Equally Obnoxious Hockey Trash Talk Thread, eh?

[Xpertskir]

Not sure why everyone seems to think Sid isn't a good captain/leader. He's basically won every meaningful award in hockey, while being pinned as the team's best player EVERY SINGLE TIME. That's a hell of a lot of pressure to lug around on your shoulders, and he's found a way to win everything.

Pretty impressive, even if you dislike him for whatever reason.

But I guess that's what a C is for - to take all that blame when your entire team plays like garbage.

Since the NHL has chosen the Pens and Crosby as their best marketing tools, they have both become a magnet for this sort of criticism.


I'm not grabbing for excuses..I'm looking for answers. How does a team that played so well all season with so many injuries to key players, and with the most talent and depth in the playoffs show up and play like this?

There are only so many places you can place the blame..coaching and culture seems to be the most make sense place to look.

 

[Xpertskir]

Crosby's definitely talented, very talented. But he lacks composure. When his team most needs him to step up and be a leader, he loses his cool and hurts his team.

This is just not true. There have been so many instances where Crosby has stepped up when his team needed him that It's clear you haven't been watching much Pens hockey.


Off the top of my head the game 7 in the Capitals series when he had a hat trick, comes to mind.

Sure he loses his composure, everyone does, but more often than not its the opposite of what you suggest.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

This is just not true. There have been so many instances where Crosby has stepped up when his team needed him that It's clear you haven't been watching much Pens hockey.


Off the top of my head the game 7 in the Capitals series when he had a hat trick, comes to mind.

Sure he loses his composure, everyone does, but more often than not its the opposite of what you suggest.

You're right, I don't watch a ton of Pens hockey outside of the POs and highlights. I guess my wording made it seem like a blanket statement. He has shown the ability to step up and carry his team. He is incredibly skilled. He's also know for losing his composure from time to time. And you can't deny that in this series, like the one against Philly, many of his teammates follow that example and it hurts the Pens. Plus, really, from a non-Pitt fan's perspective, the whining and excuses rub people the wrong way. It comes off as unprofessional.

 

[ArcticBear]

Plus, really, from a non-Pitt fan's perspective, the whining and excuses rub people the wrong way. It comes off as unprofessional.

yup

 

[paulster2626]

Crosby's definitely talented, very talented. But he lacks composure. When his team most needs him to step up and be a leader, he loses his cool and hurts his team. I also find it very unprofessional when he whines about officiating when he himself has been the beneficiary of lax non-calls. Or when he kicks sticks, or elbows goalies after the period horn.

I don't think anyone can say those things and still keep a straight face.

 

[ArcticBear]

i would say that all day long. just because he's been given awards, or scores goals, or is the pretty face of the nhl... doesn't mean he's the best leader at all times.

and how in the hell does him scoring in the olympics make him a fearless leader?

 

[Channel66]

I think the misunderstanding lies in that people think that scoring a ton of goals is the mark of a good leader. Crosby is one of (if not the) most dangerous single players on the ice there is no arguing that. but his antics, his whiney demeanor, flopping, instigating etc. Make him a sad excuse for a captain/leader.

While many people don't care for chara, that's fine I won't use him for an example, but look at Bergeron, he wears letters on his sweater. And he deserves them, he's a class act (good thing too, we found out recently he can't really throw punches) I don't expect a captain to back down to first line fights if he feels he needs to tussle, but Crosby going out and throwing hissy fits every time things aren't going his way... makes his whole team look bad, and it drags down any of momentum that they can gain on their playing ability, which they certainly have in spades.

Want to beat the pens? Piss Crosby off, he will drag his team down with him.

I know paulster knows hockey, so I'm not sure what he's trying to say with the Olympic picture.

the rest is just my.02 fwiw.

Edit: hoping to change gears. Who is going to be in net tomorrow?

 

[ArcticBear]

Edit: hoping to change gears. Who is going to be in net tomorrow?

not to be "that guy" that quotes himself, but.... i believe them picked him up as a free agent, no one knows his name, but he's so dedicated to the game, he sticks around even when the rest of the practice is over...

