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[dazzy]

How the Outside World Views Sidney Crosby. From From the Rink.

It's a pretty interesting look at the Sidney Crosby Hype Machine. And the comments, shockingly, instead of being a wankfest, are some pretty amazingly well thought out debate. I think everyone who has an opinion on Sid good or bad needs to read it.

Comments

[destiny_panics]

Not a bad article, though I don't agree with his criticism of Sid being referred to as a 'legend'. He has to consider that comment from a *Canadian* context, which I don't think he has. For all of us Canadians, with that goal, Sid now has himself belonging in the same sentence with Henderson in '72 and Mario in '87. Sid isn't a legend of the sport as a whole yet, but he just scored one of the three greatest goals in freaking Canadian hockey history. Hell, for us Canadians, that goal belongs in our *country's* history, not just of hockey. If that doesn't make him a Canadian hockey legend, I don't know what does.

Every Canadian alive will remember that goal for the rest of their lives. That's gotta count for something.

[dazzy]

I agree completely. Sid being the one to win that in OT means he's going to be Canadian history, and that to me = legend.

NHL wise...well, I say he's there already, if only because by the age of 22 he's won just about everything there is to win, and yet he still works like he hasn't won any of it.

But then, I'm biased. XD

[bsquared41]

by the age of 22 he's won just about everything there is to win, and yet he still works like he hasn't won any of it.

GREAT summation of his character, absolutely spot on! That's one of the things I love the most about him -- he never rests on his laurels, he's always humble about his accomplishments, and he always talks about and gives credit to all the hard work he's put into the game basically his entire life.

It's for that reason that I don't understand why seemingly every fan in every other hockey city hates him. It goes beyond the hype machine this article talks about (thanks for posting, btw, that was a good read, even if I don't agree with all of it, but it was enlightening, so to speak). I almost feel like fans in other cities are resentful of Crosby in some way, that he's not on their team, you know? Which is just lame.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I loved your assessment of him, and that I think Crosby's best is yet to come and could easily approach and even surpass what Gretzky and Howe and Lemeiux did.

[dazzy]

I almost feel like fans in other cities are resentful of Crosby in some way, that he's not on their team, you know? Which is just lame.

I have a lot of American Penguins fan friends who said that watching him play for Team Canada made them understand why other fans hate him so passionately. Because he can end your dreams, just like that. And when that guy ALWAYS ends your dreams?

I just am in awe of him as a person, really. To accomplish what he's accomplished, while remaining the kind of person that his teammates can't say enough good things about...yeah. Totally love the kid. XD

[panthers_pens87]

While I absolutely admire #87, I agree that the hype-fest kind of gets out of hand. But at the same time, Sid does well to silence his doubters and critics. Plus, he's not even in his "prime" yet. Hatas be warned. The best is yet to come.

[dazzy]

That's fair, I understand. Hell *I* wish the media would shut up about Sid, but that's just because I'm sick of hearing the backlash.

What I don't get is the idiots who still try to say he's not one of the greatest in the game or that he's a whiner and a diver. I mean, by all means, if you want to waste your time and money purchasing pacifiers to hand out at a game, by all means, that shit fuels his fire, but I just don't get it.

And yeah, people think the Sid love is bad now, just wait until he's got a few more championships/awards under his belt. With his work ethic and his talent, I have no doubt they're coming.

[guinastasia]

The only thing I would caution about saying Sidney is a legend and it's not so much an insult to Sid but more that I worry about all the pressure on him. After the Olympics and everything, all I can think of is, let's give poor Sidney a vacation!

As an asside, does anyone elese think that Sid looked better with his play-off beard? And I really wish he hadn't cut his hair)

[dazzy]

You know, if it was any other player than Sid and I'd agree with you. But honestly? If he could do what he did last Sunday under the pressure he was under there? I don't think he will EVER be under that much pressure again in his life. He's said so much himself.

The thing that makes me a Sid fan until I die is the fact that he embraces that pressure and uses it to better himself. I've never seen anything like it.

Hee, asside. I vote no on the playoff beard, but hells yes on his hair. I like his wild curly look. XD

[guinastasia]

Oh yes -- the wild curly look. You can run your fingers through it.

[destiny_panics]

The hair, agreed. It seems to be taking so much longer to grow back out this year than last year! I miss the crazy-sexy hair!

The beard though... haha, gotta say no on that one.

[guinastasia]

Seriously though, what I'm seeing now is that it's somehow "cool" to hate Sidney. Or to accuse people of only liking Crosby because it's "popular." "You're not a REAL hockey fan -- you're only a fan because you like Sidney." Bull fucking shit.

I'm a fan because they're the fucking Pittsburgh Penguins. I'd be a fan even if we sucked. Same as the Steelers -- we sucked this season, but I'm still a fan.

Besides, let's not forget that Sidney's not only supremely talented and hardworking, but he's also a genuinely nice guy. "Whiny" bullshit. Didn't they say Gretzky was the same way early in his career? (If you say Crosby IS whiny?)

O-FELCH-kin maybe a damned good player, but he's also a jackass. Please. Who's a better role-model to kids?

[dazzy]

I got called a puck bunny a few weeks ago by a guy I was watching hockey with because I made an offhand comment about Sid being amazing. I turned and batted my eyelashes at him and cooed, 'Oh my god, his 57.8% faceoff percentage is like, the hottest thing ever!'. Dude shut up once he saw I knew what I was talking about.

And you've summed up my feeling exactly. Ovechkin is the mefirst kind of player that apparently thinks pouting like a 12 year old and shoving fans is acceptable behaviour, which is unacceptable to me. I used to enjoy watching him, but the longer he's in the league, the more I can't stand him or his attiude.

And I certainly know who my kids will be encouraged to look up too, and his initals won't be AO

[guinastasia]

Yeah, I don't want any kids of mine idolizing someone who decides it's cool to drive 200mph. Although I haven't seen him shove any fans -- most of the time he seems willing to sign autographs, from what I've seen. (I could be wrong, though)

And dude has a TRAMP STAMP, for crying out loud! A freaking tramp stamp? How many guys get tramp stamps? Dude!

I'm not a hockey expert, (nor a football one, for that matter), and I really, REALLY hate it when people accuse female fans of being "puck bunnies" and assuming that's the only reason they watch.

I like watching hockey and football because they're entertaining. I may not know EVERY term (and stats and math were never my strong suits anyways), but I don't think that makes me an airhead. And yeah, we have a very good looking team. So fucking what?

Why should a woman have to PROVE she's not a groupie before she's taken seriously? It's like accusing a female coworker of sleeping with her boss when she gets a promotion.

Grrrrr

[dazzy]

Ovechkin taking issue with a fan filming him. This was after Team Russia lost to Team Canada. Apparently the woman is saying, 'don't break my camera, please don't break my camera' or something of the sort.

So, yeah, don't have a lot of respect for the guy right now.

And that's what kills me....girls shouldn't HAVE to be an expert to be taken seriously as fans. Bah.

[annie_oakley]

But when you bring the Gretzky tag when the talent is more comparable to, say, Jaromir Jagr, fans get irritated.

Sorry, I lost interest in what the guy had to say when I read that.

[dazzy]

Yeah, I didn't agree with a bunch the guy had to say, but that sparked some really well thought out comments that I really liked and agreed with, and I was just amazed because usually comments on things like that about Sid are nothing but hateful venom.