[Liabmeasez]

Europeans, generally speaking, and not including Brits or Irish, are less confrontational than North Americans. This is just a cultural difference. In many ways this is good but in some ways it is bad. I don't hear cases of "road rage" in Europe like I do i the U.S. But then again I live in the NYC metro area (I was in NYC today) which is a high stress area. It's bad because they're more likely to take crap from immigrants, or their children, from a different cultural background. I'm speaking generally, of course.

Funny thing, I just thought about it now, I was in Pennsylvania last week and I commented on how uncomfortable I felt because everyone seemed so nice. It was really weird. What it is even funnier is I preferred being in NJ despite never feeling comfortable but it's a different type of discomfort; it's what I'm used to. The only place I feel actually comfortable is when I'm vacationing in Galciia, Spain because, as I said in a different thread, everyone seems indifferent, but not in the weird NYC type of way. Everyone's about their business and they're neither annoying you with their cheerful attitude or being confrontational.

Here's an example of cultural differences.

Check this out: Markus Naslund, a Swedish hockey player, getting beat up by a Canadian born player and never trying to defending himself.


Bobby Nystrom, a Swedish born hockey player raised in Canada.


When Swedish players entered to the league the common insult directed towards them was "chickenshit Swedes." For you people not familiar with North American insults being called a 'chicken shit' is the same as being called a coward. The vast majority of North American players don't fight often but they wouldn't have done what Naslund did. Any other player would have at least grabbed Cunneyworth and neutralize him, even it meant getting beat up. If you don't neutralize him he's going to team up one of teammates, which did happen in that video.

European players, Scandanavians and Russians with some czechs and Slovaks, aren't as bad in this regard when they first came into the league.

EDIT: Another example of cultural influence. Paek, a Korean-Canadian, gets involved with Cunneyworth at the bench in the first video. Not your typical passive Asian.