Will and Drew got free tickets at school to the Tulsa Oilers hockey game tonight which was additionally free kid's jersey night...so how could we pass that up! Mama and Landon stayed home while Daddy and the big boys took in the game along with 10,032 other fans.

There was plenty of great hockey to watch. The boys really enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately, Tulsa lost 5 to 2 despite the Tulsa oilers beating the Allen Americans the first three times they had met this year.

Unfortunately, there were too many plays like this. Notice the hockey puck just above the tip of the hockey stick...it was on its way into the net. (#33 Ian Keserich)

And, not enough plays like this. Tulsa goalie #33, Ian Keserich, making a save.

Later in the game, newcomer #35, Steve Christie, was put in as Tulsa's goalie.

The Allen Americans goalie #32, Rejean Beauchemin.

It was nice of everyone to line up like they did so that I could get a good photo. Notice the puck just dropped between the referee's legs.

If my memory serves me correct, the Tulsa Driller had just been needlessly checked hard into the wall and had simply had enough of the opposing players crap. How do you fight with gloved-hands, with an elbow to the head of course. I explained quite well a few years back my opinions on fighting in hockey.

During the game I noticed the opposing team appearing to take a number of cheap shots at the Oilers and attempting to goad them on to escalate into something more. For the most part, our boys refused to take the bait. My photos (700+) really showed this to have been the case. Time and time again a series of high speed shots would show an American going after an Oiler and not once do my photos show the reverse to be true. I could have posted any one of several photos/series but take the above as an example.

Notice how every player is looking down at the puck. Well, all except one guy. One guy who no longer cares about the puck right in front of his own goal.

You see, Mr. D'Apostrophe has stopped playing hockey. Despite no one doing him any physical harm whatsoever, he's gotten it in his mind that he has the right to put the hurt on someone because...ummm...[I've got no words to put here since there is no logical reasoning behind this guy's actions].

My very next photo shows D'Apostrophe making a cheap head shot against a player who wasn't even looking at him let alone doing anything warranting a return of physical aggression. In short, this gentleman is what is known as an ass. It is really sad that this type of behavior and the fighting that often follows is tolerated, if not promoted.

I hadn't looked back at the post I linked to above until I started to write this after the game tonight. In the post I pondered the fact that I had no answer to the question: "Dad, why are they letting them fight?" It was rather prophetic given this exchange that occurred tonight:

Drew: What are they doing?
Daddy: They're fighting.
Drew: Why are they fighting?
Daddy: Well in other sports they don't let the players fight at all, but in hockey they let them fight a little bit.
Drew: Why?
Daddy: I don't know.
Drew: That's just stupid.
Daddy: Yes, it is.

Professional hockey...meah.