart, declined to say whether he would call witnesses but months ago suggested he would. Smart, a Canucks season-ticket holder, will be opposed by Mike Hicks, the regional Crown counsel for Vancouver who plays hockey twice a week in an over-35 league. McSorley is unsigned and had shoulder surgery in the offseason. At 37, it's not clear if he will play again, regardless of the outcome of the trial or his meeting with Bettman. McSorley's suspension was the league's heaviest. Washington's Dale Hunter was suspended 21 games for a hit on Pierre Turgeon during the 1993 playoffs. ------------------ Stay Cool...
Give him the death penalty!!! Sorry, I am not a McSorley fan. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
I don't like him either. In fact, I'll pay him the worst insult you can give any sports figure -- I don't remember hearing about him before this incident. I'm just a little concerned this could mushroom beyond this one incident. No, it's not in the U.S., but it could set a precedent anyway. It is becoming more en vogue to stand up to sports figures, and make an example of them. And that's not necessarily a bad thing -- especially when they perform criminal acts off the field. But, this case could lead to other communities making their own examples of inappropriate behavior on the field -- making criminal conduct out of what has been considered bad behavior. We could see charges brought for obviously late hits in football, on the field brawls in baseball, basketball players kicking cameramen, or boxers biting one another. Law enforcement has always considered there to be a distinct line drawn at the edge of the playing field. That line could get a lot more fuzzy. ------------------ Stay Cool...
I've got a feeling the authorities are going to make an example out of McSorley for this one, especially since he retired from the NHL during the off-season. Serves him right...he's been nothing more than a freaking goon his whole career. He used to be Wayne Gretsky's bodyguard on the LA Kings. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts he gets jailtime. ------------------ I am the b*stard son of LHutz. Huh? Right!
Good for him he didn't do it at a Stars game. I'm not sure where I stand on this. I think his punishment was just, but I'm not sure if jailtime is the answer. I mean, we're talking about people who are expected to be competitive as hell, and sometimes when you retaliate for a wrong, you go overboard, your blinding rage clouds you. The sport (not just hockey, but most sports in general) like and want that, and just assume that everyone will be able to control it. Like dc, I don't like the precedent that a guilty plea will set. Next time someone sets a moving screen in the NBA and someone gets hurt, a lawsuit could follow. I'm pretty sure we don't want that to happen. ------------------ Cheerleaders are just dancers who've gone r****ded. visit www.swirve.com [This message has been edited by Rocketman95 (edited September 25, 2000).]
I cannot think of s single reason why the laws on a sports field should be any different from "the real world". If someone hit me in the head with a stick while I was walking down the street, I would fully expect them to face the full force of the law - last time I checked, being provoked into illegal action is no defence! ------------------ Current Rocket's Salary & Contract Info
I just found out on ESPN.com that McSorley faces 18 months in jail if he is convicted. ------------------ I am the b*stard son of LHutz. Huh? Right!
So I guess Hakeem should have been arrested for decking Mark Eaton in '85 (I think)? Ralph Sampson should have been arrested for punching Dennis Johnson in the '86 finals? Anytime there's a baseball brawl, all those who land a punch should be arrested? Don't give me the "it's not as bad as what McSorley did" because, no **** sherlock, it's not as bad. But if you punched a random person, you'd probably get arrested as well. Or you could look at it another way. What if I saw you walking down the street and decided to throw you into a wall? I'd probably be arrested. Do you start arresting people for board checks in hockey? ------------------ Cheerleaders are just dancers who've gone r****ded. visit www.swirve.com [This message has been edited by Rocketman95 (edited September 26, 2000).]
R95, A punch is quite different than being whacked in the head from behind with a hockey stick. That can be compared to assault with a weapon. No, they don't arrest people for board checking in hockey. The rules of the NHL allow that in the element of sport!! There is no element of sport when throwing someone into a wall on the street. Your comparisons are ridiculous and unfounded. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." [This message has been edited by HOOP-T (edited September 26, 2000).]
You're right, but did you even read my post? Both are illegal outside of sports and people get arrested for them everyday. Where do you draw the line? I, for one, think that the four major sports have done a fairly decent job in policing their own players. ------------------ Cheerleaders are just dancers who've gone r****ded. visit www.swirve.com
Re-read my edited post. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2000/1006/803432.html VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Marty McSorley was found guilty of assault with aweapon on Friday for smashing an opponent in the head with a stick during an NHLgame. McSorley had contended that the hit that sent Donald Brashear sprawling to the ice wasan accident. "He (McSorley) had an impulse to strike him in the head," Judge William Kitchen said. "Brashear was struck as intended." The judge sentenced McSorley to conditional discharge for 18 months. He will not have to serve jail time, but if the NHL allows him to play again, he will not be allowed to play in a game in which Brashear is competing. ------------------ Stay Cool...
I was hoping for some jailtime and a big roommate named Bubba for McSorley. Oh well. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
RM95: I think the line you draw is intent. Did McSorely intend to hurt the guy or just get in a fight. With the issues you mentioned, none of those had to do with intent to harm someone outside of the context of competition. Taking a stick to someone from behind after play is stopped clearly has a different intent. They cannot, however, prosecute every case of sports violence. Does anyone else believe that this is what we get when we put grown men in situations where they are encouraged to be violent? We are always so shocked when they throw people through windows, beat their wives or get in fights. Why? We promote the behavior in the first place. Hockey, football and boxing are violent sports. Basketball and baseball aren't violent but there is clearly a tough-guy persona to those as well. You place those expectations on a person, you can't simply expect them to just shut those feelings off and turn them on like a switch. It is unfair to expect anything different. ------------------ Save Our Rockets and Comets SaveOurRockets.com
I think a friend of mine put it best WHAT IF THE GUY HAD DIED? Was it a harmless sporting incident? There are and should be limits to all of it. Rocket River Didn't some kid in San An get Jail time for a Fight at a Basketball game or something. ------------------
What about Kermit Washington? Should he have been prosecuted? Punching isn't apart of any sport, outside of hockey and boxing. ------------------ Cheerleaders are just dancers who've gone r****ded. visit www.swirve.com
He was not prosecuted, but Washington and the Lakers were found neglegent and Rudy T was awarded $1 million. (The dollar amount maybe off, but it was somewhere in that neighborhood.) ------------------ Save our children from the TAAS test: TAAS test report card TAAS test fact sheet
Wow, I didn't know that. ------------------ Cheerleaders are just dancers who've gone r****ded. visit www.swirve.com
