Is It Wrong To Be A Penguins Fan Impressed By Ovechkin?

[Midnight Judges]

Perhaps....

But 2007-2010 Ovechkin was a loser....and 2017-2018 Ovechkin is a winner. Thus....respect.

That is arbitrary.

Wouldn't it better better if respect was earned in accordance with principled criteria?

 

[snag]

That is arbitrary.

Wouldn't it better better if respect was earned in accordance with principled criteria?

Agreed. And I said that....respect where respect is due (and that was to the OP) suggesting it was perfectly fine to be "impressed". But let's not pluck a statement completely out of the context in which it was meant to imply something it wasn't.

OV has had a helluva career...arguably the best pure goal scorer ever. That gets respect. But until last week he was not a "winner" at the NHL level....now he is. More respect.

 

[islandersdynasty]

I’m impressed with crosby, so....

 

[BreakfastatMarios]

As a diehard Ovechkin hater and lifetime Penguins Fan, I give him props for this years playoffs, he played unselfish, passionate hockey and showed up for his team. He inspired his team to show up for him something that hasn't always happened in the past. I'll go back to hating him in October but for now tip of the cap for his excellent playoff run.

 

[SEALBound]

As a Pens fan, after the Caps beat the Pens in OT...there was a curious little smile. Maybe sorta like when the Russians looked at the Americans in 1980. It sucks...but you're happy for him. Watching the emotion is a fun part of the sport.

Going to the SCF, it was win-win for me. Vegas wins, cool story and MAF. Caps win and you get to see Ovi win. In my mind, the Sid vs Ovi debate is all but done. There's not much you're gonna to shake my opinion so I was secure enough to be able to see Ovi win one.

Watching the finals, you could see...nay...you could feel that the Caps "had" it. Can't put your finger on it but it's a aura in the air...a confidence. Winning teams have it. And when they get it...things just go their way. By game 3 you could tell that the Caps had it. So I had a couple games to get used to the idea that my biggest rival (arguably) was going to win the Cup. But that was okay...I knew what he and the rest of them had gone through to get there. I remember 91-92 only a little bit as I was young. I damn well remember 2007, 2008, and 2009. I remember the heartbreak in 08 to the joy in 09. After 09 and up until 2016, I came to REALLY appreciate a special playoff run so I understood what this meant for Caps fans. I've enjoy enough success (and I suppose I've matured enough) to feel good about seeing others enjoy success as well. I know how it good it feels...so I'm happy that Caps fans get to feel that too. Same goes for Ovi and the rest of the Caps. I am legitimately happy for them.

When Ovi raised that cup and unleashed all the built up emotion....come on man....Caps fan or not, that was a special moment. If a spec of dust didn't get into your eye, you may wanna take a pulse.

 

[puckpilot]

This isn't a moral dilemma. Like who you like. Hate who you hate. Be impressed or not. There's no right or wrong to this. There are no rules that determine what you can or cannot do when enjoying the sport.

 

[Crosbyfan]

So you can't talk about the CS winner and the person who is dominating the NHL news for the past 5 days?

Any other unwritten rules being violated?

Don't sleep with the Stanley Cup while naked?...oh wait...you meant by Pens fans...

 

[NewtJorden]

Its not wrong. You are a good Penguins fan, you are able to allow other team to win it all.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Yes. It's wrong. Completely wrong. Please never speak of it again. Flog yourself with 100000 lashes for speaking of such things.





*says the pens fan with an Ovie Jersey from his Dynamo days*

 

[Genuflexion]

Nope. Pretty stupid homer attitude to not give a good player credit. I'm impressed by Matthews, why wouldn't I be? Dudes a good player

 

[Price is Wright]

Like anything you want to like.

Except the New York Rangers.

 

[end]

I'm a Pens fan, I'm happy Ovechkin doesn't have the obnoxious second-round thing being held over his head, if my team had to lose I'm glad it's to the Cup champions. I did want to see OT in that Game Five just for some frantic Trotzbrows.

So glad for Ovie, not salty, not bitter, though I will be salty in the future, because these Ovechkin > Crosby threads are pure alkaline. I have watched the same characters that cannot stop saying that Kessel deserves the 2016 Smythe conveniently misplace the name of Evgeny Kuznetsov. The same secondary assist argument that I am fairly certain originated with Sidney Crosby in 2005-06. I had never ever heard of a playmaking hockey player derided for earning too many assists until Hfboards 12 years ago.

 

[Foots]

I don't care if Pens fans are not impressed by Ovechkin winning the Cup. I love the fact that they are feeling sadness and sorrow.

 

[Lemmiwinks]

Why on earth would that be wrong?

 

[SEALBound]

I don't care if Pens fans are not impressed by Ovechkin winning the Cup. I love the fact that they are feeling sadness and sorrow.

Given the replies of several Penguins fans here who have openly expressed happiness for Ovi and Caps while admitting that it's perfectly fine to be happy for them, it is disappointing that you would come here and spew this. Your comment makes you look very bad.

