Sidney Crosby may be one of the most talented players to ever hit the ice. He is already a great star and will surmount to much more as he matures and grows older. It is hard to put down a superstar like him, but people find a way to do it.
There are many times in a game where Sid the Kid busts down the ice trying to split two or three opposing players, sometimes even all five players of the opposing team. Of course, the opposing players do not want him to get through, so what do they do? They slash, hook, trip, and anything else they can do to get him down.
So Crosby does fall, and the refs hand goes up to call the penalty. It was a no-brainer by the ref to call the blatant foul, but the defenseman still barks that it was a dive. Yeah, I would be diving on the ice too if I had a stick swung at my ankles or legs every sixty seconds.
It is getting quite ridiculous that every team that Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins go up against claim that Crosby is diving constantly. Same with fans of the opposing teams who call Crosby a cry baby and a diver.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Most of these fans are jealous about the fact that Crosby is the best player in hockey right now, and the only player who comes close is also a Pittsburgh Penguin, Evgeni Malkin. (Yes, that's right, Alexander Ovechkin does not come close to Crosby. It's easy to score 50+ goals in a season when you take 100,000+ shots.)
Every player embellishes a bit, that is there job. A team is more likely to score when they have the man advantage instead of being full strength. If you get whacked with a stick in the face or on the leg you are going to snap your head back or fall down. It is common sense to do it and any smart player would.
Embellishing is different than diving, though. Every once in awhile you will have a player that dives, but it is uncommon. If you watch tapes and highlights of the penalties Crosby draws, you can tell that he is actually tripped up. I understand it is a common reaction for a fan or player to run their mouth about a penalty, but think about it first. Every time Crosby goes down does not mean it was a dive. It would be safe to say that 98% of the time he goes down it is not a dive.
People need to stop bad-mouthing Crosby and just accept the fact that he is a great player, and probably the best around since Mario Lemieux. Do not be surprised when Crosby breaks many of Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky's records.
So attention bandwagon fans everywhere, stop yelling dive every time someone falls! Learn the rules of hockey and maybe you will understand he is just playing the game.
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8 months ago
You do havew to admit that in Crosby's rookie season he did have a bad habit of making trips and hooks look a little more severe than they were, and also he did act like cry-baby to the refs. He has matured in the years that have followed, unfortunately, when you set a precedent like that, of course, teams will try to get an advantage, or at least break even and try to get Sid in the box for a dive. Not saying he does it, and I think he's found out that NHL refs don't think he's any more special than anyone else. I do have to disagree with you though about Ovechkin. He much more complete player than Crosby. You'll never see Crosby laying those kind of hits, fighting nearly as much Ovechkin is willing to, and does not backcheck like Ovechkin. Let's also not forget that Ovechkin is bigger, faster and that Crosby hasn't scored more than 50 goals yet. Ovechkin has done it 2 out three seasons. Also let's not forget that is Sid's debut season he lost the Calder Trophy to AO. Plus, Ovechkin doesn't have 4 other #1 picks backing him up. Ovechkin carried a much less skilled team down a far more difficult road than Crosby has or will any time soon. Malkin carried the Penguins without him. That is why players like Malkin and Ovechkin are Hart Trophy candidates, and Crobsy won't win a single award this season...yes, even though he was hurt for a big chunk of time. Crosby's whole season fell short of last years achievements, even before he was injured. Sorry, but Crosby has a way to go before I consider him better than Ovechkin. Ovechkin may not have the rock-star looks and the perfect English, but he is right now, THE best player in the NHL.
8 months ago
Hey Aaron what happened to the Caps? Oh, yeah, they LOST in the first round.
Dude sweet article.
Crosby is THE man.
Ovechkin Sucks.
8 months ago
I vote Professional Diver.
8 months ago
i think that is so true, crosby is no diver
8 months ago
Diver, and hes a puss. Give me a real hockey player like Brenden Morrow or Ryan Getzlaf. One who will score and punch someones lights out.
8 months ago
Whether he's doing it now or not, if Crosby never started his career by diving, we wouldn't have the excuse to say he's doing it now.
7 months ago
This is rediculous, crosby is bar far not the best player in the nhl. Besides, whos best has nothing to do with it because its a TEAM GAME. Crosby is an immature, inexperienced baby. Hes very good, but hes no zetterberg, ovetchkin, morrow, modano etc etc etc And its other players that are breaking records, not him. He is the David Beckham of hockey. A fairly good player, and a poster boy, and nothing more. I cannot wait until i stop hearing his name. Unfortunately he is the nhl's attempt to be more hip and down with the kids. Or very strange it is that suddenly every 10 year old is a crosby fan and "always has been".
Besides, for team with the two "best players" theyre not doing too well now. I look forward to their imminent defeat at the hands of a much better TEAM.
from 6 months ago
All I can say is that you seem to be propping up the fact that hockey is a TEAM GAME, and dissing Crosby in the same breath...obviously you do not know what it means to be a TEAM player. All you have to do is look at the stats (and watch a few games) and see that Crosby has the most ASSISTS in the 2008 playoffs (and probably would have in the regular season as well were it not for the injury...and may have taken the scoring cahmpionship again as well).
Even though he has many more chances to score, himself, he usually chooses to pass the puck to another TEAM member, rather than hogging the puck...like, say, Ovechkin???...
A team player Crosby is, Ovechkin is NOT.
Ovechkin is out for his own glory and money and that's it. Do you think he would have offered to take a pay cut to keep a guy like Hossa on the TEAM...not likely.
Sydney Crosby rocks, and he WILL propel the NHL into the next decade for the next generation of fans. He is the complete package. Talent, looks, intelligence and humility (as much as anyone should have anyway). These things compel people to watch...and unfortunately also to hate.
Don't be a hater.
6 months ago
Good article!
While the comment section seems to have turned into somewhat of a Crosby vs. Ovechkin forum, looking back at the subject of the article, I agree completely.
Crosby is the diver a lot of fans make him out to be. Sure, he is by no means a tough guy, he isn't a pussy either. Like most skilled players, he takes a lot of punishment from the opposing team which allows him to draw a lot of penalties. But if you watch him carefully, you'll see that probably less than 50% of the penalties committed against him are called. This is where frustration and embellishment can come in to play; to stop the other team from getting away with unpenalized cheap plays.
from 6 months ago
EDIT: Should be "Crosby ISN'T the diver a lot of fans make him out to be."
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