Yesterday, we ended with an observation about the small television audiences for hockey's Stanley Cup finals and at least one reader defended the NHL, mentioning that attendance and revenues are up. My reply to that, in part, was that live gates for hockey reflect a loyal but still small fan base and that TV ratings indicate that the sport is in trouble in a broader sense. The reader, however, made some good points and has obviously put some thought into the subject.

Now, no one will ever accuse former coach and current TV commentator Don Cherry of thinking for even a split second before he opens his mouth and sometimes what comes out makes some sense and sometimes it's just mind-boggling.

But during the recent Anaheim-Ottawa game on NBC, Cherry and Brett Hull said what many probably do believe about hockey and its popularity. Bring back the fighting.

If you missed it (and judging by the TV ratings, most of you did), here's what Cherry had to say. It goes on for seven minutes but if you watch the first three or four, you'll get the point. Thanks to the Fark blog for pointing it out. And if you haven't seen Cherry much and are unaccustomed to his wardrobe, no, he doesn't work part-time as a carnival barker.