Thursday, January 11, 2007

This just in... E.J. Hradek is an idiot

Yet again, another ESPN hockey "reporter" has written a glowing piece about how Secondary Sid is "the very best player in the NHL." To which I reply, "bull$#!#."

The only reasons I can see that these "experts" continuously stroke the Secondary One in print are 1) there is only ever 1 TV on that shows hockey in all of Bristol, and they only get good reception from the Pittsburgh feed and 2) nothing beats the Pittsburgh sob story (an up and coming team that may be forced to relocate because they have a crappy arena).

Let's face it folks, Alexander Ovechkin has more charisma in his right pinkie than Crosby has in his whole body. He also has more scoring ability than Crosby will ever dream of. Disagree? Compare The Goal to The Imitation. One is a goal for all-time, something I'll be telling my brother's kids I saw years from now. The other? Someone laying out to make a deflection. And yet every hack with a keyboard in Bristol seems to think that they belong in the same conversation. They don't, and time will show that they won't.

You want to talk about being a complete player? How about putting a shoulder into someone. I've never, EVER seen Sid put a solid lick on any player, much less a physically imposing one. Alexander Ovechkin plays a monster physical game against every team he plays. He doesn't just beat up on the small guys, the grind guys, the lesser players of the NHL. Don't believe me? Ask Forsberg how his head feels. Or search youtube for Crosby and hits. Find anything? Thought not. Now do the same for Ovechkin. I'll see you in half an hour when you're done with the first few pages of highlights.

But yeah, E.J., you're right. Crosby is a complete player. Completely soft. The guy has more diving minors than hits.

Oh, there's also that little thing called the Calder trophy, given to the best rookie in the NHL. Last year, Ovechkin "edged" Crosby in the voting, winning by a margin of only 119 first place votes (there were 129 cast). That after "experts" like Hradek and Suck Burnside predicted one of the closest votes of all time.

Now I'm not saying Crosby is not a good player. He most certainly is. In time he may become one of the all-time greats. What I am saying is this: Putting the Secondary One on a pedestal above the Russian Machine (see, he's even got better nicknames) is more than just lazy journalism. It's downright offensive, and it makes a mockery of what a "complete" player, and hockey in general, should be all about. And Caps fans should be LIVID about it. I know I am.

8 comments:

Roger Padre said...

I understand your contempt for the hero worship surrounding Sid (Bing) Crosby but, as you indicate, he still is an excellent player with great potential, and he still only 19 years old. Remember that living in DC you only get to see Crosby a few times a year whereas you see Ovechkin's tremendous skills displayed several times a week.

I'll still take the Russian Machine!

3 Grumpy Caps fans said...

Fair enough. But calling Crosby the most complete player in the NHL is still a joke.

DCSportsChick said...

Crosby is a great offensive player, sure; just look at all those secondary assists. Defensive? No way- he prefers to whine to the refs whenever anyone gets near him. Ovechkin is a more complete player, since he can play both sides of the puck (and play them WELL!).

neek said...

well first off.. crosby was 19 and posted a 120 point season in the nhl. where ovechkin just won his first art ross trophy with 106 points and hes 22 also note. crosby was out for half this season makes you wonder who the scoring leader 'regaurdless of secondary assists that is part of the game of hockey sorry' would have been otherwise. oh yeah and look up ovechkin vs. malkin and see who got the best of that cheap shot ovechkin tried to lay.

Anonymous said...

Bitter much?

Anonymous said...

No wonder this bullshit blog has stopped, what a bunch of Washington morons. Learn some hockey, you fucking idiots.

Sidney Crosby has a Stanley Cup-ring and olympic gold. your steroid freak Ovechkin has nothing and never will-

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