I have a confession to make. I love Sidney Crosby.
It goes beyond his boyish good looks for me. I love how he sits in his stall after the game and articulately fields even the most inane questions. I love his tickle me Elmo giggle as well as that intense face-off stare. I love that by 24 years old he was the winner of a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and Rocket Richard Trophy.
I am a fan girl.
It goes beyond his boyish good looks for me. I love how he sits in his stall after the game and articulately fields even the most inane questions. I love his tickle me Elmo giggle as well as that intense face-off stare. I love that by 24 years old he was the winner of a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and Rocket Richard Trophy.
I am a fan girl.
I have such positive feelings for Sidney Crosby that it
confounds me why so many feel such passionate hate for him. I asked the
question, “Why do you hate Crosby?” to several people who expressed hate for my
beloved. The responses were varied and, in some instances, fabrications.
( photo courtesy of Dave Sandford/NHLI)
I’m sick of having
him shoved in my face.
He’s a product of the Canadian hype machine that proclaimed him the next Gretzky before he was 16-years-old. Ever since Crosby entered the league, he has been the NHL’s poster boy. He has everything they want for the face of hockey: looks, intelligence, charm and uber skill. They splashed his face and his name everywhere! The problem with that is over saturation translates to “I hate Sidney Crosby” for some people. According to something called a “PuckDucky” the NHL has created “the biggest bitch in the league” in Sidney Crosby.
He’s a product of the Canadian hype machine that proclaimed him the next Gretzky before he was 16-years-old. Ever since Crosby entered the league, he has been the NHL’s poster boy. He has everything they want for the face of hockey: looks, intelligence, charm and uber skill. They splashed his face and his name everywhere! The problem with that is over saturation translates to “I hate Sidney Crosby” for some people. According to something called a “PuckDucky” the NHL has created “the biggest bitch in the league” in Sidney Crosby.
That being said, can you really blame the NHL for pumping us
full of Crosby? The NHL’s main marketing goal is not about appealing to us
hockey-crazed fanatics. Their target is the non-hockey or casual hockey fan.
Crosby is the NHL’s marketing dream. With his “wholesome boy next door” image
and unwavering commitment to his sport, Crosby is one of the few NHLers who is
known throughout North America by people who do not follow hockey = marketing
success.
Crosby is over-rated
(Fill in the blank) is better.
When a player is said to be arguably the best in the world, he is expected to live up to extremely lofty expectations. Many believe Crosby is overrated and feel that he gets undeserved praise and adulation heaped upon him that could just as easily go to several other players in the league, preferably one on their favorite team. Some refuse to acknowledge his greatness simply because they do not like him. I guess a Stanley Cup, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, a Pearson Award, an Olympic gold medal, four 100-plus point seasons, etc., by the age of 22 is good reason to doubt his abilities….
When a player is said to be arguably the best in the world, he is expected to live up to extremely lofty expectations. Many believe Crosby is overrated and feel that he gets undeserved praise and adulation heaped upon him that could just as easily go to several other players in the league, preferably one on their favorite team. Some refuse to acknowledge his greatness simply because they do not like him. I guess a Stanley Cup, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, a Pearson Award, an Olympic gold medal, four 100-plus point seasons, etc., by the age of 22 is good reason to doubt his abilities….
All he does is dive
and whine.
I won’t even dignify the diving claim with a response (he was
accused of diving after he took a puck to the face that fractured his jaw)
other than to point out that PK Subban dives so much that they put a hyperbaric chamber in at Bell Centre.
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| ( Photo courtesy of Dave Sandford/NHLI) |
In 2012, New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella was
fined $20,000 for a post game tirade against the Penguins in which he called the
team arrogant and singled out Malkin and Crosby as being whiners. Crosby
himself has admitted in several interviews that he complained a lot when he
first entered the league. He barked at the refs for seemingly every slight
against him. He was young and transitioning from playing a boy’s game to a
man’s game.
I think the early whining played a large role in Crosby’s
development as a complete hockey player. He realized what he was doing was
embarrassing and he’s stopped. Sure, occasionally he gives the refs an
incredulous look, but it’s no different from the reaction that every player
gives when they've been sentenced to the sin bin. People disparage Crosby
because they have already made up their minds about him. He’s a whiner and so
he shall always be.
He’s matured. If another team captain argues a call or
demands an explanation they’re stepping up to the plate and doing their job. If
Crosby does the same thing he’s whining. This argument is tired and old. Jeff
Skinner is the new whiner in residence for the NHL.
Crosby can’t grow
facial hair
OK, I happen to agree with this one. He grows atrocious facial hair.
OK, I happen to agree with this one. He grows atrocious facial hair.
If all of the haters would close their mouths and open their
minds they would see he can score from anywhere on the ice, including his back.
He’s called a whiner, a cry-baby, over-rated, and robotic but does anyone ever
attack his work ethic, his leadership or skill?
Players like Crosby don't come around every draft, so even
if you hate him, at least enjoy watching him play the game that you and he
love. Fans always love to hate opposing stars and the teams for which they
play. It's a natural human emotion born mostly out of envy and frustration.
God, I love Sidney Crosby!
Take a simple look at his playoff stats and what unless you are really brain damaged what will you realize, that when it counts he does not produce, without the 2nd assist points he would not even have reached 5 points this off season. Get real he scores vs weak teams but fails vs good ones. He failed in almost every playoff season and even at the Olympics his performance was mostly less than stellar, A fair weather player worlds apart from a Lemieux, Gretzky and others.
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