Speaking of better equipment I am reading Phil Esposito's book and in it he talks about the fact that in the 1960s NHL players did not wear thigh pads that are now worn by players. As a result Esposito said Charley Horses were common injuries back in the 1960s and Espo suffered a really bad one in his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks. Espo also mentions his first NHL fight was against Gordie Howe, his childhood idol, and Howe basically ripped open a wound that required 6 stitches and severely bloodied Espo's nose. Espo said Howe caught him with an elbow after a faceoff and it was the hardest shot anyone had ever hit him with and he was seeing stars. Espo said he fought back valiantly and got some good shots in. He and Howe were both assessed 5 minute fighting majors. Espo says in those days both players went into the same penalty box, separated only by an usher. When he went into the box with Howe, Esposito told Howe he used to be an idol but now he thought he as an asshole. And Howe said, "what did you say, Wappo?" I guess ethnic insults was an accepted part of life back then or more accepted anyway.
My question to all of you hockey fans is in that situation where two players in the 1960s were sent into the same box, were they expected to cool off once they got there? What if they didn't? What if after being called "Wappo" Esposito decided to sucker punch Howe in the side of the head? What was to stop him from doing that with just an usher sitting between the two?
Seriously, it is tho, one good week or one bad week and that "poll" changes drastically :eyebrows:
