Paul Stewart: Crosby's On-Ice Behavior Needed Correction, Shootout Verdict Was Correct

Paul Stewart: Crosby's On-Ice Behavior Needed Correction, Shootout Verdict Was Correct
- Paul Stewart

Well said good blog.

sorry for all the hes so great people out there but he is a spoiled pisspot that learned at the foot of the master Mario. barks and cries way too much. shut up and play!!!!

Glad to see you are still the arrogant pompous guy now that you were when you refereed! Ya Paul, I had season tickets to Pens all the way up until the time you left the game, then it was like "if Stewey isn't there, there's no sense in going to the game."

Hey rags fans, when Marc Staal crossed check Crosby a half dozen or so times in the neck during a 15 second time in game three, I guess that was just tough nose hockey right?

PS - I still have season tickets Paul, I know if your mind if that wasn't pointed out, you would have believed it.

Glad to see you are still the arrogant pompous guy now that you were when you refereed! Ya Paul, I had season tickets to Pens all the way up until the time you left the game, then it was like "if Stewey isn't there, there's no sense in going to the game."

Hey rags fans, when Marc Staal crossed check Crosby a half dozen or so times in the neck during a 15 second time in game three, I guess that was just tough nose hockey right?

PS - I still have season tickets Paul, I know if your mind if that wasn't pointed out, you would have believed it.
- stevens87

i agree that no one likes paul stewart more than paul stewart but you have to admit to crosby's shortcomings. he is a little pissy pants. great, great player but he comes with a little baggage.

Mario was correct. He was the show. People didn't pack the rinks to see Paul Stewart.

Mario was correct. He was the show. People didn't pack the rinks to see Paul Stewart.
- bigwhite

Mario was the show. I enjoyed watching him - even when he torched my team - which happened quite frequently. However, no official - least of all Stewy - will ever accept being purposely bumped and then told that.

Regarding Crosby: the difference between him and Mario is that Mario handled himself with a little more grace and maturity (at least to this point in Sid's career). Sid has greatly reduced his antics but still has his occasional "moments". Most if it comes from his intense, ultra-competitive nature, which is great, but he still needs to (and will) continue to make strides in that area as he gets older.

I don't know many folks that like the "extra" from Crosby. Most take the good with the bad, the good outweighing the bad by a landslide.

As far as Mario, he dove quite a bit and as annoying as it was, it was forgettable a minute later after a stellar play.

As annoyed as it gets me, I can't say I wouldn't react the same way with as much crap as both got/get during a game.

I also don't remember Mario being as mouthy as Sid. Paul would know best but I remember him being more subtle...except around Frasier. That game against Tampa Kerry really pissed the big guy off!

Glad to see you are still the arrogant pompous guy now that you were when you refereed! Ya Paul, I had season tickets to Pens all the way up until the time you left the game, then it was like "if Stewey isn't there, there's no sense in going to the game."

Hey rags fans, when Marc Staal crossed check Crosby a half dozen or so times in the neck during a 15 second time in game three, I guess that was just tough nose hockey right?

PS - I still have season tickets Paul, I know if your mind if that wasn't pointed out, you would have believed it.
- stevens87

It was tough nose playoff hockey.

Great piece Stewie, and spot on!! A couple posters here may have made some less than complimentary statements about you. Well, to he** with them! I enjoyed the piece, appreciate an honest official who makes the honest call, regardless of whom the call is against! I'll chalk this one up to a few pens fans who are a bit blinded by their fan enthusiasm. Side note, I once beat up an opposing player in a high school hockey game til they literally pulled me off with two officials. I got a ten game suspension. Was I happy, NO, by it was the right call and I deserved it. Long after the game passes players by, they come to admire and respect the game, including honest officials......if they are honest with themselves. Good work Stewie. I look forward to these insights and stories.

Mario was correct. He was the show. People didn't pack the rinks to see Paul Stewart.
- bigwhite

Nothing better than going to the game and see Paul "steal" the show.

Maybe Crosby went overboard, but just like Mario, players have to resort to "other" tactics to slow him down and the NHL refs like Stewey usually just let it go. That's how you end up with players losing their mind.

The next time NHL reffing is consistent will be the first time. The reffing in that game was terrible.

I think Crosby's legacy is all set in stone. How many other super stars are boo'ed and jeered as often as he is? Fan's usually respect superstars, they might not be happy they are on an opposing team, but they don't razz them continuously like they do Crosby. His rep is and always will be, he's a crybaby!