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

^that's HILARIOUS!!! LMFAO!! Bruins still win, 4-2.

 

[Goofynewfie]

Paulster is saying that crosby stepped up and scored a huge goal in a extremely high pressure situation. He is a homer who wears blue and white glasses but is generally knowledgeable

 

[Bulls Beers]

I'm still kinda shocked by last nights game. I said yesterday that Boston has almost no chance to win game 2. It's human nature. The B's wanted one in Pitt and got it. The pens were a little desperate and needed that game. You would've thought the Bruins wouldn't have been as hungry as Pittsburgh. I was wrong. Crazy game.

 

[HawksBrewer]

If you want to look at what a model captain should be, look at Toews. He is calm, level headed and motivates his guys. When they're down he's on the bench talking to guys to figure out what they need to do. When they're up he's letting his guys know to keep the pedal down. His numbers in the POs haven't been incredible, but they haven't needed to be. He's gotten the 3rd and 4th lines motivated to play like 1st liners, and they often do. Hawks are getting consistent scoring from guys like Bickell and Shaw. Who's the first one to congratulate them when they come to the bench? Toews. He treats every guy on that bench like they're 1st line superstars.

 

[ICWiener]

Very crazy game. I was shocked to see the Pens as listless as they were. It sort of reminded me of the last Pens/Sens game. The Senators looked dejected, like they just couldn't bring themselves to fight back. Shoe was on the other foot last night. I'm hoping they bounce back, only because I want to see some good hockey.

 

[Goofynewfie]

I don't expect a captain to back down to first line fights if he feels he needs to tussle, but Crosby going out and throwing hissy fits every time things aren't going his way... makes his whole team look bad, and it drags down any of momentum that they can gain on their playing ability, which they certainly have in spades.

Want to beat the pens? Piss Crosby off, he will drag his team down with him.

Crosby is arguably the best player in the game today. I can tell you you why you see him " whining and diving" so much - there is ALWAYS a camera on him. There are other players who do it just as much, if not more, but they dont always have the camera to show them doing it, so you dont see it. You see him more so it sticks in your head.He cant even sit on the bemch without a camera focused on him the whole time.

 

[ArcticBear]

Paulster is saying that crosby stepped up and scored a huge goal in a extremely high pressure situation. He is a homer who wears blue and white glasses but is generally knowledgeable

i think paulster is missing the point. scoring goals doesnt equate to being a good captain or leader... it just means you are a great goal scorer.

A great leader motivates non goal scorers to move up in intensity, or keeps the team calm when emotions are overtaking the plays...

Crosby has none of the latter..

Crosby is arguably the best player in the game today. I can tell you you why you see him " whining and diving" so much - there is ALWAYS a camera on him. There are other players who do it just as much, if not more, but they dont always have the camera to show them doing it, so you dont see it. You see him more so it sticks in your head.He cant even sit on the bemch without a camera focused on him the whole time.

i'm not sure which broadcast you watch, but when i watch hockey i can usually see 8-10 of the 12 people on the ice at all times... he gets the cut scenes for commercials, but we all see the rest of the play as well.

 

[HawksBrewer]

i'm not sure which broadcast you watch, but when i watch hockey i can usually see 8-10 of the 12 people on the ice at all times... he gets the cut scenes for commercials, but we all see the rest of the play as well.

Probably watches NBC.com spotlight cams

 

[Goofynewfie]

Probably watches NBC.com spotlight cams

Are you kidding me???

1. You see him talking to the ref all the time because...... Hes captain, its part of his job.
2. Hes the face of the game and the league has based most of their marketing on him so they are not going to have cameras on him any more than any other player..... Ummmm ok thst makes sense. More cametas woulndnt equal more footage at all.
3. I know this is a sore point with USA hockey fans, but I dont think him scoring in overtime to beat the US for the gold medal is a good example of him "hurting" his team in a pressure situation.
4. Congratulations to the city of chicago for realizing they still had a team and supporting them once they started winning.

 

[HawksBrewer]

Are you kidding me???

