This Just In: Crosby Sucks!

By Adam W Parks

Monday, March 22, 2010 Penguins 1 @ Red Wings 3

It is still ringing in my ears: "Crosby Sucks! Crosby Sucks! Crosby Sucks!"

The amount of attention from the fans inside Joe Louis Arena last night dedicated to taunting Sidney Crosby might have overshadowed the excitement of the Wings winning a great and meaningful game.

This wasn't just an important game in the standings, it was an important statement to Crosby, the Penguins, and the rest of the NHL. It might even be the biggest statement the Wings have made all season long. We are healthy. We are back. We are the Red Wings!

This was the best all-around game I have seen the Wings play this season. Yeah, I know, I have said that several times before, but it is a testament to how much this team has been improving, how well they have been playing lately, and how much they truly suffered from all the extended stays in the infirmary.

Yet so much focus from the fans was directed straight at Crosby, booing him every time he touched the puck and taunting him with chants before, during, and even after the game. Birthday boy Matt and I were loving every minute of it.

Some Pondering On The Long Ride Home

Sitting in a stand-still on the roof of the JLA parking ramp and waiting for the cars ahead of us to begin moving, Matt and I tuned into 97.1 FM and listened to Jeff Riger's thoughts and comments on the game. We kept listening on the drive back along I-96 towards Grand Rapids. The station stayed with us until we nearly got to Lansing, and we stayed glued to Riger's main topic:

Is Sidney Crosby the most hated athlete in Detroit, regardless of sport?

The question rang loud to me. To hate another player to the degree that I hate Crosby, in my book, means he must be a huge rival to a team that I love. So, here I go digressing...

Who do I hate in football? Terrell Owens--but he has no impact on me as a Lions fan. Brett Favre--sure I find him annoying and he has always been a Lion tamer, but I respect the crap out of him. Larry Johnson--only because I insist on drafting him in fantasy leagues and he insists on screwing me. Honestly, because the Lions are and have been so terrible, there is nobody that stands out.

Who do I hate in baseball? A-Rod--not really, it's just not cool to like him. Barry Bonds--never hated him for steroids and lying, he's just a jerk. Paul Konerko/A.J. Pierzynski/Bobby Jenks--As much as I disdain the White Sox and these guys in particular, the Tigers seem to kill themselves against the South-Siders as much as this trio does. Baseball is a weird sport for me. Detroit's rivalries are good, but they do not seem that relevant and intense in a 162-game season.

Who do I hate in basketball? Lebron James--I do hate him more than Kobe, but it's more for the picture taking, sideline dancing, and constant need to make everything overly dramatic. His rise has come mostly with the decline of the Pistons. Ron Artest--He's just mental. That's like hating a schizo kid for using up all the aluminum paper to make a hat. Kevin Garnett--I used to really like him in Minnesota, but then again, "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!"

No, I don't really hate anyone in the NBA more than Crosby. I just generally hate the NBA as a whole.

My conclusion is that Crosby is my most hated athlete in all of sports. Yes I am a little biased towards hockey (I do not write any other love-fest blogs for any other Detroit teams), but I just can't find anyone as agitating as Cindy Cry-sby.

Anyway, the most common response that Riger received from callers and emailers as to why they hate Crosby so much was because he is a crybaby. I agree.

Everyone admits the incredible skills that this guy has, and as much as we would like to, we cannot take away his accomplishments. All the hatred comes from the whining, diving, and all around cry-babying that he exhibits on the ice and to the media in a sport where bitch-play is least tolerated.

Yet he is Gary Bettman's biggest marketing TOOL, though sales for anti-Crosby jerseys would probably sell just as well. There were so many kids in the Joe last night wearing Penguins jerseys walking around with their parents who were clad in red. I said to Matt, "If I ever have kids, I will encourage them in everything they do...but I will disown them if they cheer against the Wings."

I almost felt bad for the kids in Crosby gear sitting within earshot of my clever and mildly profane verbal barbs. I even taunted one teenager directly. The pimpley-faced, squeaky-voiced kid tried to chant "Let's Go Penguins!" and I very maturely yelled back, "Let's Go Puberty!"

It's not just Detroit. Fans in every American NHL city besides Pittsburgh recognize him for what he is. What is interesting is how long it apparently took us Wings fans to fully embrace and express our hatred for the little bitch. This comment regarding the fans' taunting came from Crosby's post-game interview:

"I was surprised to hear it here," he said. "I don't know, maybe things have changed since February, or because of what happened last year. I'm not saying I'm surprised to hear it -- it happens to me a lot on the road -- but I didn't expect it here."

As seen in other NHL venues, there were several anti-Crosby signs inside The Joe, and there were even a few people with homemade CRYBABY CROSBY t-shirts. The Wings had to win that game for the fans just so we could save face and continue the fun.

"Crosby Sucks!" chants did not end when the final horn blew, they followed out into the hallways, onto the streets, and into the parking structures. It was incredible! I've never experienced so much group animosity!

Despite the guy's elite skills, he gets little-to-no respect outside of Pittsburgh. Hockey fans are smart; they recognize a D-Bag when they see one crying to an official and complaining to the media.

And It's not just the fans who think so!

Detroit fans have a long list of hated players from around the NHL.

Claude Lemieux
Patrick Roy
Chris Pronger
Ed Belfour
Adam Foote
Peter Forsberg

Where do you, right now, rank Mr. Crosby on that list? Lemieux will always be tops for me, but as far as active players go, Crosby takes the cake...and cries on it too.

Peace