October is coming to a close and the sports world keeps asking the same question: Will he or won’t he play this season—or ever again?
That question is often posed in connection with Peyton Manning, the quarterback for the 0-7 Indianapolis Colts who has missed the entire season with a neck injury. However, it should be asked about Sidney Crosby, all-star center for the Pittsburgh Penguins who hasn’t played since January after suffering a concussion.
Both losses are devastating, but for different reasons. True, the Colts have struggled all season, and circumstances were made even worse by Sunday night’s 62-7 drubbing by the New Orleans Saints. But while Peyton’s loss is felt in Indy and throughout the league, Sidney’s loss delivers a more crushing blow.
Without Peyton, the economically lush and wildly popular NFL still has plenty of superstars on which to lean: Brady, Rogers, Vick, and that’s just at the QB position. Throw in great runners such as AP and Arian, and dominant defenders like Ray Ray, Clay and Suh, and you have a group of players that would make any GM salivate.
Sure, there are lots of exceptional players in the NHL. Maple Leafs winger Phil Kessel, who leads the league in points right now, immediately comes to mind. So do Canucks winger Daniel Sedin, Tampa winger Martin St. Louis and Penguins center—and Crosby teammate—Evgeni Malkin who has seen limited action recently because of a knee injury. But when it comes to superstars, names that leap off the pages of sports sections, Webzines and blogs, the list is a lot shorter, and many would argue that it starts and ends with Sidney Crosby and the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin. And when one of those players is absent, that leaves the NHL in a real bind, both emotionally and economically.
There is no timetable for Crosby’s return, although recent reports are promising: He has been cleared for contact but not for games. Hockey enthusiasts will say that this league is bigger than its stars—no overhyped, showboating prima donnas here, they say. It’s about hard-working, often blue-collar players who can walk into most sports bar in America and go unrecognized, and that’s OK with them. Coincidentally, that’s also what they say about Major League Baseball players, too. But while many baseball players are rooted in the humble beginnings of minor league ball or proud Latin American communities, baseball can also boast a list of star players--Pujols, Howard, Sabathia, Prince—that propels it to another level, not to mention an exciting World Series between St. Louis and Texas that went seven games.
And that’s why Sidney’s loss is so important, much more important than Peyton’s. The NHL, where the wallets are thinner and the popularity is waning, would benefit from having Crosby back on the ice. And I’m sure the Penguins and hockey fans everywhere would be equally elated.
