This really makes me think about what we are teaching kids and teens. This kind of behavior from the coaches and scouts is horrible because they are just encouraging this kind of awful behavior from a teenager. This encouragement to fight another player is not only telling hockey players that it is acceptable to fight and hurt another person to get what you want but also is influencing any other kids that were watching hockey that this is okay and socially acceptable. And to make it worse Boogaard was getting paid a lot of money to fight other players since he spent most of his time in the penalty box.

This sentence brings up an interesting question of what people are willing to do to themselves just to get everything that they want. Boogaard may even have known about what he was doing to his body and all the pain it was causing him but he chose to continue down this dark path just to get his "perfect" life.

I like the way the author ties in language that is normally used in hockey but uses it in a different context. The word collided is language that is familiar to hockey players and fans but they usually would connect this word to someone talking about two players running into each other. However,in this sentence the author uses this word as a way to explain to his audience how two moral values are clashing.

I think this paragraph is really touching. Even though something horrible had just happened to this team they knew they could do something about it. The only thing they could do is to play in the football game and honor their friends and family that were not able to be there. Although, it took a great tragedy for some people to join the team I like to look at it as they all knew what to do in the wake of this horrible event and came and did what they needed to when it counted.

This statement really stood out to me because when I read this I imagined there was no doubt in Mike Heffernan's voice or mind. Even though their team had been through probably the worst thing possible he knew that playing in this game was something they had to do. This was a way that they could keep their fallen friends and family alive and honor them. I think this was such a great response to feel so strongly about something that you are positive about your response.

For at least these two brothers, and most likely many other people, this football team was not just a fun way to spend a season but it was a way to stay connected with friends and family. For these brothers this team meant that they could finally do something that they have always love and finally do it together.