

Could a morbidly obese goalie shut out an NHL team? - Poleris
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119143109983647814.html

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optimal
I just ordered an industrial-size vat of Crisco. See your future, be your
future.

Traditionally it was "the fat kid" who played goal, since anybody who could
skate would rather put the puck in the net than get whaled in the nords.

I believe this changed when modern netminders brought more skill, athleticism,
and even dignity (really) to the position. Plus, people love all the cool-
looking gear.

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uuilly
I played hockey for 22 years. The beautiful thing about it is that fighting is
the great equalizer. There are unwritten rules that you must follow to avoid
getting stomped by a toothless caveman. For example, if you shadow their star
player, you will get dropped. If you are a 2000 lb goalie, you will get drawn
into a fight and at least thrown out and at worst hurt. Allowing a little
fighting makes the game better b/c the rules don't have to be so explicit. One
goon willing to drop his gloves is a more effective way of toning down the
dirty side-play than 10 more refs.

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mechanical_fish
This is a point that I wish the article had chosen to make: if someone figures
out how to bend the rules to gain an immense advantage and unbalance the game,
all that happens is that the rules get changed. It's not as if the size of a
hockey goal is determined by the laws of physics.

And, indeed, unwritten rules are handy because they can be changed on the fly
as necessary.

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mrtron
Being Canadian, we had this discussion many times.

You just couldn't get a goalie who was big enough to fill the entire net, so
the increased goalie size would limit his mobility and make him worse.

It is nice having a 6'8" defenseman who has a longer stick than normally
allowed though.

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mynameishere
Hey, why not an Siamese quadruplet? I might actually watch, then, or at least
take a gander.

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malkia
But those are four people, already :)

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myoung8
That was a hilarious article...not exactly typical WSJ fare...

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pius
Haha, this is something I've been wondering for a long time.

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gills
Nice hack.

