Ray Emery vs Richie Incognito: Let Two Wrongs Make Some Right
The conversations around the NFL and NHL are dominated these days by two players whose recent actions have people questioning the continued relevance of longtime macho cultural norms. Perhaps the solution is to let those two duke it out...
Ray Emery catered to the mob in Philly, atoning for giving up 7 goals to the Washington Capitals by pounding the piss out of a goalie who didn't want to fight. Richie Incognito bullied a Miami Dolphins teammate to the point where he felt compelled to leave the team, exposing himself to ridicule from elements of football's "take it like a man" culture.
My Modest Proposal
Both of these guys could use a seismic event in the news cycle to shift the media spotlight off of them and onto something else, so perhaps the best way to do that is stage a spectacle which puts their episodes to bed: bring these two bullies in the ring together and let them duke it out.
You know, "like men".
The Tale of the Tape
| Ray Emery | Richie Incognito | |
| Height | 6'2" | 6'3" |
| Weight | 196 lb | 311 lb |
| Age | 29 | 30 |
| Years Pro | 10 | 9 |
| Best Known As | "The Fighting Goalie" | A Troglodyte |
| Admirable Achievement | Rejuvenated his NHL career after part of his hip died | None that I'm aware of |
| Lasting Legacy | Likely NHL rule change regarding one-sided fights | Probably not much, judging by reaction around the NFL |
Lest you think it odd to intertwine two tales of physical/emotional abuse and intimidation by staging a fight, in my mind it's the perfect way to point out the absurdity of their actions, and the hollow nature of the authority they seek to gain by intimidating others.
Heck, put the event on TV and donate the proceeds to a charity focused on bullying awareness or non-violent conflict resolution. Doing so would divert more public attention to those worthy causes, and at least provide a silver lining for the dark clouds hanging over pro hockey & football these days.
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Who would win a fight between Ray Emery & Richie Incognito?
| Ray Emery | 13 |
| Richie Incognito | 22 |
| All of us | 57 |
| None of us | 53 |