Is McDavid as popular as Crosby was at the same age?

[Bear of Bad News]

The answer is who really cares about what random non fans of the NHL in the states think?

Well, it's the question that the thread starter posed (and it's a reasonable question). If you don't want to answer it or participate, we've got lots of other threads.

 

[Cleatus]

I feel like McDavid is more popular in the sense that he's nowhere near as hated as Crosby was when he broke in the league (to a lot of fans, Crosby was a brat, diver, whiner, etc.).

 

[easton117]

Crosby was much more hated, I’ll give him that.

McDavid has the personality of unpainted drywall. Combine that with the amount of marketable guys in the league now and it would be hard for him to ever be as popular as Crosby/Ovechkin was

 

[BKIslandersFan]

McDavid has the personality of unpainted drywall. Combine that with the amount of marketable guys in the league now and it would be hard for him to ever be as popular as Crosby/Ovechkin was

So does Crosby. No one in the league has any sort of personality, except maybe Subban and Ovy.

They are all bunch of robots and thats a problem.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I feel like McDavid is more popular in the sense that he's nowhere near as hated as Crosby was when he broke in the league (to a lot of fans, Crosby was a brat, diver, whiner, etc.).

Only people that really hate McDavid, are crosby fans it seems.

 

[BM14]

Crosby had more hype and was more popular at the same age.
McDavid had tons of hype but Crosby's timing coming into the league was perfect.

Lemieux, Yzerman, Mogilny, Hull and Robitaille all retired.

The league needed it's golden boy and it promoted the hell out of it.

 

[Absolut]

Yeah no, Crosby was the most hyped kid since Gretzky and Lemieux, Crosby gave his first interview at age 7, at 12 he played AAA Peewee in the Dartmouth area and they couldn't keep track of his point totals only to say "well" over 200 points. he was so good the next year in AAA Bantam he had target on his back and routinely was pulled from games by the coach after getting a big lead, his folks even tried to sue nova scotia's minor hockey council to put him in midget 2 years early, they lost but the next 2 years in AAA Midget are legionary, leading scorer by 80+ points, MVP's and playoff MVP, then of course his ridiculous stats in junior with 350 points in 142 games.

Crosby will go down in history no only as a top hyped prospect but one that backed it up with being a winner at just about every level. McDavid needs to do more than skate fast and put up meaningless point totals to be even in the conversation. So far a McDavid lead team at any level has yet to win anything.

Wait... what? Since when are any points in the NHL "meaningless"? Is McJesus playing against KHL-level competition? If anything, putting up those points while playing for the Oilers makes his achievements even more impressive.

 

[easton117]

So does Crosby. No one in the league has any sort of personality, except maybe Subban and Ovy.

They are all bunch of robots and thats a problem.

There are a few out there who give good interviews. Veterans mostly though.

The problem is the media guys like to pick the same ones to talk to constantly. And it’s usually the paint dry personalities.

Maybe it’s the way young people are now? Introverted? If that’s the right word. Marner actually comes to mind as a more outgoing type. Debrusk/Pastrnak on Boston too.

But yes I agree, there are a lot of talking toasters out there

 

[ScaredStreit]

This is completely untrue, Crosby has a much bigger following among hockey fans, hell I think it's grown now that McDavid is here.

Early in his career, Crosby was definitely more of a polarising figure among hockey fans (many disliked his whiny attitude, others bough a little too much into the Crosby vs. Ovechkin rivalry), so maybe that's what you're getting at. Otherwise, I can't at all agree with the statement.

McDavid, for as phenomenal as he is, is nowhere near as popular as Crosby is/was.
Maybe some day McDavid will captain the oilers to 3 stanley cups, or score a gold-medal clinching over-time winner on home ice. Until then, Crosby is firmly in the lead in terms of popularity - And deservedly so.

Popular = how much somebody is liked, not how much somebody is known. I think many either forget or are too young to remember that Crosby was very disliked his first few seasons in the league as he had this reputation of being a whiner, not to mention that many preferred Ovechkin over him.

OP specifically stated when Crosby was the same age as McDavid, therefore anything after his 3rd NHL season (all of his cups and gold medals) are irrelevant.

