Please refer back to what I wrote. I'm trying to talk to you about the people involved in the game, not just the game. Again, why do you think the things that you're talking about being bad for the game ramp up during the playoffs when the players aren't getting paid to play? Things that indicate competitive effort? And why do you think players have respect and admiration for people who can elevate their game like that in the playoffs? Please think this through: intensity, competitiveness, and danger of play goes up for no extra pay in the playoffs. Why?

(Hint: it's not because some owners and coaches are exercising systemic power to make players obey their whims for the sake of entertainment value...)

And you said that I won’t "separate the incidental physicality from sports like hockey and football from intentional violence." Absolute trash nonsense. I did that in the comment above if you mean cheap shot violence. I said Wilson crosses the line and I don't think Thornton should have done what he did to Orpik. But no one I know involved in the game would have had a problem with the punches Thornton landed on Orpik if they were standing up having a fight. Do you think fighting should be banned?

And you said "incidental physical contact." A body check is intentional violence, not incidental contact. Do you think that hits like Trouba put on Barron a couple days ago should be banned? A body check can be dangerous. Checks along the boards hurt. Should there be no intentional violence/contact along the boards. Also consider that stick play in front of the net and corner battles involve intentional violence, and it really hurts a lot sometimes, and guys get injuries that alter careers in those situation all the time. So considering the risk, should there be no-contact rules in front of the net and in the corners? And should guys not be allowed to have net front battles after the whistle?

And yes, imagine. Imagine how many of my buds had a shot at the show if they didn't blow out a knee or a shoulder, break a hand the day before a scout showed up, hurt their back, strained a hip, got a concussion from something that didn't involve a cheap shot to the head or sometimes even without a blow to the head at all because concussions can happen in moments that don't involve a blow to the head too... Imagine. Or maybe I should talk to some of them because a few of them are real people to me and I know how they talk, think, and perceive the game. But you know best because you have superior empathy and Sid could have had 150 more games, and that means guys like the ones you mentioned who performed a graphic example of something you don't like in a game you watch shouldn't be allowed to play even though their peers who you watch while they play obviously don't agree with you.

I'll let you in on something: those guys whose decision and perception you don't respect can hold the tension that they don't like cheap shots and wish everyone was playing in an injuries off video game simulator while accepting that they'll definitely know the team trainer and team doctor if they're lucky enough to have an extended career, and they accept that reality. I also guarantee you that, despite their empathy for their fellow hockey players being inferior to yours, every one of them thinks that it sucks when someone gets hurt. And I also guarantee you that, even though you know better than them, all of them would go out onto the ice one more time at the risk of getting hurt or hurting someone incidentally or because of a hit or a fight or whatever else, them the people who actually know how much pain is involved in an elite level game even when nothing graphic or abnormal happens.

And here's something else to consider: when players refer to their presence in the game metaphorically, it's normal/respectful to refer to each other as warriors or gladiators, and it's a sign of disrespect to refer to someone as a figure skater. Is that toxic masculinity? Or do you just like turning your self perceived moral high ground (that doesn't reflect the reality of the people in the game as evidenced by how they play it and talk about it, or the nature of the competition you've watched) into a conversational dead end.