The heir apparent has no clothes

Originally posted on Saturday June 14, 2008 @ 12:41 PM EDT @ http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/blogs/16871

This has been on my mind for weeks,
Sidney Crosby. Sidney, Sidney, Sidney. Cindy Cindy Marsha Marsha Marsha....


Despite my obvious personal bias, it was very early in the 2008 playoffs that I realized that it was the NHL, NBC/Versus – really all of the media- making me hate this kid.


Not the player himself.


So, I redirected the puck and reserved my nasty comments and thoughts for the media and his coach.


Boy they made it easy. I remember at one point in game 3, sitting at a bar, hearing Doc Emerik blather on about Sid while the Wings were doing something great. Disgusted, I turned to check the Pistons/Celtics score on another TV and came face to face with that damn Gatorade commercial. ARRRGHHHH!


However, as the finals wore on I also started to see that Sid has a lot of growing up and character building to do in the off season.


A lot.


Contributing to the “NHL blowing sunshine directly up his arseki” problem may well be that he’s buying into it a little. I can’t blame a 20 year old kid too much for that, I just hope he gets over himself.


I want to see a player as talented as Sidney show the grace, humility, drive and work ethic of a Gretsky or Yzerman. Of a LeMieux. Never taking any of his success for granted, never expecting. Never showing any sense of entitlement.


Professional Hockey is the last professional sport which has somehow managed not to become overrun with pampered divas. Without gun toting criminals. Without corruption so rampant that officals and players are sharing cells in federal prisions.


It HAS to stay this way. Please NHL I beg of you- don’t go all “Sprewell” or “Vick” on us for ratings. (No I’m not IN ANYWAY SHAPE OR FORM comparing Sid to whiny pansy axed NBA players or vicious criminal football players. I’m speaking of the league, the NHL, only)… But I digress….


Impossible not to appreciate The Kid’s talent, just not sure which way he will eventually go with respect to character. So I respectfully reserve judgment on whether this young man is the heir apparent until I see how he comes back next year and the lessons he should have learned from these playoffs.


Bottom Line? No matter how talented if Sidney can’t find the sort of grace and humility, “put-your-damn-head-down-and-work-harder-than-you-ever-thought-you-could- harder-than-you-think-you-should-no-matter-what-gets-thrown-at-you-never complain” aspect of his character, then he doesn’t deserve to be considered the Emperor of Hockey.


H-E-DHS, there are a couple of other guys out there, who even thought they didn’t put up his juniors numbers, are just as good in the NHL (maybe better), and several of them walked away with NHL awards this year.


I’m just saying, Sid is not the only flame in town.


So, I beg of you Bettman, NHL,Advertisers, 4th estate- let the kid grow, let him live up to the hype with talent and character. PLEASE! Don’t turn him into the NHL’s Britney Spears. Sid would look ridiculous with hair extensions.


Ok that was a bad comparison- Sid has talent, Britney has, um boots? How about this, PLEASE! Don’t turn him into the NHL’s Kobe. Please!