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[bishoptl]

Crosby pulled out of the CHL Top Prospects game yesterday. A little late in the day, considering the timing (the game is tomorrow at the Pacific Coliseum), but understandable given everything he's been up to lately. Not everybody is as forgiving as myself, however:

It seems that the owner of the Vancouver Giants, and promoter of the CHL Top Prospects game, Ron Toigo, isn't pleased that Crosby has elected to skip the game.

''For the guy who wants to be the next Wayne Gretzky... the history of Gretzky is that he would be there with one leg if that's what it took because it's good for the game,'' said Toigo in an interview.

Sidney Crosby is making it hard for me to like him.

Sidney Crosby is used to taking hits on and off the ice, and he knows that he will take more than his share for choosing to skip the 2005 NHL Top Prospects Game at the Pacific Coliseum.

Toigo needs to chill. He's sold his tickets and there's still going to be a shitload of excellent players on display. It'd be nice to have the clear number 1 draft choice on the ice as well, but the hyperbole needs to be toned down considerably. Why demonize a 17-year old who just wants to rest his back and get himself back on track emotionally and physically? Crosby has nothing to prove to the scouts in attendance, and I don't blame him one bit for doing what he needs to do for himself. He's represented his country admirably during the World Juniors, and for that he should get a free pass.

In related news, the Vancouver media are full of poop.

 

[Socreges]

I've got tickets to the game. And truly wouldn't if it weren't for Sydney Crosby. So my problem with him is that he left it until the last fucking moment to cancel, whereas he really should have decided not to be there (considering the circumstances) months ago. Instead, I'm sure a large percentage of the people going bought tickets to see him alone (such as we did), and now they feel screwed.

In fact, I'm not sure how interested I am anymore. I wouldn't mind seeing Brule and a couple other players, but I may pass off my ticket anyways.

 

[Memles]

It's all part of the elaborate media frenzy surrounding the kid, I'm more convinced than ever.

Step 1
Hire someone to "steal" his jersey from his bag on its way home, catapulting him into the national media over his teammates from the World Junior Team.

Step 2
Create an injury to give him some time to sit back and plan further evil schemes to permeate the national media with his awkward looking smile.

Step 3
The jersey is miraculously found, in a MAILBOX, and mailed back to Sydney. This means that there was first stories on the jersey being FOUND one night, and then stories about the amazing delivery of the jersey to his house in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia the next night, meaning double the media coverage. He plays in Rimouski, he could have waited and flown into Montreal and then picked it up later, but that's not as annoying.

Step 4
Injury creates serious drama for this past weekend's Halifax/Rimouski game. We Haligonians love us some hometown hero, but it created serious tension when he was questionable. But, of course, he played, and got something like 4 or 5 points, meaning he's ALL over the local papers in Halifax.

Step 5
Able to play with his back being bad over the weekend, he backs out of the CHL Prospects game to simply keep himself in the spotlight without having to pretend to have an injury on the ice. That's acting that he doesn't want to have to do, so he instead chose to get press (Even if a bit negative). However, he likely anticipated reactions similar to yours Bish, where the guy who disses Crosby as the real villian and Crosby wins yet again.

Step 6
Tomorrow, he'll survive a car accident.

Step 7
Next week, he saves a cat from a burning building through telekinetic transportation methods.

Step 8
I offer to help him fake his death only to miraculously rise from the dead at centre ice during the 2006 Olympic Final. He won't suspect a thing and then BAMMO.

 

[Socreges]

That jersey business was a joke. The amount of attention it got was depressing.

 

[bishoptl]

How would he have know about an impending back injury months ahead of time? That doesn't make any sense.

 

[Memles]

How would he have know about an impending back injury months ahead of time? That doesn't make any sense.

The injury was created after his World Junior win. I bet he felt that Pierre McGuire didn't fill his quota of Crosby mentions (Hard to believe, I know). McGuire may show up dead soon. Anyways, he needed another way to plan more evil deeds, so he invented the injury.

Jeesh, you make it sound far-fetched.

 

[Socreges]

How would he have know about an impending back injury months ahead of time? That doesn't make any sense.

I didn't hear anything about a back injury. Just that his schedule was too tiring (reg season + juniors).

Though if he is injured, then a) that is awfully convenient, and b) why is anyone getting upset? Are they just ignoring the fact that he was injured? Or has he been playing every game up to this point?

 

[dem]

Didn't Crosby have a 6 point game this weekend? How injured could he be?

 

[Memles]

Didn't Crosby have a 6 point game this weekend? How injured could he be?

See! Memles' Theory +6

 

[bishoptl]

Crosby didn't play with Oceanic at all last week, prior to the Mooseheads game. Again, resting his back. A few media outlets mentioned his injury, but only as an aside which I feel is unfair. I'm not saying that his pulling out at this late stage isn't disappointing, I am saying that the conspiracy theorists are a bit too eager on this one.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Vancouver sports media questioning the integrity of hockey players?

