So Pittsburgh treats them like humans and not caged animals.
- Gunner Staal

Pretty much lol

Eaton and Kennedy both back in the lineup tonight, according to Molinari.

Penguins lines: 14-87-9, 24-71-18, 19-16-12, 10-27-48

Great Hockey Debates

In which we employ the Socratic method in an attempt to settle the issues that have long plagued hockey fans.

This Week’s Debate: Should we hate Sidney Crosby?

In Favor: Oh man, I am so sick of that guy. Can’t stand him.

Opposed: Why? He’s the best player in the league. I’ve never understood why so many fans dislike him.

In Favor: It’s not a question of his talent. But it’s all the stuff that goes with it. He’s such a whiner. Always complaining and crying. And don’t get me started on the diving!

Opposed: Everyone says that, but is it really true? I mean sure, he complains about calls sometimes. And he’s embellished to draw a call or two, especially when he was younger. But which star player in this league doesn’t do that stuff?

In Favor: Oh come on, Crosby does it way more than the average player.

Opposed: Does he? Or does it seem that way because the cameras are always on him?

In Favor: But that’s another problem. He gets shoved down our throats all the time. Every NHL broadcast is “Sid this” and “Sid that," whether he’s even playing or not. He’s in every ad. His face is on every product. He’s completely overexposed.

Opposed: Well, that’s not his fault. He can’t control how the NHL markets him.

In Favor: Sure he can. He doesn’t have to say yes to every feature, interview, and commercial he gets asked to do.

Opposed: But isn’t that what we wanted from him? Think back a few years to when he was drafted. Coming out of the 2005 lockout, the NHL was desperate for a player to emerge as the new face of the league. Crosby had a ton of demands dumped on him, and he’s seemed willing to meet all of them. And now we rip him for that?

In Favor: He’s not the only good player in the league. Share the spotlight a little.

Opposed: I agree, it would be great if the NHL could market their stars better. Other leagues do a great job of that, while the NHL can’t seem to break through with anybody other than Crosby. But again, that’s not his fault.

In Favor: I just wish they’d pick a guy who isn’t constantly acting like such a punk.

Opposed: He is?

In Favor: Sure he is. Seriously, look at that scrum from Game 1 where he goes after Chara. He looked ridiculous. You can’t defend that.

Opposed: I don’t know. It seems like when other stars get mixed up in that kind of stuff, we love it. We talk about how fiery and competitive they are and how they’re leading by example. But when it’s Crosby, somehow he’s being a baby?

In Favor: He’s not a tough guy. When things get heated, he should get out of the way.

Opposed: And then we’d complain about his teammates having to fight his battles for him. He can’t win. No matter what he does, some idiot somewhere is calling him “Cindy."

In Favor: The “Cindy” stuff is stupid, I’ll grant you that. But not everyone stoops to that level.

Opposed: Sometimes it seems like everyone.

In Favor: OK, so why do you think so many fans rip him? You said yourself that this is a pretty widespread feeling in the hockey world. Can everyone be wrong?

Opposed: Maybe not. But I can’t shake the feeling that fans are just tired of seeing him light their teams up. He’s a great player, the Penguins are a great team, and fans get tired of losing to them. So they find a reason to hate the guy, and then they see him play often enough that confirmation bias kicks in.

In Favor: That’s a pretty convoluted explanation. I’d rather go with “the fans are right.”

Opposed: Maybe. It just all seems like overkill, especially since, by all accounts, he’s a perfectly nice guy. Young fans love him, and he seems to go out of his way to accommodate them. Heck, he’s probably signed more autographs than any player since Wayne Gretzky.

In Favor: Whoa. Don’t even make that comparison. Gretzky was pure class.

Opposed: You say that now. But when Gretzky played, plenty of fans said all the same things about him. He whined, he dove, he was overexposed. A lot of us didn’t realize what we had until he’d been gone for a while.

In Favor: And maybe we’ll feel the same way about Crosby one day. But not now.

Opposed: Our loss.

The Final Verdict: Sidney Crosby is guilty as charged when it comes to a lot of what he gets accused of. But so are most players, and nobody notices because we’re all too busy complaining about Crosby. This stuff is getting old, and it’s time for fans to back off and appreciate the opportunity to watch the best player of his generation while he’s in his prime.

From Down Goes Brown.

We'll see. I've learned to expect the unexpected.
- BulliesPhan87

I almost want to win more for the opportunity to control your avatar for a year than a chance at a cup.

Almost.

From Down Goes Brown.
- Ben37

That just summed up every comment section on a Pens blog in the last 5 years.

I almost want to win more for the opportunity to control your avatar for a year than a chance at a cup.

Almost.
- canadianpenfan

I stand by my offer. Consider it contractual.

Pretty much lol
- rival22

Pretty much lol
- rival22

haha, they arent teeated like animals more like gods. the team has been ingrained in quebecs culture for 100+ years. has started revolutions in the 50s etc, songs movies books. people are just really pationatee here about hockey in general