I don’t normally post or even talk about other teams, but I’ve got to say something about Sidney Crosby. Following today’s game between Montreal and Pittsburgh, which I actually watched (another thing I do not do, is watch other teams. I’m all Oil), Crosby was whining about a high stick that was not called on him.
Here are is part of a post-game article from tsn:
Canadiens enforcer Aaron Downey started yelling at the 19-year-old superstar while derisive chants of “Faker, Faker” rained down from the upper reaches of the Bell Centre
“He told me not to go down, so I told him that if he gets a stick in the face we’ll see how tough you are, we’ll see if you don’t go down,” Crosby said of his conversation with Downey. “It’s funny how you get a high stick and you’re not supposed to go down any more.”
For his part, Downey said his little chat had the desired affect. “I can’t give away any secrets, but it worked,” Downey said. “Agitating is part of my game. I told him that if you’re going to be a superstar in this league, you shouldn’t be acting like that.”
Exactly, Crosby is earning a reputation as a faker. Yes, it was a high stick but you fell to the ice as if you had been shot. Sid, you were not. Or let’s remember the spear…..fell to the ice like he’d been knifed in the stomach. Quit diving. Memo to the NHL: just because he’s a superstar, he should be fined for diving. Every time there is minimal contact, he falls down immediately no matter what.
Some advise for Sid: man up.
Bob McKenzie’s take on it:
What’s ironic is that while Crosby’s critics would try to convince you embellishment equals soft, the truth is he plays with great jam. He’s like a bull terrier. He initiates more physical play and is at his best in heavy traffic like few others who have his skill and productivity.
Crosby is a bull terrier? Initiates physical play? Bob, do you actually believe that shit you’re shoveling?? If you were talking about Ovechkin, I’d totally agree. Now that is a player who is physical and a bull terrier. Crosby is more like a toy poodle.
So basically we get more media defending the poodle, losing even more of their credibility. Come on Bob, time for you to man up too and admit Crosby’s act is a detriment to the entire league. I’m not saying he’s the only one doing it, but he is the superstar of the league. He needs to lead by example.
I disagree with you on the Crosby issue. First of all,I think that he definately goes down a little soft sometimes, but its also people take more liberties on him than almost any other player in the league. He’s dealt with this his whole career (think of Rimouski’s threat of pulling him out of games) but I think its his right and obligation to speak out about it. Mario did it, Hull did it…and need I remind you of Gretzky’s ‘reputation’ both of being soft (untrue) and a whiner (also untrue).
Second, comparing his physical style to Ovechkin’s is unfair since he has two years on Sid, and two years is a lot in terms of physical development. But the fact is that Crosby is very feisty, and he reminds me of (Theo) Fleury in that regard.
I think because he’s dealt with this whole career, he should know better. I’m all on board with him milking hits, but actual hits or penalties. I hate when any player pretends he’s been shot.
I’d like to see him be even more feisty, more like Ovechkin. Sure you can’t compare them physically, but I like his mental aspect of the game. He’s truly feisty, and Sid could learn much from him.
Or compare him to Hemsky, he gets run a lot but always gets up quickly, never embellishes and throws the body back. Even more impressive, he’s so much smaller than Sid or Ovechkin. He could learn something from Hemmer.
To be fair, Hemsky and Crosby are listed as the same weight, but Hemsky is taller. Crosby is actually quite small, he just plays big.