In Professional Sports, The Camera Never Blinks

When you've been suspended eight times over the course of your career for a variety of infractions like Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger has, it's safe to say that your reputation precedes you when it comes to the sort of treatment you get from on-ice officials. That's why I had to take a second look at the following video clip from Sunday night when, in the waning moments of a game between the Ducks and the visiting New Jersey Devils, Pronger took down Devils winger Zach Parise: ↵ ↵

↵As Greg Wyshyski at Puck Daddy pointed out last night, plenty of Devils fans are up in arms over the hit, calling for Pronger to be suspended, even though there was no call on the ice at the time and Parise shook it off, apparently none the worse for wear. ↵

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↵Like Wyshynski, I think this shot doesn't seem particularly egregious, but it did get me to thinking a little harder about the use of video clips like this one. In this case, we have an instance of fans acting on their own to put Pronger in the spotlight. However, considering how effective this tactic might be, wouldn't it be in the best interest of the coaching staff of another Western Conference team to do the same? ↵

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↵After all, beating Chris Pronger on the ice is a tall order. And if you can't beat him on the ice, why not work to manipulate public opinion in such a way that it makes it that much harder to do his job? Crazier things have happened in the NHL, that's for sure. ↵

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.