Edition: U.S. / Global  Where Is Sportsmanship?  Published:
March 14, 2004  To the Sports Editor:  This ugly incident is
indicative of how far sports have approached becoming gladiator
spectacles, egged on by the establishment of each sport, and of
hockey in particular. This adversarial atmosphere is fostered to
titillate the fans, as our Canadian pundit, Don Cherry, does
with his most spectacular hits and fights TV piece.  Where is
sportsmanship? It doesn't generate as much money and profit.
This gratuitous culture of violence could easily be stopped or
at least curtailed by the hockey establishment, but it seems
everyone is under pressure to squeeze as much money as possible
out of the sport. Even though Moore is the main victim, his
disabling of a Canucks superstar in an earlier game started the
vendetta. We are all poorer for this pugilistic atmosphere.
North Vancouver, B.C.