Well, Mr. Crosby has been in vogue the latest week because of his conduct on the ice, an ugly spearing among other inappropriate behavior.
All hockey lovers must feel that it is pity at least, and can’t turn the blind eye to what Crosby is doing to others during the games.
I feel also that it is a shame that a player at his level is behaving like that; the spearing he did during the week was one of the ugliest deeds that I have seen with my own eyes from him.
One can wonder: why must such a skillful player do such things at all, and not only concentrate on scoring, giving assists or helping the team on the ice in many other ways that do not give the game a foul taste?
You tell me, but, I think in Crosby’s case, it is a shame because it does give a gray shade (not fifty different shades but enough) to his glorious achievements so far from his career as a hockey player.
One of the most eminent journalists from the Finnish media site Iltalehti, Pekka Jalonen, wrote that Crosby is a rat. Also that he’s pretty much untouchable among the North American media sites and that there are rules in the NHL but the rules are not the same for everyone (source Iltalehti http://www.iltalehti.fi/nhl/201703222200089861_nh.shtml)
Well, no matter the sport or league around the world, one cannot agree more and should point out that the rules must be the same for every player and that every player has the responsibility to uphold good sportsmanship.
It is not good for the hockey game if there come up like Luis Suarez kinds of players, who are winning a lot of titles but have done so by awkward conduct or cheating all the time, and the discussion is only about that instead of the actual games.
In the end, it is about the attitude towards the game and towards the opponents, and that is being taught at a young age if at all. Therefore, if we judge by Crosby’s current conduct on the ice, apparently, he had no clever coach who told him to behave and show respect to the other players.
Furthermore, if we look at a longer perspective, at the youth players and the upcoming prospects who are on their way to becoming as big as Crosby is today:
It wouldn’t hurt at all if each organization and each coach should have a serious and deep conversation with their players about these kinds of things and about how it is going to be.
Or rather how it should be.
I am convinced that it is absolutely possible to be a very good player – many have succeeded with that – and at the same time show and play with respect.
To the last:
I don’t know if Crosby is going to change his mind and attitude about this because some of us have reacted — probably not — but I say it again, it is a shame that his conduct on the ice casts a shade of grey over his achievements, because those won’t sadly enough be the only thing we will remember when he is finishing off his career.
I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.
– Julius Erving