Mr Stewart, first of all, I agree that Crosby should have been assessed a penalty for slamming his stick against the boards.

Beyond that, what he did is understandable considering how terrible the refs were performing in the game on Saturday night. As usual, the officials were wildly inconsistent (for both sides) which is maddening for both players and fans. In the first period, they called a very ticky tack stick infraction against Christian Erhoff, and then on the play IMMEDIATELY preceding the whack against the boards, Crosby took three slashes whil trying to penetrate the Rangers D. None of these were anywhere close to vicious, but they were AT LEAST as bad as what Erhoff did and they occurred right in front of the ref....and no minor penalty was called. I'd have been pissed too, because as usual, there IS NO CONSISTENCY as to how the game is called from night to night or ref to ref.

So If you are going to slam Crosby, then you might at least put the incident in proper context, which is that as usual, your friends in the striped shirts did a pretty good job of managing to butcher an otherwise very entertaining hockey game. I was there, and paid my money, because Mario was right: YOU and the refs are not the show. You do a pretty nice job on this site and entertain with some good anecdotes, but you also take plenty of opportunities to pat yourself on the back and remind us about what a fair guy you were. Maybe next time you are about to congratulate yourself, you might instead good look at the game and realize how remarkable it is that it manages to survive the garage league officiating that I've witnessed in my 30 years as a paying customer. I will agree that you were better than many of the refs out there, but with the standard set so low on such a regular basis, I don't think that's the terrific compliment you probably do.

LOL Stewart. Reminds me of another pompous wanker Don Cherry, who confirmed last year that no player in the NHL takes as much on ice abuse as Crosby.

Crosby's antics are magnified ten fold because any idiot with a keyboard can logon and yell Crysby and Cindy and most of these dimwits believe it because it was in a chatroom.

He should have gotten some penalty, but the refs are so bad they blew that call too. Like they miss the 200 or so plays a year of him getting slashed and crosschecked.

Here's a phrase you internet warriors will understand. H8ters gunna H8.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and mine is that hockey is officiated terribly. Was when you were an official also. Inconsistent from game to game. That is the true problem with the NHL. There is a set of rules that is set aside for score, for period, for playoffs, for if a team has more PP's, etc... I would Love to see let em play hockey go away and you refs just call the entire game.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and mine is that hockey is officiated terribly. Was when you were an official also. Inconsistent from game to game. That is the true problem with the NHL. There is a set of rules that is set aside for score, for period, for playoffs, for if a team has more PP's, etc... I would Love to see let em play hockey go away and you refs just call the entire game.
- lloyd095

OR just let them play. Either way, as has been alluded to many times here, it's all about consistency. Either let them play or call everything, but for whatever reason neither is seemingly possible, which is why fans and players are extremely frustrated. Let's face it, I know the referees have a very tough job, but so does everyone, and no one is above the game. I would say Crosby takes more abuse than any other player I've seen in the past and, if you think that the referees are doing a good job in addressing this, then you obviously haven't been watching what has been happening for quite some time now.

It's too bad that they introduced the idiotic instigator rule. I'm sure (as are the majority of people/players/fans/management etc) that the players could police themselves. But such as it is, the powers that be (who probably know very little about hockey) dictate how the game is to be played. As I indicated, it's extremely frustrating and difficult not to be cynical.

I dont think Paul was being serious when he said "Im the show, people come to see me". I mean i believe that he said that, but it sounded to me just like a way to shut the player up and (frank) with him a little bit. Then if they keep jabbing, he throws them out.

I dont think Paul was being serious when he said "Im the show, people come to see me". I mean i believe that he said that, but it sounded to me just like a way to shut the player up and (frank) with him a little bit. Then if they keep jabbing, he throws them out.
- BlazinMike

Mario said that to Paul, not the other way around.

Mario said that to Paul, not the other way around.
- bmeltzer

and then Paul dropped the ban hammer on him!!!!

Yep the Uber Douche Stewart still has a worthless Goon Turd complex when it comes to the Best Players to play hockey


Good Lord you Asshat get over yourserlf

Yep the Uber Douche Stewart still has a worthless Goon Turd complex when it comes to the Best Players to play hockey


Good Lord you Asshat get over yourserlf
- Evilpens

is that what it was?

please admit to hyperbole here.

Mario said that to Paul, not the other way around.
- bmeltzer

I understand that he did actually say that to Mario. What I'm saying is that i dont think Paul ACTUALLY believes that people paid money to see him referee a game. I think he was saying it just to (frank) with the guy before tossing him. Trying to put him in his place you know?