Kiz vs. Chambers: Who wins a hockey fight between Will Smith and Avalanche’s Gabe Landeskog?
Kiz: So I’m dozing on the sofa, pretending to watch an awards show for movies I didn’t see, when a hockey fight broke out. Comedian Chris Rock told a tasteless joke about the wife of actor Will Smith. He took great offense, leapt from his seat in the audience, hopped on stage and threw a right hand at Rock, which slapped the internet silly, causing the twitterverse to convulse with apoplectic rage. My first reaction? Whoa. Chill out, Fresh Prince. My second reaction? Compared to a hockey fight, this was a cat fight.
Chambers: Sure was. The real fight occurred here in St. Paul., Minn., on Sunday. Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon “beat up” Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba. OK, he didn’t really beat Dumba up, but fists were flying and MacKinnon produced the one solid punch and took Dumba to the ice. It was no cat fight. The big difference between the altercations was, folks didn’t know if the Rock/Smith exchange was staged, part of the script. Here at the Xcel Energy Center, we all knew MacKinnon and Dumba were throwing for real when they dropped the gloves, put up their fists, and circled for position to strike after Dumba’s big check on Mikko Rantanen.
Kiz: As you well know, I’m a lover, not a fighter. Or maybe I’m just too scrawny to even think about dropping the gloves. But if Smith wants to get jiggy with it, at least he should fight somebody his own size. Isn’t that part of the hockey code? Avs captain Gabe Landeskog is as handsome as any movie star on the planet. Think Smith would dare try to slap Landy? All I know is it would be a mistake. Playing Muhammad Ali on the silver screen is make-believe. A hockey fight is real.
Chambers: I’d take Landeskog — particularly if they’re on the ice. But Smith would have to do something real dumb for Landeskog to take issue. Seems like an odd comparison, though, because Landeskog is no Chris Rock. He’s no comedian. He can be funny but he’s the Avs’ longtime captain and is always concerned about chemistry and funneling bad karma out of the dressing room. Landeskog would never cast a tasteless joke. If Landeskog wasn’t recovering from minor knee surgery, it probably would have been him fighting Dumba on Sunday night. He and the Avs don’t want MacKinnon to bruise or break those elite hockey hands.
Kiz: Testosterone can make fools of us all. At the Academy Awards. Or on NHL ice. Whether the fisticuffs are between two Hollywood entertainers or two hockey players, I’m not going to get all bent out of shape. But in either case, I do think it’s stupid, rather than a display of manhood by a guy purportedly standing up for his teammates or his family. So would I like to see a fight between Smith and Landeskog? No. But I’m guessing plenty of NHL fans would pay to see it.
Chambers: As you know, Kiz, I’m a proponent of fighting in hockey. It’s a deterrent. Hockey is a full-contact, emotional sport, and players think twice about delivering cheap shots for fear of having to fight. The upcoming Frozen Four in Boston would be safer if the NCAA didn’t mandate full facemasks and outlaw fighting. Indeed, testosterone can make fools of us all, but having an avenue to back down from a fight can bring that down a notch. Here’s a thought: Smith vs. Landeskog in the ring for charity. Smith might have the edge based on his actor training in “Ali.” Landeskog wouldn’t be afraid. Absolutely, NHL fans and everyone interested in the silver screen would pay to see it.
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