1. You see him talking to the ref all the time because...... Hes captain, its part of his job.
2. Hes the face of the game and the league has based most of their marketing on him so they are not going to have cameras on him any more than any other player..... Ummmm ok thst makes sense. More cametas woulndnt equal more footage at all.
3. I know this is a sore point with USA hockey fans, but I dont think him scoring in overtime to beat the US for the gold medal is a good example of him "hurting" his team in a pressure situation.
4. Congratulations to the city of chicago for realizing they still had a team and supporting them once they started winning.

Overreaction to a joke much? And sure, there are some bandwagon fans in Chicago since 2010, just like pretty much every other city with every other team outside of maybe NY Yankees and LA Lakers... not sure what that proves.

 

[Goofynewfie]

My bad.... I did overreact. took it the wrong way, thought you were knocking my point about the extra cameras

My overall point is still the same.... Everything with Crosby is magnified just because of the way he is being marketed. A player like justin abdelkader ot tyler myers can dive and whine to the refs just as much, but if hes not playing the puck chances are there is not a camera focused on him to capture the footage for replay

 

[paulster2626]

Are you kidding me???

1. You see him talking to the ref all the time because...... Hes captain, its part of his job.
2. Hes the face of the game and the league has based most of their marketing on him so they are not going to have cameras on him any more than any other player..... Ummmm ok thst makes sense. More cametas woulndnt equal more footage at all.
3. I know this is a sore point with USA hockey fans, but I dont think him scoring in overtime to beat the US for the gold medal is a good example of him "hurting" his team in a pressure situation.
4. Congratulations to the city of chicago for realizing they still had a team and supporting them once they started winning.

Today marks a major turning point in history. Paulster and goofy newfie agree on everything.

Most, if not all, captains and alternates "whine" to the ref. All game long. Every game.

I can not imagine any point in time when a player is under more pressure than overtime in a gold medal game in their home country, playing on Line #1 for the team that's supposed to win. Ridiculous amount of composure and tenacity to first win the puck, then score the winner in that game.

 

[paulster2626]

Overreaction to a joke much? And sure, there are some bandwagon fans in Chicago since 2010, just like pretty much every other city with every other team outside of maybe NY Yankees and LA Lakers... not sure what that proves.

Remember when they stopped showing the games on TV to force people to actually come to the rink? That totally happens in cities with die-hard fans.

 

[ICWiener]

Remember when they stopped showing the games on TV to force people to actually come to the rink? That totally happens in cities with die-hard fans.

I'm not backing up Chicago fans here, because they are mostly bandwagoners...But, it's widely known that the TV blackouts were infamously orchestrated by Bill Wirtz. He didn't give a sh!t about the team. He kept the Hawks off of tv because he wanted butts in seats, so that he could squeeze more blood out of that turnip.

Clearly he didn't understand the potential for, y'know, TV and advertising revenue. Not to mention putting money into free agents, scouts, coaches, etc. to make the team better so that folks would actually want to watch the games at all. Genius businessman.

 

[HawksBrewer]

Remember when they stopped showing the games on TV to force people to actually come to the rink? That totally happens in cities with die-hard fans.

That was old man Wirtz. I was at the first game after he passed, when Rocky took the ice to address the fans and 'remember' his dad. We booed. A completely classless act. We booed the memorial of a man who had died. Why? Because he was a detriment to the team we loved, proving sports are sometimes held above all else. Am I proud of being part of that? Not really, but look what the team has accomplished since that time. There's a reason Rocky sits in the stand with 'us' regulars, instead of high up in a skybox.

But, it's widely known that the TV blackouts were infamously orchestrated by Bill Wirtz. He didn't give a sh!t about the team. He kept the Hawks off of tv because he wanted butts in seats, so that he could squeeze more blood out of that turnip.

Clearly he didn't understand the potential for, y'know, TV and advertising revenue. Not to mention putting money into free agents, scouts, coaches, etc. to make the team better so that folks would actually want to watch the games at all. Genius businessman.

And this.

Oh, and on a side note, Wirtz distribution is the reason us Chicago folk now have access to Ballast Point.

