I briefly touched upon this on the message board for my inconsiderate post about how Sidney Crosby doesn't like sick kids, but I just wanted to get everybody's thoughts on this. Are we, as fans, too nice to Sidney Crosby?
Pittsburgh has some of the greatest sports fans in the world, but with that, we are also the most critical of our players... But for some reason that does not translate over to Sidney Crosby... When Big Ben has one bad game... ONE GAME... the Steelers nation (especially Kevin) come out in hoards talking smack about him, and how he's not good, blah, blah blah... Sid has some bad games, we either ignore it or start making excuses for him. This last time he was sick, yeah that sucks, but I'm sorry, as a great athlete on a team in fear of missing the playoffs you HAVE TO SHOW UP, especially when you are playing teams like Toronto. Especially in a city like Pittsburgh, where our star athletes time and time again have shown their true medal while braving injury and illness. Another popular excuse is, he has no wingers... There is some validity to this, but he still has to put up points if he wants to be this great player. It's not like Malkin is playing with Maurice Richard over there... Hell Lemieux had some linemates that could barely skate and they put up 30 goals...
Now, before the Sidney Crosby Fanboys/Girls jump on me for this post, let me say something, I like Sidney Crosby, I think he's a great player, I think he will do great things... I just don't think that we should just let his lack of effort or leadership down this hard stretch slide. Right now, he screws up, we defend him... Maybe if we treated him like we do our Quarterbacks he will have extra motivation and play better... Jump on me if you want, but you all know, that if the Penguins miss the playoffs nobody is gonna be bad mouthin Sid "The Great One" Crosby, but hey, next season when the Steelers lose a game we're gonna be calling for Dennis Dixon to start...
Go Pens...Go Janne...
PS: Sid looks cross-eyed in that picture at the top...
10 comments:
I think the group that lingers on PATP is pretty lenient with Sid.
I do know many yinzers, especially with Geno having another great year, who have been really hard on Sid. I have heard numerous times from fair weather friends and family that Sid should be stripped of his C, traded, and Geno should be handed the keys to the keys to the franchise. Come on now, is this really the answer.
I think the average yinzer is critical of Sid and jumps ship just like they do with Big Ben. But most solid pens fans know that we are blessed to have Sidney Crosby. We can be hard on him, but just because we're not calling for trades doesn't mean he gets a free pass either. Also, its laughable the way we have used Sid so far this season. I guarantee that when teams see Crosby paired up with Dupuis and Kennedy they do not see that as a threatening top line. Also, I think as fans we have to realize that Malkin and Crosby our both so great, their both leaders in their own right, and are going to be nasty for a long time to come. Its not like we have two great quarterbacks competing for one spot. Its awesome that we got such great talent, that successfully coexists, and is locked up long term.
Did deserves critisism and blame just like anyone else playing bad. Do I want to see him in a Pens uniform for the long haul...yes?
If I have one serious complaint it is that Sid is too nice to everyone else.I'd like to see him have a serious tantrum and tell off the press for their idiotic questions over and over again.
But,I doubt that would happen he was raised a polite NS boy and holds the anger in too much.
Oh and I'm not a fan"girl" by the way,I've seen 30 come and go...lol
I remember last year when Sid was injured the Pens went on that winning streak without him. People in the city were calling for him to be traded because the team didn't need him.
I think we all understand that he trying hard to win these games. Somedays, he and Geno are the only one who actually show up to play. I think he just tries to do everything himself which causes him to make mistakes.
I had this flu that is going around and I didn't even have the enegry to get out bed. Even when i was laying in bed I didn't have the engery to keep my eyes open to watch tv. I don't imagine I could have played hockey. So he gets a big bonus for doing that.
that picture is Creepy....he looks almost......West Virginian?.....
Sid has got to be frustrated. Playing with bad wingers is one thing, paying with Pascal the Rascal is another. He has played on Sid's wing more than anyone else this season and as what 19 points?....now that is pathetic. Now that Mikey T is gone, much more of my aggression will be taken out on Dupuis.
I say we trade the Lip myself, Ugly has one me over with his effort this year. With one superstar center and trading Staal center,we could fill our weak spots with players(I;m still pushing for Kopitar(21 yrs old and tons of offensive potential) and Brown(24 yrs old, big time hitter with 30+ goals a yr.) from L.A.) we get from a Lip trade, plus some. Don't forget we have Talbot and Big Daddy. But not til the off season.
Kevin thats alot of big voids to fill...
Maybe I just frequent different places, but other than the raging fan boys the people I talk to and read are ready to run Bing out on a rail. Just like everyone was ready to dump Geno when he vanished late in the playoffs last year.
I think we, as fans, need to look to Detroit(hockey) fans for inspiration. The Wings defense is going to cost them the Cup this year(mark it down, I said it), yet you don't hear them calling for Lidstrom's head. Now maybe they're too busy fitting Osgood for that noose, but they know the goaltending isn't entirely to blame.
Point is, they are not calling for trades just because the team is having a down year and despite their record they are having a down year. They are on pace for 240 goals against, which if it happens will be the most they've allowed since the 93-94 season. 30 goals more than any season in between. They've never made it more than two rounds in the playoffs when they've given up more than 200 goals in a season. Despite the fact that they won't get their repeat, you don't hear anything too negative come out of Detroit.
End tangent.
We need to realize we have two of the best forwards in the game playing for us and that as great as having one monster line to push into the playoffs would be, it's not going to bring us a Cup(I'm looking at you, Washington). So, let's not think about trading either of them. We wouldn't get what either of them are worth in a trade anyway.
I'm looking forward to a time when we actually have some talent to play with both of our star centers. The Cups will come and until then I get to watch two of the greatest players in the NHL take the ice in Pittsburgh.
Yeah, you'll still find me at PNC park too. Let's go Bucs.
My man Josh... exactly how I feel. Not to keep comparing us to Detroit, but look at the all talent they currently have on that team. Even next season when the cap hits get to them, I believe they will still lock up a good portion of their unreal core. Now say one of their studs is having a bad game, do you think Detroit is going to want to see their all star line up get broken up?
In this league now, I do not believe that you can trade a star and get 3 great players in return. I would not want to trade Sid for 3 Ryan Malones. We shouldn't trade our stars to get more average, we need to trade our plethora of average to get atleast two top tier players. We have two of the BEST players in the world, and night in and night out they seek to not only excel, but make everyone they play with a contributor.
Skoz, In all do respect your point is well taken, Kopitar and Brown are just not average players. Now that the Kings had turned loose their offense their production has gone up. As for putting Ryan Malone 's name in the conversation, I don't get it.
I think I am just very weary about the Pens dealing a big time player. I just don't have much faith that they would maximize their gains in a big move... Thats what scares me.
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