Sidney Crosby: Captaincy Meeting Must Be Least of Sid the Kid's Concerns

You may not be aware of this, but as we speak the dumbest, most irrelevant argument in the history of sports is taking place in Pittsburgh. Are the Penguins looking to replace Sidney Crosby as the captain? 

Last week, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review reported that the Penguins had held a meeting to discuss whether or not they should temporarily replace Crosby as the Pittsburgh captain. 

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Last week in Pittsburgh, according to three sources, a group of players held a 45-minute meeting to discuss a temporary captaincy. Another source disputed that any such meeting occurred.

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This week, Chris Harlan and Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review quoted Craig Adams as denying the meeting ever took place.

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Ask every person in this room right now, point-blank, and they'll deny it...Knowing the people in this room, I don't think that could happen here. And for it to be a topic of conversation, for some of our fans to think it did happen, that's pretty sad.

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So, it depends on who you ask and when you ask them. But if there's a more irrelevant controversy in the world of sports, hockey, or even with the Penguins, please let me know.

The only question that matters as it relates to Sidney Crosby is when he will be healthy enough to get back on the ice. Then, when he's on the ice, will he stay there? This is a guy who has played in eight games since having his 2010-2011 ended just after the 2011 Winter Classic. 

Concussions are a serious problem, and they have kept Crosby out of action for nearly all of the last year. It doesn't matter who the captain of the team is if Crosby is not back on the ice.

Even those who were saying that the meeting took place weren't claiming that it was anything more to decide who the "Temporary Captain" would be. Clearly, there's no debate in Pittsburgh that when Crosby's on the ice, he's the man with the "C" on his chest. 

If Crosby is not back on the ice, the Penguins have no choice but to move on. That means that they must find a new team captain. It may seem harsh to take Crosby out of that role, but there's no other realistic option if Crosby isn't in action.

But temporary or not, the only thing Crosby needs to worry about is if he can get on the ice or not. The answer to that question will tell everyone whether or not Crosby is Pittsburgh's captain.

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