{"id":800172,"date":"2018-03-19T05:45:02","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T09:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/?p=798309"},"modified":"2018-04-07T17:35:37","modified_gmt":"2018-04-07T21:35:37","slug":"roses-are-red-they-go-in-a-bucket-crosby-haters-can-personally-suck-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/roses-are-red-they-go-in-a-bucket-crosby-haters-can-personally-suck-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Roses are red. They go in a bucket. Crosby haters can personally suck it"},"content":{"rendered":"

The haters thought all the hype about the “overrated” Sidney Crosby was finally a thing of the past after Pittsburgh came up empty in the playoffs from 2010 to 2015. The haters cheered and had a giant C.J. with each other when Crosby missed nearly 1 1\/4 seasons due to the 2011 Winter Classic concussion.<\/p>\n

Then the last two seasons happened.<\/p>\n

Watching Crosby raise the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in San Jose back in 2016 drove many non-Penguins fans to weep, gnash their teeth and cut themselves. Watching Crosby raise the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in Nashville 52 weeks later drove many of those same non-Penguins fans to finish the job and end it all.<\/p>\n

Yet the haters were delighted this season when as late as early January, Pittsburgh found themselves three points out of a playoff spot with the worst team points percentage in their division. Crosby was 33rd in NHL scoring. The haters foamed at the mouth. What happened to the Penguins? Where is their exalted captain? Only deluded idiots would consider Crosby the best at anything now, they crowed.<\/p>\n

\"RosesAround that time, the NHL Players’ Association<\/a> was completing a league-wide canvassing of its members on a variety of topics: who is the best skater, goalie, coach, competitor, etc. and they\u00a0released their annual player poll (#NHLPlayerPoll<\/a>) results last week.<\/p>\n

The haters can’t seem to catch a break. Even before Crosby turned his season around by scoring 41 points in 30 games (3rd best in the NHL) since the Carolina loss, the Players’ Poll results overwhelmingly show that his peers consider him to be the best player on the ice<\/strong> right now.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, this is internal data from current NHL players themselves. These are not agenda-driven, blowhard media panel results or a fan poll posted on the Penguins’ website or fan forums. Fans are blinded by lust for their favorite team\/players and rage against opponents while media often show similar but more subtle biases.<\/p>\n

Witness Nashville Predators blog, On the Foreskin<\/strong>, still raging about Crosby and rending their undergarments at the slightest mention of either him or the Penguins:<\/p>\n

\n

Hey remember when Crosby threw a water bottle <\/p>\n

Hey remember when Crosby repeatedly slammed Subban\u2019s head to the ice <\/p>\n

Hey remember when Forsberg wasn\u2019t offside <\/p>\n

Hey remember when Sissons scored https:\/\/t.co\/dNXbNpSskQ<\/a><\/p>\n

— On The Forecheck (@OnTheForecheck) March 12, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n