Digger12
Gold Fever
GabbyDugan said:Sidney Crosby at 15 did not say word one about the QMJHL Draft being a legal issue for him or that going to Rimouski was a problem. This was a team playing in an isolated area, it's talent pool was depleted, and Crosby is not French. There were probably a half dozen more attractive places for Crosby to play in the QMJHL alone, and I'm sure a kid from a small town in Atlantic Canada would have been just as eager to play in the OHL as the QMJHL . Did his agent do Sidney Crosby a disservice by failing to file lawsuits on Crosby's behalf? I'm sure his parents would have loved to see their boy play in Halifax , Cape Breton, or maybe New Brunswick, or even London, Windsor , or Peterborough. Instead, they supported the QMJHL Draft, the QMJHL itself, and the Rimouski Oceanic hockey club. Crosby was the one person who could bring down the CHL Entry Draft and stick it to the hockey establishment, but he didn't. Maybe being unselfish makes him feel good, and using things like lawsuits and court injunctions to get his way go against his personal beliefs.
Even this year, the team Crosby is playing on looks to me like a longshot to make the Memorial Cup. The only way they get there is if Crosby carries a mediocre goalie and a bunch of Midget AAA defensemen on his back every step of the way. Should Pat Brisson be demanding a trade to a better QMJHL team so that Crosby can play in London next May? Maybe he should, but maybe also that just isn't the way Sidney Crosby wants to do things.
I don't see why Toronto or New York are going to be so wonderful for a teenager like Sidney Crosby or playing for Carolina or Columbus or Nashville would necessarily be punishment. How many kids have the Rangers and Maple Leafs signed since say 1926 that have become popular like rock stars or enhanced their image? Maybe Crosby would rather hang out with some really "nice" girls in Minnesota instead of having paparazzi folowing him from nightclub to nightclub in Los Angeles or New York. Would Crosby be welcomed with open arms into the New York Rangers dressing room by the team's veterans? Would Matts Sundin and Tie Domi be thrilled to see the media glare in Toronto shift to Crosby?
I could see Crosby wanting to play on certain NHL teams over others, but I don't think he wants to be the guy who dismantles the NHL Entry Draft to accomodate his whims, either.
This kid is 17 years old, and "If his agent does not push him to sue, his agent is not doing his job. " ????????? Has Sidney Crosby suffered grievous harm already? Does he "deserve" to be awarded damages and restitution?
Good analysis IMO.
I'd also add that if Crosby's main goal in life was to screw with the draft and be able to pick and choose his team, why didn't he take that WHA offer from that guy in Hamilton? Him joining the WHA would've caused a HUGE headache w/ the NHL, and likely would've given him that coveted open market once the WHA inevitably breathed its last breath. Yet he didn't, even though this particular owner had guaranteed his contract even if the WHA hadn't played a single game.
His pattern of behavior seems to indicate that he's a kid that cares more about playing against the best competition...whichever team he's on seems to be a secondary consideration. He won't be a replacement player, but I don't see him trying to obliterate the entry draft either.
Sorry Tom, but your analysis comes across as something you would really like to see happen, vs. what is probable to happen.