stactum 4 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Crosby is also a terrific leader especially for his age. I don't think anyone has mentioned that. They didn't give him the captaincy because he scores a lot. Well, I kind of have to disagree. I still tend to think that this whole captaincy was given because of the hype, not because of his abilities. If you ask me, I'd pick Ovechkin any day over Crosby. It's interesting, there are people who loves Crosby and who hates him, but I never really heard that somebody hates Ovechkin, there's probably a good reason for that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spinner 6 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Yes he is. When he walks into a room people pass out...give me a break. I remember when Hank was leading at the beginning of the season, he still hardly got mention and the talk was still about how great Crosby is. It's all media hype. Z is a better all round player, I would pick AO over sid the kid anyday(imagine he and Dats together) and we already have the best player in hockey...Lids. So let the media give him all the hype while we skate off with the cup Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 He might be the best player in the world. He might also be the biggest cry-baby. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
henrik40 76 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Ovechkin, hands down Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 There is nothing like "The Best Player" in the world. Crosby is better than Brodeur? Why? Brodeur is better than Lidstrom? Why? Crosby is definitely awesome player, but he is not alone in that category. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Learn2LuvIt 245 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 (edited) Nope. TSN only says this cause he's Canadian. The "Canadian Hockey" media, has become really defensive about Canadian hockey players AND Canadian hockey teams. They over-promote them to such a point that's it's really transparent what they are trying to do, and it has become extremely annoying. Not saying Sid is not an elite hockey player...just on the force-feeding by mainly CA press. I saw one HNIC broadcast earlier this season where they were in-between perionds carrying on for about 10 minutes on Sid, and how he's single handedly "saved" the league and now the NHL can finally sell itself. After this, they then went on to talk about the Maple Leafs drama for another five minutes (they suck(ed) as do twenty other teams...now get over it and move on). Then!... Then, they breezed through scores from around the league in about 15 seconds. AO had four points that night and not even one mention of Ovechkin....not one!! This wouldn't be a big deal if it was just a one-time thing....but this Canadian love fest happens all the time and it's getting abnoxious. Lids had a goal and a few points that night as well...no mention either. BTW...to the Canadian hockey press....always referring to Colin Campbell by the nick name of "Collie" on the air is getting really f-in lame as well. Go Wings!! Edited March 4, 2008 by Learn2LuvIt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mors 201 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Solid player, personality of a ****** bag. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deke 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 No. Crosby is the most HYPED player in the world. I still believe that Ovechkin is better...but not given the same consideration and supporting cast as Crosby and so it doesn't show. But that's just my opinion. I agree, Ovechkin is the better hockey player. I think Malkin is better as well. That said, Crosby has the potential to become a better leader though. He could be the next Steve Yzerman the way his leadership is showing at such a young age. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzerfan1999 81 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Seems like the media hype really throws people off Crosby - you either have the people that ignore all that and actually watch him play - and the people who are so bothered by the attention this kid gets that they build a personal hatred for him. Forget the endorsements, the coverage and all the other hype he gets - it is not hard to make the argument that he is the best player in the league based on the points he puts up and his style of play. Calling him a 'cry-baby' is just ignorant, so he bitched about a few calls when he was a rookie...who hasn't? It just shows his emotion level and commitment to the game. Like I said, a lot of the people who don't recognize Crosby as one of the best - if not the best, come across as just being bitter. You can't ignore the talent this guy has. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Seems like the media hype really throws people off Crosby - you either have the people that ignore all that and actually watch him play - and the people who are so bothered by the attention this kid gets that they build a personal hatred for him. Forget the endorsements, the coverage and all the other hype he gets - it is not hard to make the argument that he is the best player in the league based on the points he puts up and his style of play. Calling him a 'cry-baby' is just ignorant, so he bitched about a few calls when he was a rookie...who hasn't? It just shows his emotion level and commitment to the game. Like I said, a lot of the people who don't recognize Crosby as one of the best - if not the best, come across as just being bitter. You can't ignore the talent this guy has. Agreed. I can completely understand getting sick of the Crosby hype, but people act as if he does that himself. Watch him play the game. The kid's amazing and plays with incredible intensity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deke 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 (edited) If you ask me, I'd pick Ovechkin any day over Crosby. It's interesting, there are people who loves Crosby and who hates him, but I never really heard that somebody hates Ovechkin, there's probably a good reason for that! It's an irrational hatred. When he first started playing he had all this hype in the media, and he wasn't even proven yet. He received attention that he was supposed to earn, but hadn't yet. He had endorsements without even scoring his first goal. I didn't like Crosby at first for this very reason. But if you like hockey, there really is no rational reason to hate the kid. He's earned his stripes. He plays with heart and a great work effort. There are better hockey players out there, but Crosby is definitely elite and will be one of the best players the game has ever seen. Don't hate the player, hate the game. The game being the media and the NHL for trying to hype him before he earned it. If he hadn't received all of this attention before he started playing, people would look at him like a Cinderella story and it'd be different. Everyone hates the favorite and