Over the past couple of decades, weve heard repeatedly that the days of the hockey goon were numbered. First it was the dreaded instigator penalty that was going to make them extinct. Then it was the new rules coming out of the lockout, the end of clutching and grabbing and the premium on skill and players who could skate. And yet for all the talk that there was no room left in the game for one dimensional players whose only asset was their ability to fight, there were still lots of one dimensional players in the game whose only asset was their ability to fight. Please step forward John Scott and George Parros, to name just two obvious examples. Now it seems that weve reached another turning point in the debate about the role of enforcers. And this one is framed differently. Its not an ethical question about whether fighting belongs in the game. Its not related to concussions and the obvious safety issues that come with players beating each other in the head with their fists. Its not a debate about whether - in todays NHL - you need enforcers the way you once did. Its now a question of whether teams can afford to carry players who have limited ability to possess the puck, cant keep up with the game and have no offensive or defensive upside that would give them any sort of advantage. In other words, do whatever benefits exist from having fighters on the roster overcome the liability of dressing players who would not be playing in the NHL if they couldnt fight? And heres where the analytics side of the game makes things interesting. Advocates of the role of fighting in hockey have always relied on an argument built on strategic intangibles, the notion that skilled players feel protected when enforcers are in the lineup, that somehow everyone plays an inch taller just knowing that kind of guy is sitting on the end of the bench, even if he only plays a few minutes a night. Whether or not any of that was actually true became a matter of hockey ideology, depending on which camp you fell into. But there was no reliable way to actually measure or test that theory. Presumably, through the introduction of analytics into the game, now there is. And the fact that teams such as the Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers (huh?) will be begin the season without enforcers, suggests that what teams are learning is that enforcers dont help teams win games and are in fact liabilities. That when the other team can roll four lines of players with hockey skills and your team cant, thats probably not a good thing. And that in todays NHL where teams tend to be clustered so closely in the standings in the battle for playoff spots, teams simply cant afford to give away games just to a€“ quote a€“ send a message. Of course, like many things where analytics are concerned, we shouldnt have needed data to tell us this. The fact that NHL teams put enforcers in the press box at playoff time and that the teams which wind up competing for the Stanley Cup each year are those that can roll four lines were dead giveaways. But if it took hockey embracing analytics to arrive at what should have been obvious all along, then so be it. It turns out hockey enforcers - who are always game for a fight against the oppositions enforcer - may be no match for the nerds. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys . Cornet won six straight games to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take the first set. The 25th-ranked Frenchwoman broke back twice in the second set before Bacsinszky saved a match point at 5-4. Fake NCAA Jerseys . -- EJ Manuel followed the worst game of his career with the best. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/ . -- Jake Peavy arrived at Bostons spring training complex on Monday with a large white bandage covering his left index finger, the result of a weekend accident. Cheap Basketball College Jerseys .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! 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After the five-minute court hearing, Rice applied for New Jerseys pretrial intervention program, which allows for charges to be dismissed against first-time offenders who participate in the program and meet certain conditions. The county prosecutor will decide whether Rice is allowed to enter the program. If not, prosecutors have offered Rice a plea bargain that would spare him jail time if he participates in anger management counselling. "Hes ashamed of his conduct and hes sorry for what he did," attorney Michael Diamondstein told reporters outside the courthouse. "There was a disagreement between him and his wife," Diamondstein said. "He made a mistake. He loves Janay and wants to move forward. This was a momentary lapse of reason." Security video obtained by TMZ Sports shows Rice removing the motionless body of Janay Palmer from an elevator at Revel Hotel Casino on Feb. 15. She did not comment as the two walked into the courthouse. The couple married a day after Rice was indicted. If convicted, Rice could face three to five years in prison. The former Rutgers star walked to the courthouse holding hands with Palmer. He said he is a "happy father and a happy husband.&quuot; When asked by reporters what he hoped would happen, Rice responded, "for you all to have a blessed day.ddddddddddddquot; Originally, Palmer and Rice were charged with simple assault, but the Atlantic County prosecutors office reviewed the case and dropped the charge against Palmer. A grand jury lodged the more serious charge of aggravated assault against Rice. Through her lawyer, Palmer has indicated she does not want the case to proceed. But prosecutor Diane Ruberton said Palmers co-operation is not crucial to it. "Im confident with the evidence we have that I could secure a conviction at trial, with or without her," Ruberton said. She said prosecutors have additional video evidence beyond what was published by the website, but she would not describe its contents. Ruberton said Rices celebrity played no role in the case, adding that plea deals are routinely offered to defendants charged with third-degree crimes, as is the case with Rice. Diamondstein said he expects a decision on whether Rice will be allowed into pretrial intervention within the next few weeks. "Hes an excellent candidate for it," he said. "Hes just a high-character individual. Hes a good guy." The conditions of pretrial intervention would include staying out of trouble for a year, as well as undergoing counselling and remaining gainfully employed, the attorney said. "Theyve been going to counselling and working on some of the issues they have," Diamondstein said. "Theyre very happy." ' ' '