This is a supreme contrast to the article in Sports Illustrated, entitled “Put Up The Net”. The author, Michael Farber, has already persuaded

These fans are the lifeblood of the N.H.L. The success of the N.H.L., which is only a $2 billion industry (as compared with the football and basketball divisions of the NCAA, which generates over $10 billion in annual revenue), depends wholly on game attends, from which 60% of their profits stem. If fans say no we don’t want nets to be put up, and we won’t come to games if they are, than the N.H.L. simply cannot afford to do so. This was the case in 1993 the Calgary Flames hockey franchise put up netting after a child sustained serious injuries as result of being hit by a puck. The netting was removed after one game because of the near violent opposition of the fans. There is something to be said that maybe if safety conditions were more comprehensive than new fans might start coming, but this is a wholly unsubstantiated claim, and cannot be proven unless such safety measures are taken.

ticket to any sporting event, the consumer assumes that there is an inherent risk that something could happen to them while attending the event. At a soccer game, there may be a riot in the stands, you might get hit with a muffler as a result of a crash at a NASCAR rally, or you could be hit with a puck at a hockey game. Beyond sporting events, there is an intrinsic risk associated with everything you engage in. A car might hit walking down the street you, or less serious, you might trip on the sidewalk and scrape your knee. Just by coming out of your house you are assuming that something could happen to you, and you try to look out for, avoid or avert anything seeming ominous. According to Dickerson, this is the same stipulation that comes into play during liability lawsuits, especially those concerning sporting events. He states that based on legal precedent, “fans injured while viewing dangerous sports have assumed the risk of viewing these sports” (84). Therefore, according to the legal standard of liability, the N.H.L. has taken exceptional safety precautions by posting more than adequate puck warnings around the arena. The small warning on the back of the ticket is enough to exempt individual hockey franchise from legal obligation.

Wong, Edward. “Fan Safety and Liability Debated in Puck Death” New York Times 22 Mar. 2002: E1+

Taylor, Phil. “Death of a Fan” Sports Illustrated 1 Apr. 2002: 58-61

Some topics in this essay:
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