 

[shtorm2005]

I would watch McDavid, but Oilers games starts too late. So no hype from me.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

McDavid plays in EDM. I am willing to bet over 50% of non hockey fan Americans wouldn’t even know that’s a city or what country it’s in by name recognition.

 

[Spawn]

The NHL did a great job coming out of that lockout and marketing the Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry. And selling a brand new exciting style of hockey to go along with it.

McDavid didn't have that same benefit.

Crosby had also had more team success at this point in his career. Was coming off a cup final appearance. And of course playing on an American team.

 

[hohosaregood]

He's just so much better than any other player his age that it's boring

 

[BlackDogg]

I wonder who will sell more merchandise??

 

[mdm815]

If you were a kid during the lockout, that year was brutal. And you spent the whole time hearing about two stud rookies, and it finally, finally ended after months of torture. And then they come in and they are exactly as advertised. Crosby was marketed like crazy, you literally saw him everywhere. It probably contributes to his “unlikability” around some of the league, fair or not.

 

[Daz28]

This is a good question, but I think it's biased by nationality. I think more USA will say Crosby(possibly cuz he was drafted by PIT), but I'm really curious what Canadians think??

 

[Three On Zero]

Popular = how much somebody is liked, not how much somebody is known. I think many either forget or are too young to remember that Crosby was very disliked his first few seasons in the league as he had this reputation of being a whiner, not to mention that many preferred Ovechkin over him.

OP specifically stated when Crosby was the same age as McDavid, therefore anything after his 3rd NHL season (all of his cups and gold medals) are irrelevant.

Crosby wasn't a whiner in his early years, it was a few years in before he got that title

 

[BlackDogg]

Did Crosby ever have a custom appliance at 21?
I think that answers the question.

 

[22FUTON9]

Crosby wasn't a whiner in his early years, it was a few years in before he got that title

He maybe got that title a bit later on but he definitely had more than a few "whiner" moments in his rookie season.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Crosby had more hype and was more popular at the same age.
McDavid had tons of hype but Crosby's timing coming into the league was perfect.

Lemieux, Yzerman, Mogilny, Hull and Robitaille all retired.

The league needed it's golden boy and it promoted the hell out of it.

This is the way I see it too. The passing of the torch made it the perfect opportunity for guys like Crosby, Malkin, OV, etc to come in and compete for the new faces of the league. There was still a lot of modern superstars still in their 20’s producing at elite levels when McDavid arrived.

 

[authentic]

So does Crosby. No one in the league has any sort of personality, except maybe Subban and Ovy.

They are all bunch of robots and thats a problem.

Honestly, if you watch some early Crosby interviews he shows far more personality than McDavid ever has. He is more bland than Crosby in interviews and also more awkward so it makes it even worse. On the ice though he holds up quite well.

 

[authentic]

He maybe got that title a bit later on but he definitely had more than a few "whiner" moments in his rookie season.

I remember it being pretty early on, but more people could witness it once he started going deep in the playoffs. McDavid is a far more mature player in that aspect.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Wait... what? Since when are any points in the NHL "meaningless"? Is McJesus playing against KHL-level competition? If anything, putting up those points while playing for the Oilers makes his achievements even more impressive.

Wait... what?. Please!! [mod] Like when your team is completely out of the playoff race and you play your boy 25 minutes a game forgetting defense completely and concentrate on offence only, how about getting 90% of offensive zone starts after your eliminated from the PO race. Edmonton is the king of propping up offensive players after they're toast from the PO's, they did it with Hall and RNH in the past and now they're doing it big time with McDavid. They do it every year they fail just to keep the base happy.

 

[daver]

So does Crosby. No one in the league has any sort of personality, except maybe Subban and Ovy.

They are all bunch of robots and thats a problem.

Problem in what sense? You either like hockey or you don't. The highest quality league in the world doesn't need a bunch of idiots dancing around their sticks and over the top celebrations. I could care less whether the league grows in popularity or not if that is what it takes to grow the sport.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Problem in what sense? You either like hockey or you don't. The highest quality league in the world doesn't need a bunch of idiots dancing around their sticks and over the top celebrations. I could care less whether the league grows in popularity or not if that is what it takes to grow the sport.

Can we really call someone who doesn't want to see the sport grow for better a fan?