To make matters better, it was actually a good game! Toews got a goal. Parise with a HUGE game tying goal with just 24 seconds left. When they went to OT, I said to myself "Hey, we made a game of it. I'd still like to win, but if Canada wins in OT, I'll be ok with it... provided..." You guessed it. Provided Jesus Crosby didn't make any noise in OT. Well, he got the game winner. And Vanbiesbrouck and Gillstein (I think that's what that putz's name was) went nuts. But let me back this up a bit...
I knew they would go nuts. How? Well, they've been practically drooling over the Canada D all game long. No, not even that got me thinking they would. What got me thinking they would was during the initial part of the intermission between the 3rd period and OT. They said "Team Canada played the third period perfectly. They just lost track of one player..." WAIT A BLEEPING MINUTE HERE.....
What're you saying, pal? If they played a "perfect 3rd period" this game would have been OVER in regulation! Losing Parise wasn't a mistake? Seriously, they couldn't admit that the Canadians made a mistake and Parise made them pay. This isn't a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial. Oh well.
Then Sidney Crosby potted the game winner on a beautiful pass by, IIRC, Rick Nash. I'm happy for Nash. I'm happy for Toews, but the radio commentators played it like this: "The legend wins it! The legend of Sidney Crosby gets even bigger!" Uh......... Nope.
You see, legends aren't born WHILE THE PERSON IS STILL ALIVE. Here's Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary's definiton of the term legend:
1 a : a story coming down from the past; especially : one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable b : a body of such stories c : a popular myth of recent origin d : a person or thing that inspires legends e : the subject of a legend(http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/legend)
You see, this isn't exactly accurate. Sidney Crosby's accomplishments aren't a story coming down from the past that is popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable. It's not a body of such stories. The stories might be of recent origin, but it is no myth. Sidney Crosby MIGHT accomplish 1(d) and/or 1(e) of the definition, but right now? How many stories are being spawned about the prowess of Sidney Crosby? I can't speak about things in Canada, so there might be something to it there. But there's nothing in the U.S. And, if you've never seen a hockey game, nor tuned into these Olympics, nor watched NHL Network, there's a decent chance as an American that you've never even heard of Sidney Crosby. HARDLY legendary.
Fancy the fact that I still run into students in OMAHA, NE that know who Wayne Gretzky is. How would they know or care about Gretzky when they have a "legend" playing right now in Crosby?
Look, I know it looks like I dislike Sidney Crosby. He's a great player and surely Hall of Fame quality at this pace... but he's not there yet. Let's let him get there before we crown him and start worshipping him like some sort of Sports God.
Yeah, Milbury, McGuire, and Cherry, you got your two wishes: Canada wins Gold and Crosby pots the Gold Medal winning goal. But Crosby was NOT the best player on the ice during this Olympics. He wasn't even the best player on the ice in this game!
Here's my 3 Stars of this game:
1st Star: Roberto Luongo
2nd Star: Ryan Miller
3rd Star: Zach Parise
Honorable Mention: Rich Nash, CAN; Ryan Kesler, USA; Sidney Crosby, CAN
Yeah, I know Crosby scored the game winner, but if Luongo hadn't played the best game I've EVER seen him play, and the Canada D hadn't played good when Luongo wasn't facing pressure, would Crosby even have been necessary? Crosby was a COMPLETE NON FACTOR until OT. Arguably, wasn't a factor for all but this game and the game against the Swiss!
Hardly a "legend."
Let's give props to where it lies: Congrats to TEAM Canada. They won. They did so fairly. They played GREAT. They deserved it.
And now, with the Closing Ceremonies commencing, we can say good bye to NBC's crappy coverage and return MSNBC and CNBC back to where it belongs: Obscurity.
Hey Redwing77 you realize that Mike Mibury is an American right? He also also played for my Boston Bruins. :)
ReplyDeleteDOn't care.
ReplyDeleteHe has been just awful. AWFUL.
He and McGuire are running neck and neck for most biased sportscaster award for the span of the entire Olympics.
Now you know how I feel Goon. Crosby is #1 on my hit list since day 1 when he entered the league and all this is just adding to the fire. I sure do hope the Flyers play them in the playoffs again because Pronger is going head-hunting for that little biotch.
ReplyDeleteGood tournament for the USA. Much better than I expected and silver is nothing to hang their heads about. Just to even tie it with 24 seconds left was very fun to watch.
Goon,
ReplyDeleteThree stars should have looked like this for both teams for this game. Good blog!
USA: 1. Patrick Kane (with a bullet), he was the best player on the ice the entire game. 2. Ryan Miller -- Once again awesome, but was not as huge as he was in the first match up. 3. Zach Parise -- complete stud, love his compete level! Honarable mention: Brooks Orpik -- I have a new found respect for this guys game!
Canada -- 1. Jonathan Toews (best player for the Canadians all tourny), he will be the captain of the Canadian team in 2014. 2. Rick Nash (best player on the #1 line all tourney, yes better than even guess who). 3. Corey Perry --I still think he is a product of Getzlaf, but is better than I originally gave hin credit for. had a great tourney!
One last side note, luongo looked terrible today! I thought he looked like he was fighting the puck all day!
Kane almost gave the game away with that one really bad pass in front of his own net. But he is a speedy fellow. Maybe I missed something earlier but were the Canadians mad at Perry about his faux pas the other day? He seemed to be ignored by his team mates after he scored and after the game as well.
ReplyDeleteLet’s not leave Gary Bettman out, this reeks of his tampering.
ReplyDeleteIn the perfect world: Crosby snipes a wrist shot from the point that finds it's way through traffic, it's tipped by Crosby; but somehow Crosby gloves it from his perfect butterfly positioning before it goes top shelf. Crosby realizes he has time and space, so Crosby tosses it to Crosby behind the net. Crosby makes a perfect outlet pass to Crosby who skates it past the red line and threads the needle with a perfect tape to tape pass to Crosby. Crosby fakes the shot and dekes the goalie not once, but twice and then feathers a saucer pass over the outstretched D to Crosby who bangs it into the wide open, winning the Stanley Cup and gold metals in four separate sporting events all at the same time
And then NBC and Gary wake up.
Never Summer -
ReplyDeleteActually, if you throw in a bit of Alex Ovechkin somehow defecting to Canada and gaining citizenship, then springing Crosby on what (if anyone other than Crosby or AO did it) would be considered a cheap hit, setting up Crosby for the score/save/whatnot...
The Westwood One Radio crew was the most amusing with their endless supplies of contradiction, lies, and Crosby worship though.
Double posting but get this:
ReplyDeleteMy father grew up in Chicago and watched the likes of Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, the Espositos, and all that play. He saw Bobby Orr once but not much of what I'm about to talk about.
I asked him to think back to the media surrounding those old time greats he's seen and compare it to Jesus Crosby.
He said "No... they loved Bobby Hull because he was a Blackhawk and one of the first 50 goal scorers but nothing like Crosby."
I'm ok with Jesus Crosby getting media attention, but no more than the old greats like Howe, Hull, Orr, etc. This god worship is sickening.
I agree; he is a great player but so are allot of other players, so enough is enough already.
ReplyDelete