roots for the underdog. Crosby was never an underdog thanks to the media. Then there is the whole Canadian aspect. Yes they overhype their players. Yes they think they are better than the Euros. Everyone thought that the Canadians were going to take the gold in the Olympics. Yea right. I talk hockey with a Canadian buddy of mine and for a while he was convinced that the Canadians had INVENTED the game of hockey. . . Sure Canada has a rich hockey history, but thinking they invented it is just dumb. Canada loves their hockey, but they need to tone it back a notch and realize that it's a global sport. Which one of the hundreds reasons I think it's the greatest sport. Edited March 4, 2008 by Deke Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Never_Retire_Steve 35 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 i meant to say proven that he is better outside of sids shadow Fair enough, I think this goes to show how good Lidstrom is though because who can replace him? Crosby has shown that he can be replaced, no one has shown that Lidstrom can (at least on the Wings) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzerfan1999 81 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Fair enough, I think this goes to show how good Lidstrom is though because who can replace him? Crosby has shown that he can be replaced, no one has shown that Lidstrom can (at least on the Wings) eh, I think thats more a display of Pittsburgh's offensive depth with Malkin - or Detroit's lack of Defensive depth after Lids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedFX 48 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 I think Ovechkin is better pure scorer. But Crosby is the better all around player IMO. And for those of you playing the Canadian vs. European card, may I remind you of how much the media touted Jagr as the world's best year after year? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toby91_ca 620 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 I talk hockey with a Canadian buddy of mine and for a while he was convinced that the Canadians had INVENTED the game of hockey. . . Sure Canada has a rich hockey history, but thinking they invented it is just dumb. Canada loves their hockey, but they need to tone it back a notch and realize that it's a global sport. Which one of the hundreds reasons I think it's the greatest sport. Are you suggesting that hockey was not invented in Canada? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 OK, he's a talented cry-baby. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Izzy24 44 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 I talk hockey with a Canadian buddy of mine and for a while he was convinced that the Canadians had INVENTED the game of hockey. . . Sure Canada has a rich hockey history, but thinking they invented it is just dumb. Canada loves their hockey, but they need to tone it back a notch and realize that it's a global sport. Which one of the hundreds reasons I think it's the greatest sport. What? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edicius 3,269 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Are you suggesting that hockey was not invented in Canada? It wasn't. Its origins are in Europe. 17th century Dutch painting FTW. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 No, Ice Hockey was invented in Canada for sure. But Finns were the first to develop ice skates some 5,000 years ago from animal bones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edicius 3,269 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 (edited) No, Ice Hockey was invented in Canada for sure. But Finns were the first to develop ice skates some 5,000 years ago from animal bones. Eh, everything I've read has stated that ice hockey's origins come from Europe and that immigrants to Canada brought the game with them. Perhaps the modern incarnation of the game belongs to Canada, but its origins are wholly European in nature. EDIT: In fact, I remember reading in one of Brian McFarlane's books that the British Royal Family was known to play a game extremely similar to ice hockey in the early 1800s. Edited March 4, 2008 by edicius Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Well, most of NA population came from Europe. But I know for sure Ice-Hockey was invented in Canada. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Never_Retire_Steve 35 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 eh, I think thats more a display of Pittsburgh's offensive depth with Malkin - or Detroit's lack of Defensive depth after Lids. Yet, we're still first in all defensive categories in the NHL, do you see what I am saying? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzerfan1999 81 Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Yet, we're still first in all defensive categories in the NHL, do you see what I am saying? No, not really - then you would be contradicting your own statement because you are saying Lidstrom WAS replaced if we remained first in every defensive category....even though it is clear he wasn't because they Wings continued to lose and those stats are more likely a reflection of earlier season success. I was just claiming that Malkin is not a huge drop off in talent compared to Crosby, whereas Rafalski is a good defenseman, but he is no Nick Lidstrom, and in the Wings case he injured as well, leaving Chelios and eventually Lebda and Lilja as our top D-pairings. My point was that just because Pittsburgh continued its success with Malkin after Crosby was injured does not mean that Crosby is not one of the best, if not the best in the league - it just means the team was able to rally around Malkin and secondary scoring to keep winning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doggy 130 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 Seems like the media hype really throws people off Crosby - you either have the people that ignore all that and actually watch him play - and the people who are so bothered by the attention this kid gets that they build a personal hatred for him. Forget the endorsements, the coverage and all the other hype he gets - it is not hard to make the argument that he is the best player in the league based on the points he puts up and his style of play. Calling him a 'cry-baby' is just ignorant, so he bitched about a few calls when he was a rookie...who hasn't? It just shows his emotion level and commitment to the game. Like I said, a lot of the people who don't recognize Crosby as one of the best - if not the best, come across as just being bitter. You can't ignore the talent this guy has. Perfect. My thoughts exactly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doggy 130 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 Yet, we're still first in all defensive categories in the NHL, do you see what I am saying? Dude, you're all over the place. You seem to have completely forgotten what your point was. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
