With the number of kids who look up to professional athletes, you would think the pro leagues like Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League would keep this in mind when establishing their rules of conduct.

One rule in each sport, though, makes me think otherwise.

In baseball, major league players are allowed to use chewing tobacco during games. Chewing tobacco is not allowed in the minor leagues, because people who use it are at increased risk of oral cancer and other health problems. This ban, however, does not extend to baseball's highest level, in large part because of baseball's strong players' union.

The trouble with this is that it sets a terrible example for kids, who may think it's cool to chew and spit like their favorite major leaguer without being aware of the health risks.

For similar reasons, the NHL should ban fighting, or increase the penalties for fighting so that players think twice about it. Such penalties are in place in hockey's minor leagues, but in the NHL fighting is usually either a two- or five-minute penalty, and really not discouraged in any way.

For example, last night's brawl between Buffalo and Ottawa, which even involved the teams' goaltenders, was a disgrace. Yet it was the lead story on ESPN's SportsCenter, and shown three of four times during the hour-long telecast. This sort of publicity sends the wrong message to young fans.

Hockey without fighting, like you see in the Olympics, is a graceful and fast-moving sport that's fun to watch. Fighting, though, totally disrupts the flow of the game, does nothing to promote sportsmanship and in fact encourages the idea that fighting is a good or acceptable way to solve your problems.

It's time for these rules to change, for our kids' sake.