Safety net could keep you lucky

Does Hockey need a safety net?\nThe recent death of Brittanie Daniels at a Columbus Blue Jackets game was a tragic accident involving a deflected puck flying into the stands and causing the young girl to undergo a series of rare arterial bleedings.\nIn the same spirit of retroactivity that drives all sports safety regulations, I believe it is time the NHL investigates the use of safety nets installed around the top of the boards around the rink.\nThough on tickets to NHL games there is a disclaimer printed addressing the danger of flying pucks, the league will be forced to address this latest development, as it is the first death-by-hockey puck incident that the league has dealt with in its 85-year history. Though that figure is an exemplary safety record, the NHL must approach this as a new standard for fan safety within its arenas. \nThe puck used in hockey games is 6 ounces of rubber that is dipped in water and frozen before each game. Today's slap shots can reach speeds of up to and more than 100 miles per hour (try getting your Hyundai to go that fast). A net to catch those stray pucks could literally be the difference between life and death for NHL fans.\nIs Dane Fife the luckiest man on earth?\nAll respect given to Dane Fife, the Big Ten co-defensive player of the year, but can we say that he is one of the luckiest men on the planet right now? The Hoosiers are on their way to the Final Four, but if Jason Williams' free throw woes hadn't caught up with him at such a bad time for Duke, IU could very well have been watching Duke throttle Kent State.\nAfter a failed three-point attempt by Duke, Williams got the long rebound and went for a very sloppy-looking shot. Fife tried to cover but appeared to have covered too hard. The foul was called, and the desperation shot went in after the whistle. The situation for IU was grim. The national player of the year was going to the line for the tie.\nBut at that moment, the god of mathematics rained blessings down on IU, and Williams rimmed the shot. Luck is a lady in this dance, and right now IU is doing the waltz. We'll all have to hope that the dance is still going on by April 1. \nNew Hoosier Mascot\nIn the past, I wrote on the idea that athletics director Michael McNeely wanted to research the idea of giving IU a mascot. After recent games, I think we have found our winner. His name is Antoine Davis.The son of coach Mike Davis, 3-year-old Antoine has been the Hoosiers' good luck charm throughout the tournament. \nIn a recent video of the press conference held after IU beat Duke, little Antoine was sitting with his dad, smiling for the cameras as if he had gone out and scored 30 points for the Hoosiers.\nIU athletics should commission a cartoonist to draw Antoine's face, and it can be used as the official media insignia for IU basketball on TV. This could almost be comparable to how Dave Thomas used a picture of his daughter to represent Wendy's. But I think we should stop short of changing the name from the Indiana Hoosiers to the Indiana Antoines. That would be weird.