EDIT: Go to a game at the UC and it is very obvious who has had season tickets for 5+ years and who bought tickets off Stub Hub to be 'trendy.'

 

[schmoe]

If you want to look at what a model captain should be, look at Toews. He is calm, level headed and motivates his guys. When they're down he's on the bench talking to guys to figure out what they need to do. When they're up he's letting his guys know to keep the pedal down. His numbers in the POs haven't been incredible, but they haven't needed to be. He's gotten the 3rd and 4th lines motivated to play like 1st liners, and they often do. Hawks are getting consistent scoring from guys like Bickell and Shaw. Who's the first one to congratulate them when they come to the bench? Toews. He treats every guy on that bench like they're 1st line superstars.

Keeping calm!

 

[Xpertskir]

I think the misunderstanding lies in that people think that scoring a ton of goals is the mark of a good leader. Crosby is one of (if not the) most dangerous single players on the ice there is no arguing that. but his antics, his whiney demeanor, flopping, instigating etc. Make him a sad excuse for a captain/leader.



Edit: hoping to change gears. Who is going to be in net tomorrow?

The sentiment that Crosby is a diver(flopper, whatever) is absolutely ludicrous, how it's so pervasive boggles my mind.

Show me one example of him diving.

Does he draw a lot of penalties, yes. He keeps his feet moving more than any other player..couple that with his speed and the way he plays the game continually puts defenders in bad positions forcing them to take penalties to stop him.

Beyond that hes only 5'11..not exactly hard to take down.

 

[Channel66]

The sentiment that Crosby is a diver(flopper, whatever) is absolutely ludicrous, how it's so pervasive boggles my mind.

Show me one example of him diving.

Does he draw a lot of penalties, yes. He keeps his feet moving more than any other player..couple that with his speed and the way he plays the game continually puts defenders in bad positions forcing them to take penalties to stop him.

Beyond that hes only 5'11..not exactly hard to take down.

How about when he threw himself backwards after skating into McQuaids stick? One example, I'm not going to dig through video for more proof... he's a flopper

 

[ArcticBear]

Does he draw a lot of penalties, yes. He keeps his feet moving more than any other player..couple that with his speed and the way he plays the game continually puts defenders in bad positions forcing them to take penalties to stop him.

how do you know he keeps his feet moving more than any other player? since we only get to watch him play, we can't see how many other people are moving their feet...

again, not saying he's not a tremendous player, but you're blanket statements are overbearing and not based on fact. i don't understand why he is revered as someone to be worshipped... he's a good hockey player, a great one even, but he isn't the best that has ever played, and he certainly isn't going to be the best we ever see again.

 

[nickydballs]

Wow lots of sensitive Canadian fans...Crosby dives just like the Montreal Canadians do. It's not a secret he dives. He tries to get on the power play. It's not a fun sport to watch when all they do is try and embellish a call to be on the power play...

 

[emjay]

i think paulster is missing the point. scoring goals doesnt equate to being a good captain or leader... it just means you are a great goal scorer.

This. You'd think with Phil ****ing Kessel on his team, he'd understand that.

But yeah, Crosby. Don't like him. If nothing else but the fact that I consistently see him whining in interviews unlike any other player I've ever seen.

 

[paulster2626]

This. You'd think with Phil ****ing Kessel on his team, he'd understand that.

But yeah, Crosby. Don't like him. If nothing else but the fact that I consistently see him whining in interviews unlike any other player I've ever seen.

Interesting; I wasn't aware that Kessel had a C or an A on the front of his jersey. But I must ask, how do you know what he's like off the ice, anyway?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the people actually running the Pens have a bit of a better idea as to what's happening behind the scenes than we do. Can you win a Stanley Cup without solid leadership? Can you make it to the finals? Maybe, but I doubt it. You don't like Crosby based on the stupid whiney-sounding things the ultra-intelligent media gets him to say. That's cool. But how do you know what he's like in the dressing room, off the ice, etc? You don't.

Put it this way - if I told you that you can swap any player on your team for any other, it'd be stupid not to start with Sidney Crosby.