For all of the people on this board who have such strong opinions on whether or not fighting should be allowed in hockey, I would like to know what percentage has played or been a part of the game at a level other than beer league or watching your mite play hockey. I have been around the game for a number of years as a player, coach, and official and it really bothers me that so many people think they are experts on how to clean up the game by eliminating fighting and cheap shots but yet they have never been in that situation to know what it is. Believe me when I say this, there is room for the game of hockey to improve. I'm not saying that cheap shots should be allowed in the game, but they are going to continually happen. It's a lot harder to patrol the game in the heat of battle than many people think, and that is coming from being both a coach and official. Emotions get high and things happen that are not always seen. I would like for the people have all of the answers to step back and look at the game from a different perspective. There is much more to the game than the fans see and a number of people with such strong opinions don't understand that. End of rant.