NHL HIT AGAIN BY ROUGH SHOT: Maple Leafs D Bryan Berard
was struck by a stick in the right eye by Senators LW Marian
Hossa on Saturday and now faces the possible loss of his
sight. Today, many in the Canadian media are calling for
the league to mandate visors for players. In Toronto, Jim
Proudfoot writes, "How can you excuse the NHL for letting a
tragedy like this occur? It's a crime preventive
legislation wasn't enacted long ago" (TORONTO STAR, 3/13).
In Montreal, Pat Hickey: "The hope now is that this incident
will move the NHL and the [NHLPA] to take the necessary
steps to require that all players wear proper facial
protection. Their neglect to do so in the past borders on
the criminal" (Montreal GAZETTE, 3/13).In Toronto, Grant
Kerr writes the NHL's "nightmare season is worsening. ...
The injury is the latest in a growing list of recent violent
incidents that have tarred the game" (GLOBE & MAIL, 3/13).
NFL: In N.Y., Dave Anderson wrote that "with so much
more movement by quality players" in the NFL, "more and more
pro football fans feel betrayed by unrequited love."
Anderson: "It's difficult for fans to become attached to a
player when they know that, as soon as he's a free agent,
he's likely to be playing for another team for more money.
... The ultimate problem is that the N.F.L. is reluctant to
soften its cap" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/12)....In N.Y., Jay Glazer
wrote on NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and NFLPA Exec Dir
Gene Upshaw meeting players to "tackle the ever-growing
issue of player violence." Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez: "The
best answer that we devised is to have peer groups inside
the locker rooms. Having a group of older players come back
for us to talk to. ... But if we do this, we'll need to
satisfy some concerns. There's a racial barrier. ... Not
every black player is going to feel comfortable confiding in
a white guy and vice versa" (N.Y. POST, 3/12).
OHIO ALL-STAR: In Columbus, Michael Arace wrote that
the Blue Jackets have bid to host the 2003 NHL All-Star Game
and if "things go the way the Jackets hope," the game will
come to Columbus in 2004. Team President & GM Doug MacLean:
"Applying for 2003 -- it's a formality. ... 2004 -- that's
probably where we have a chance" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 3/11).
