Last night in game 2 of the Capitals/Penguins series, both Sidney Crosby AND Alex Ovechkin had hat-tricks. Both players were absolutely phenomenal but someone else on Washington managed to score as well while no one other than Sid could pop one by Washington's Varlamov, leading to a 4-3 Caps victory. The real difference and the blog-worthy part of this game came in the post-game press conference however.
Sid took the podium like a blue-collar guy ready to get back to work. "It's never a good sign when someone on the other team scores three goals, I didn't like all the hats being thrown on the ice, etc. etc." Hey, Crosby, SHUT THE F*** UP. You just gave the NHL one of the best games its ever seen! You scored your first career playoff hat-trick, granted you lost the game, but observe the situation with some objectivity and realism for once. Admit what happened out there was awesome and maybe a step forward for the game of hockey itself. Or, just whine. Whine like you always do.
Enter Alex Ovechkin. "Sick game! Sick three goals by me, sick three goals by him!" DAMN RIGHT. And said in that hilarious Russian accent, it sounded all the more fun-loving. Some of you may disagree with me, but I think Ovie would have said something similar had the Capitals lost the game because Alex knows how to have fun. He is able to appreciate the rarity of what happened in that game, and unlike Crosby, he doesn't think it's necessarily a terrible thing that a guy on the other team is scoring three goals, at least it's putting the NHL on the map!
Here's the final word, Ovechkin is the attitude the fans and the league want, Crosby is the guy you want on your team. Sid wants to win and nothing else matters. While this is the kind of attitude that is heralded in professional sports, it's not the one fans want. For example, Shaq vs. Tim Duncan. Terrell Owens vs. Marvin Harrison. And now, Ovechkin vs. Crosby. One's a show, one's a joe.
But hey, Duncan, Harrison and Crosby are the ones with the championships, or at least the playoff wins (in Crosby's case). But what I love about Ovechkin is that despite his foreign heritage, the way he carries himself is anything but. He seems to realize that this modern world of professional sports is a world of hype, attention, twittering, blogging, and making a splash. This is where Ovechkin greatly outshines Crosby, the media game (this is also what people say Lebron James does so much better than Michael Jordan). 30 years down the road, Ovie will be the one you want to catch for a quick interview if he's attending a game. He provides the humor and has a knack for the spotlight. He looks like having fun is important to him, and winning isn't all that matters, unlike Canada's Crosby. Oh, also, Ovechkin scores shitloads more goals. Sorry Sid.
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i apologize because maybe you address this in the end of the article, but i couldnt keep reading after you said crosby should "observe the situation". He lost the game. who cares who scored what, he would have prefered to win the game. he has a right to be upset. That comment just screams a "im a fan" ideology. I couldnt disagree more with that statement. I dont even like crosby. i think hes a little b-boy. Havnt you ever played a game you are passionate about and a stud player on the other team stole the show? are you going to say "hey its alright i lost but heck that was a super job by him so its alright". Absolutely not.
ReplyDeleteOvi wouldnt have said the same if he lost. I think thats rediculus.
Good job on this article... because it actually made me mad... haha
And i doubt uve ever seen Ovi after a loss doing an interview. He seems miserable, never happy, regardless of how he does personally in that game.
ReplyDeleteRobbys a b-boy, im a D- Boy
When I say he needs to observe the situation, the word OBJECTIVELY was key. What he and Ovechkin are doing for hockey right now is making its mark in history. All Crosby is doing is trying to bring down the hype by complaining about hats and being the bore that he is. Show a little life. And Bitch, I'm a D-boy.
ReplyDeleteI agree he is a bitch. He still has a right to be upset with the loss. He wasnt saying that ovechkin is a douche or knocking him down a couple of pegs... he was merely saying that it is rather deflating when the other guy, basically his nemisis in the show, is sniping 3 g's. thats how i interpret it. By no means do i think that because they are doing great things for the league means he should be content with a loss where they both snipe hatters.
ReplyDeleteI'm tossing in a late take on this, but whatever...I'm at work and I'm bored. When Crosby got asked yesterday about the epicness of the series (meaning he was NOT giving a press conference within an hour of a crushing defeat at the time) he responded with something along the lines of "It's had a lot of hype, and I think it's definitely lived up to it. It's been a great series"
ReplyDeleteAnyone can take an objective view of a series like this after the fact, as Crosby already has. But to criticize someone for being upset immediately after a playoff loss, particularly one as tough as the game in question, is unfair. His job is not to entertain the fans...that's why Iceburgh the Penguin is on the payroll. He gets paid millions to win hockey games by whatever means necessary, and that night he failed. You expect anyone, within an hour of an internationally televised failure, to shrug it off because a third party was entertained?
In addition, Sid was savvy to be upset in that his own fans wouldn't be too stoked on him reflecting on the epicness of the game immediately following a loss. For me personally, if Kerry Collins came to a press conference immediately following last year's playoff loss to the Ravens saying "well...we lost, but that game was a lot of fun, and I bet the fans enjoyed it." I would respond with a GIANT "Fuck You!!!" For a fan that has become emotionally invested in a game, series, and particularly in a team, I can think of no greater annoyance than your star player being less devastated than you are by a loss.
Your conclusion is legitimate (Ovechkin is the entertainer, Crosby is the workhorse), but you used a questionable example to illustrate it, given that the only sample you mention is interviews immediately following an emotionally draining game that obviously had opposite results for the two teams involved. All regular interviews following losses are boring...Ovechkin's are no exception. The difference though, is Crosby's are still boring after a win, while Ovechkin brings out the hilarity in those situations.
Correct. Crosby always appears to be attending a funeral.
ReplyDeleteThe Iceburgh comment was spot on though. Well said.
ReplyDelete