Baseball? It's my understanding that it was never a gentleman's game until 'frat boy' Christy Mathewson entered the scene. To discern the gentle roots of baseball, you might want to take a look at the great career of Ty Cobb... rough and ready.

At St. Joe's in Philly in the '60s, we were fortunate to have a teacher by the name of Aloysius "Buzzy" Travers SJ who had been recruited to play a single game as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers for the final game of the year (I think it was 1912 or something). He got recruited off of a college field because Ty Cobb had gotten himself suspended for his rough play and the whole team just went home. To this day (the late) "Buzzy" holds the major league record for the most runs given up in a single game by a pitcher thanks to the immortal Cobb's antics.

I played the three main American sports everyday of my life growing up and we fought (in varying degrees) with each other every day. I doubt that young hockey players grow up much different. My son is currently playing college basketball and he reports that he's continually involved in near-fights in practice on plenty of occasions. It's all part of it... always will be.

Speaking of roughnecks... how about the great Gordie Howe?