Joe Sakic More Likeable than Sidney Crosby?

I've been shocked once already this offseason. Then shocked again after hearing about Forsberg skating in Sweden (because there was no followup injury story). I fully expect the trifecta of shockingness to come into play at some point, but today is not that day.

The National Post is running an article titled "Sidney Crosby or Joe Sakic:Who's more likeable?" and the results are not shocking. Joe Sakic had a "Q score" of 26 while Sid the Kid fell behind with 22.

Poor Sid, even with all the hype and marketing, is less likable than one of the quietest players to ever play the game. Who knew?

Honestly, I didn't need a survey to tell me that people would think more highly of Joe Sakic than Sidney Crosby. Crosby came into the league as a whining 18-year old, was given an "A" that same year, had the captaincy foisted upon him at the age of 20 - to which they called a press conference to announce -, and has been annointed as the next Great One since he was a young teenager.

In other words, he's been shoved in our faces. Contrast that with a man such as Joe Sakic, who has quietly gone about his business and proven himself a winner at every level and you might get an idea why Sakic is more likeable.

Now, I have nothing against Crosby. The problem is that he was so darn good at a time when the league and the Penguins needed it. Coming out of the lockout, they needed a face to market the game on. They needed a savior. An icon.

Ok, I don't actually believe that but nonetheless, many people - including the NHL and most of the mainstream media - did and they began shoving him down our throats. And nobody likes anything being shoved down their throat.

For a quick refresher on how the media treats their golden boy, look no further than the end of the National Post article:
"Crosby's numbers should jump once he gets his first ring."

Sigh. There is no guarantee that Sidney Crosby will ever win the Stanley Cup. He's not even guaranteed to win another Art Ross Trophy. He may never again win the Lester B. Pearson Trophy. But the way people talk, it's as if he's entitled to everything just because his name is Sidney Crosby.

See, it's not so much that people dislike Crosby, it's that they dislike the hype that goes along with his name.