11/23/24
March 02, 2006
Crosby refuses to criticize Canada for Olympic snub: I really do like this kid's style. I keep waiting for his immature side to come out, and it never does.
posted by wingnut4life to other at 07:13 AM - 22 comments
This kind of story is so lazy - it's like the journalist had pinned his hopes on a nasty soundbite from Crosby about the Canadian team, and when it didn't arrive couldn't be arsed to find something else to write about. So we get a story about what someone didn't say, and how he wouldn't blame Canada's poor showing on his exclusion. By all means mention the fact that he's not bitter in a wider story, but don't make a whole story out of the fact that the kid isn't a dick.
posted by JJ at 08:32 AM on March 02, 2006
Unfortunately JJ anymore the fact that the athlete isn't an ass is a story. The jerk athletes running their mouths off is normal it seems.
posted by scottypup at 08:50 AM on March 02, 2006
I've seen plenty of immaturity out of young master Crosby. The diving. The complaining to officials. With that said, he has also handled the immense pressure better than most his age. The Crosby hype machine is back at it.
posted by garfield at 08:52 AM on March 02, 2006
He's gotten WAY too many unsportsman-like conduct penalties for complaining about calls/non-calls. I can excuse it because it's an immaturity expressed during the pressure of the game. Gretzky used to whine to the refs a lot, but then he learned to pick his spots and keep it below the level that would get him a penalty. Crosby will eventually learn that as well. The way Crosby is handling the pressure outside the game is a good indication that he's got a smart noggin and makes me think he'll be around for a while.
posted by grum@work at 08:59 AM on March 02, 2006
Crosby started being media trained before he got hair in funny places. I love the kid's game, but he is the quintessential total yawn interview. So are most NHLers. I agree with JJ - lazy journalism.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:35 AM on March 02, 2006
Unfortunately JJ anymore the fact that the athlete isn't an ass is a story. Sure, but who decides what is and what isn't a story? The sports media. And they give us "what the people want", which tend to be negative stories. None of that means the majority of athletes are jerks.
posted by yerfatma at 09:41 AM on March 02, 2006
Take Torino as an example - endless column inches (and lines of text on SpoFi) were devoted to what Bode Miller didn't do. Even in the UK, there has been a lot of media attention on how much it cost the taxpayer to send the British athletes to Torino for a net return of one silver medal (this rebuttal from Lawrence Donnegan in the Guardian today made me laugh). The games threw up their usual wonderful stories of triumph, brilliance and good sportsmanship, but seemingly the media was more interested (because the public at large is more interested) in scandal, failure, disaster and intrigue. The blame doesn't lie only at the feet of the journalists, but they do have the power (and, I think, responsibility) to write about these things differently - better - and not always take an angle into a story that will grab headlines or sell copy by offering a whiff of scandal. I read a headline like the one from the article wingnut linked to about someone "refusing to criticise" and I imagine Crosby standing up in a press conference and angrily pointing at detractors and staunchly refusing to do something. Then I read the story and it turns out that Crosby was doing nothing of the sort. Stories like that sound as though they are being excitedly exclaimed to a teacher by a six year-old in a playground who, in order to try and keep the attention of the increasingly uninterested teacher, starts edging ever further from mindless gossip and ever closer to outright lying. [/soapbox]
posted by JJ at 10:23 AM on March 02, 2006
I swear NHL interviews are part of some secret player's handbook distributed with new contracts. Hull and Roenick may not have received this book.
posted by fabulon7 at 10:51 AM on March 02, 2006
I don't think Crosby will have to wait 4 years to play for Team Canada. After all, there are the World Championships every spring. He'll be able to play in those what with the Pens sure to miss out on the playoffs. A guy like Ryan Smyth earned the nickname Captain Canada for his participation at the World Championships. Representing your country doesn't always have to be about the Olympics (though it does seem like the only "best on best" tournament on the go).
posted by gspm at 11:15 AM on March 02, 2006
Hull and Roenick may not have received this book Nooo!!! Really? Are you serious? They're both so media friendly...
posted by wingnut4life at 11:26 AM on March 02, 2006
"Glad you could join us [insert any player here], what do you have to do to beat the [insert any team here] tonight?" "Well they are a good team. We just have to play 60 minutes of hockey. Stay out of the penalty box and just play our game"
posted by njsk8r20 at 11:34 AM on March 02, 2006
Just once I'd like to see a NHL player during one of those in between period interviews grab the mic away from the on air personality and do a pro wrestler style monologue: "Darcy Tucker.... The sword of Damacles hangs ever so precariously over your head... And I... The Avenging Scott Mellanby, will be the one... to cut the string and send your damned soul to it's rightful place in the fiery pits of infernal Hell!!! Come the third period... It will be.... Game Over - for YOU!!" It sounds great if you do it in the voice of the Undertaker. Or better - Paul Bearer.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:42 AM on March 02, 2006
Well, Weedy, we got something close to that in Raleigh. Ric Flair appears on our jumbotron, encouraging us 'Canes fans to "WOOO!" along with him after every 'Canes goal. It's a wonderful sight, actually. But sadly, no trash talk though. I'm kinda surprised that the Flames don't have one of their multitude of hometown wrasslers goading the Flamiacs into cheering along with them. Or do they?
posted by NoMich at 01:07 PM on March 02, 2006
I swear NHL interviews are part of some secret player's handbook distributed with new contracts. There's a commercial (Sportchek?) that makes light of that very same point. Crosby, being out of the playoffs, would likely go to the World Championships. He wants to go. Being critical of the program might be detrimental to that aspiration.
posted by mkn at 01:24 PM on March 02, 2006
We gotta play 'em one day at a time...I'm just happy to be here and hope I can help the ballclub...I just wanna give it my best shot and, Good Lord willing, things'll work out. Cliches are forever.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:38 PM on March 02, 2006
"Thanks for joining us [insert any player here], your team is down two to nothing after one period, what do you have to do to get back in this game?" "Well they have a good goalie. I thought we played well. We just need to get traffic in front and continue to put pucks on the net. Hopefully a couple will go in for us."
posted by njsk8r20 at 01:43 PM on March 02, 2006
For cliches-ahoy see The Sports Cliche List which includes some that are specifically about hockey.
posted by gspm at 02:00 PM on March 02, 2006
What about "Goals are like grapes, they come in bunches?"
posted by wingnut4life at 02:07 PM on March 02, 2006
Gspm I read you list and was kind of disappointed that there were no phrases linking the Penguins to horrible mediocrity.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:14 PM on March 02, 2006
Don't forget that at every game JD announces there is always something "really special to watch".
posted by njsk8r20 at 02:24 PM on March 02, 2006
It sounds great if you do it in the voice of the Undertaker. Or better - Paul Bearer. No need for the player to do it. Have his "manager" do it for him while he stands in the background, looking menacing. I'd prefer Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart, as he has the hyperactive personality and the screetching voice to rile up anyone he calls out.
posted by grum@work at 02:26 PM on March 02, 2006
yeah , for being so young he took getting looked over pretty well. most kids would have blew up and ran their mouth bashing the team."they would have won if i played". gotta say the kids got class. move to the U.S , we'll take ya!