...no surprise there.

See: Bure scandal years 1-5

 

[Pochacco]

The media is making him out to be a performing artist having a concert or something. Pro. Athletes don't have the luxury of knowing, ahead of time, when they're gonna be injured!! They don't have to notify people, ahead of time, when they're not going to play.

He probably could play, but why risk it?

 

[Shinobi]

Eh, fuck the media...the idea that Crosby should play injured in a game made for the scouts is absolute lunacy. He could score 15 goals tonight and it wouldn't raise his stock one iota, because the whole world has known he's a lock for the #1 pick for over two years now.

So, here it it is again...fuck the media.

 

[calder]

He's had a nagging back injury since the last game of the round robin. The amount of attention this story got (and the jersey story) is way out of line only because of the NHL lockout. If Mats Sundin slipped and fell on a sidewalk in Toronto and it was on tape I guarantee it'd be on the news for 3 days running.

The Giants owner looked like a total knob comparing Crosby not going to an exhibition game to the other PR knocks the *entire sport of hockey* has endured lately, then knocking his team and advisors as giving bad advice, THEN having the nerve to say Gretzky would go. What a whiny bitch, that asshole is forever on my list of absolute clueless sports jackasses. Sure anyone would be disappointed he won't be there, but fuck I went to like 5 Pittsburgh games in Winnipeg and Mario skipped EVERY SINGLE ONE because the first game of a western road trip is an obvious pass if you have nagging injuries.

The media also don't mention much how Crosby's team has a brutal schedule since all the teams he was to have visited during his WJC sabatical asked to have their home games rescheduled so Crosby would be there.

So, here it it is again...fuck the media.

I like your views and wish to subscribe to your newsletter! I know the media is bored and the hockey guys especially must know they're blowing shit waaaaay out of proportion but give it a rest already.

I think I'm more bitter because I started watching sports newscasts again for some reason. Now every day I sit here stunned at how stupid Bill Waters is, or how much I want to vomit blood at how much Sportsnets' HockeyCentral panel sucks ass. 3 clueless idiots *and* the dumbest host of any cable sports shows around? Who's idea was that?!

 

[Mike Works]

I'm on the other side of calder on this one, fuck Crosby.

Toigo offered to fly him into Vancouver first class, set him up in a really nice hotel in Victoria to relax for three days, and then bring him into Vancouver just to sign autographs and be at the game. Not play. Just be at the event which has had posters of Crosby vs Brule representing it for months.

But Sidney said no. Why? According to his agent, "If Sidney was going to Vancouver, he'd have to compete. He can't do it half way."

Why not? Because that's a stupid, shitty fucking excuse. Pulling out at the 11th hour like this is completely tacky. I'm respectful of him not playing if he has a sore back of course, but turning down the offer to just show up at the event after being flown first class to have a mini vacation? Give me a fucking break.

 

[bishoptl]

Flying cross-country with a back injury doesn't make much sense. Not for a prospects game where he's already the acknowledged #1. Whether he's signing autographs or playing, the trip is still the issue.

 

[calder]

Meh, for Crosby at that event flying out and not playing isn't much of a break, and fuck the owner of the Giants if Crosby doesn't want to run over and be his personal PR bitch for a couple of days. Hell, the game is probably the least tiring, easiest part for him. It's the hours of interviews, shaking hands and signing shit for guys to sell on Ebay that's the problem, not to mention flying across the country to do it.

 

[Mainline]

I think I'm more bitter because I started watching sports newscasts again for some reason. Now every day I sit here stunned at how stupid Bill Waters is, or how much I want to vomit blood at how much Sportsnets' HockeyCentral panel sucks ass. 3 clueless idiots *and* the dumbest host of any cable sports shows around? Who's idea was that?!

Sadly I watched Hockeycentral yesterday for the first time since the nhl/nhlpa last met...and I still want to hurt Kypreos....I don't even want to know the things he says when I don't watch the show, watching it once a month is enough to set me off every time. gRRRR!

Also on topic, I really could care less is crosby plays in the game or not, but anything to take airtime away from the other sports is fine with me, I've had enough NBA hilights to last me until 2010.

 

[Shinobi]

I think I'm more bitter because I started watching sports newscasts again for some reason. Now every day I sit here stunned at how stupid Bill Waters is, or how much I want to vomit blood at how much Sportsnets' HockeyCentral panel sucks ass. 3 clueless idiots *and* the dumbest host of any cable sports shows around? Who's idea was that?!

Take a deep breath.

Say "fuck the media".

Exhale.

Made you feel better didn't it? :lol

BTW, double fuck Toigo, the fucking scrot.