 

[Rorschach]

this playoffs was not different. he's been playing the same way for years and years -- and by the way, he's always only done exactly what his coaches have asked him to do.

Pens fans and to a lesser extent Canadians in general have been completely absurdly irrationally unfair to him his entire career. now that he's hoisting a cup, you're prepared to say he finally started playing the right way? pfff get out of here with that.

Didn't he change his game during that one year his regular season stats fell off and people were wondering if he was washed up?

 

[FrozenJagrt]

I roll my eyes whenever someone looks at the best goal scorer of this generation and says "But defense". I don't care if Ovechkin lays down to have a nap when the puck is in his own end. His job is to score goals, and he's done it better than anyone else in a generation at least.

 

[No More Subban]

It is very wrong.

What were you thinking?

 

[TheAngryHank]

Your first mistake is being a Penguin fan.

 

[Scott Stevens]

As a Pens fan, I've never been a fan Ovechkin.

Also, I felt like I was watching a different player than everyone else.

Sure he scored and he hit.

But man... he was THE laziest defensive player I have ever seen.

I don't claim to watch every Ovechkin game... but I've seen him lots against my Penguins.

Watching him was like a powerplay at both ends.

And so many times he was situationally unaware.

I can remember watching a Penguins game where it was 3-1 with 2 minutes to go and Ovechkin was cherry picking for a full shift trying to make it 4-1. The Penguins held the puck for a full minute like it was a powerplay.

That kind of stuff made me despise him as a player. I've never personally been a fan of players that only play a part of the game.

But this playoffs was different...

He scored... but I expected that.

I saw him do things I had never seen.

Ovechkin was near his own goalie.

He blocked shots. He helped out on defense. He did all the little things.

And for that, I totally tip my hat to him.

It was really impressive to watch.


Is this wrong?

No. Not wrong. I have been a long time Caps sympathizer and ovy fan, and eventually 8-7 won me over as well. “The Kid” has unmatched drive. That’s cool to me.

 

[RageQuit77]

No. Not at all.

People tend to hate things they fear and/or envy most.

When fears materialize, and envy proves to be irrational response to something you knew already but hesitated to admit to yourself on rational level, you may start respect the token of your fear and envy.

With respect comes acceptance. ...or in some sad cases even deeper hate, fear, and envy.

 

[pi314]

this playoffs was not different. he's been playing the same way for years and years -- and by the way, he's always only done exactly what his coaches have asked him to do.

Pens fans and to a lesser extent Canadians in general have been completely absurdly irrationally unfair to him his entire career. now that he's hoisting a cup, you're prepared to say he finally started playing the right way? pfff get out of here with that.

That hasn't been my experience.

I don't claim to have watched every game of Ovechkin's career, only games against the Penguins.

For my memory, it was a soon as last year that his lazy defensive play cost them both goals in game 7.

In the games I had seen previously, he gave almost ZERO effort without the puck and floated up ice all game.

So to see him in position defensively to force a turnover on the series winning goal is something I have personally never been from him before.

For god's sake he blocked some shots!!!

That was an incredible thing to watch for me personally.

He has improved defensively, but it wasn’t some magical change that he did and suddenly the Caps won the Cup like some have suggested.

They probably would have won the Cup within the last three years if they could get over the Penguins hump. Some teams just don’t match up well against each other, and that was the Caps with the Penguins. This year they did.

Ovechkin has always been an absolute monster who got criticized way too much.

See above.

Indeed, that is an ultra dumbed-down narrative.

The primary difference between this Caps team and previous ones is that the third and fourth lines showed up to play for once.

See above above.

Hey OP remember when you said this?

No but if I did that only confirms that I'm hilarious.

 

[Sam Spade]

Given the replies of several Penguins fans here who have openly expressed happiness for Ovi and Caps while admitting that it's perfectly fine to be happy for them, it is disappointing that you would come here and spew this. Your comment makes you look very bad.

This is very true but that Pens fan poster with the football helmet really sucks a lot of the oxygen out of every thread he is in with his constant, and idiotic, ranting about everything caps related.

I've said it before here but I think Pens posters are some of the best on this site but man two or three, who are in EVERY thread, are hard to take. And if you are on a mobile device sometimes you don't even see the name you just read words which doesn't help with perception.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

So your theory is professional athletes - who dedicate their lives to hockey and are fighting for their careers and roster spots - are lacking in motivation!?!

You took my post and came away with "they're lacking motivation"?
Unsure if you're just super defensive about this topic or just have reading deficiencies

It's leadership 101= don't expect your direct reports to do something that you aren't willing to do yourself
When you see your leader doing the little things it keeps you amped up a bit longer. Makes you want to play a little harder and focus more

Believe it or not, 60 mins is a long time and athletes lose focus over that timeframe and will <gasp> have lulls in their performances

 

[Brobust]

It'd be wrong to be a Pens fan and not be impressed by Ovechkin.