Sorry Ovechkin. Our apologies, City of Brotherly Love (if that's not a misnomer, I don't know what is).
Consider this the collective Pittsburgh Apology for the butt-whooping you are going to receive from here on out.
Okay, that's over the top. I admit it. But after all the hate that flowed Sidney Crosby's way before he got hurt, then the oceans of vitriol when he got hurt, consider me -- and an entire city -- a little bitter. And looking for payback.
In case you've been living under a rock -- I sure hope Geico hasn't managed to trademark that -- Sidney "Sid the Kid" Crosby, undisputed Best Player in the NHL, returned to the ice today after missing 29 games due to a concussion and post-concussion symptoms that prevented him from receiving medical clearance to return. And in case you are one of those people who refuses to even hear what a fan of another team has to say, here is a single statement from the anti-Sid movement on Twitter that sums up the polarized attention Crosby receives:
"Why couldn't a tsunami have wiped out Sidney Crosby?" -Copy1Cat
The attribution was added simply so you can go fill that guy's @mention list with your gloating, should you so desire. I do not condone it. But I will be happy to laugh at it.
It's amazing, yet entirely unoriginal, that someone as completely benign as #87 could inspire this sort of utter disrespect. He's as much of a team player as this league has ever seen, and by all accounts a genuinely awesome guy. He has remained humble despite his ridiculous success that has him drawing constant comparisons to Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, the two best players in NHL history. It's sadly ordinary for people to hate other people's success, and Crosby has made success as ordinary as breathing: air-in, score-goal, air-out. Repeat.
I tend to get angry when people speak ill of all the good guys in Pittsburgh: Crosby, Kris Letang, Dan Bylsma, Mario, Rashard Mendenhall, Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, etc. Maybe I don't see their faults because they are "my guys." From what I see, most Pittsburgh athletes really are stand-up guys and generally create way more good headlines than bad, contrary to most other sports cities in America. And Crosby is the model for that mold.
So, while Sid spends the next week or two practicing in time for the late stretch run and the playoffs, I fully expect the harsh words to continue. When you rely on selfish, me-first players like Alexander Ovenchkin, or, well...you live in Philadelphia, it's understandable that you would be jealous of Pittsburgh's constant success. And now that the biggest piece of the puzzle is back in place, that trend should get back on track quickly.
Sorry, Caps and Flyers fans. As long as Superman skates, you will remain powerless.
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