It's Like a Baseball Brawl, But Everyone Knows How to Fight

Something that we rarely see in North American hockey is the bench clearing brawl. It just doesn't happen. In fights, the players on the ice take care of the beatings and hand out punches while everyone else looks on from the sidelines.

In baseball, that's not how it happens at all. Fights in "America's pastime" always end up looking more like large hissy fits than anything else. You know, the benches clear and even the guys in the bullpen come running out, but by the time they get there all the fun is over. Meanwhile, some guys yell things at each other. A couple may try (in vain) to throw punches but it all ends up in either a dog pile or with the fighters being pulled apart by teammates.

I don't profess to know a lot about baseball, because if I did this would be Peter Gammons Rocks and not BMR. Nonetheless, I can't say that I've ever seen a whole bunch of bloodied up baseball players after a bench clearing brawl, but that's all I'll say about that.

Last night the Oshawa Generals and Sarnia Sting of the OHL did their own rendition of a baseball brawl, except a couple guys actually fought. At the end of the game when the players had filed onto the ice to head to the dressing room, some fisticuffs broke out. What could have turned into a massive brawl ended with only a few fights and a couple of angry coaches. It was all pretty tame reserved if you ask me. The teams don't play a lot, so that probably has something to do with why everyone pretty much just stood around and watched a few guys fight. If this were a Red Wings/Avs game, for example, I can't imagine that would be the case. The National Guard would have to be called in they ever had a bench clearing brawl.

h/t Japer's Rink