Sidney Crosby has been one of the most dominant sport athletes of the past 20 years

[OvermanKingGainer]

Here's the last point that should remove any doubt. All of these guys `LeBron, Messi, Ronaldo, Brady, Federer` have LEGITIMATE arguments of being the greatest of all time in their Sports. LIKE GOAT GOAT. NO ONE will ever argue that Sidney is the GOAT. Generational player but not even close to the GOAT conversation.

Sid has no worse of a GOAT argument relative to Gretzky than LeBron does relative to Bill Russell. LeBron has a whopping three titles in a league where he's able to play 95% of the minutes available in games. Sid has three in a sport where he's only going to be on the ice for 33% of a playoff game at most. LeBron needed superteams. So did Sid. LeBron had bad series against a player like Kawhi. Sid had a bad series against a player like Bergeron. Both are generational talents who don't quite have the team success of past generational talents (whether that's Gretzky or Orr or Howe or Lemieux or Jordan or Wilt or Russell or KAJ).

The difference is that basketball acknowledges the changes in the game(systems, talent pool etc), changes in the league(no losing record teams making deep playoff runs unlike Gretzky and Russell's eras), advances in pro sports (access to tape, advanced scouting, all players maximizing fitness and skill down to the most underwhelming scrubs) while hockey sweeps them under the rug and pretends the only thing that's changed is "level of dominance".

 

[daver]

Has Crosby been one of the most dominant athletes in the last 20 years?

Does the Pope shit in the woods?

 

[daver]

Pretty ridiculous thread when he wasn't even the best player on his own team when he and Malkin were at their respective peaks.

Most dominant in sports? lol.

When were they at their respective peaks?

 

[daver]

Maybe if Crosby played every game of every season he wouldn’t be a PPG player every season?

The grind is part of your career.

Also averaging 46 goals per season over your (almost) 15 season career is way more impressive to me.

And not for nothing but Ovechkin has been better than Crosby more seasons than he has not, so how does that square up with him being “better”?

Replace "better" with "played more" games and this statement makes some sense.

 

[thadd]

Eddy Hall wants to know when Sidney Crosby is going to deadlift 500KG.

 

[edog37]

he is the engine of the franchise but the reality is that when Sid has been out (and that has happened quite a few times for long periods), Geno has carried the franchise at least as well if not better than Sid in his prime if you only look at individual stats (and without the luxury of having another superstar near him in the PPs contrary to Sid)

And then takes a back seat as soon as Crosby returns

 

[Maestro84]

I like how you named 12 sports and 8 of them are individual sports. Lolz. Nice. The evolution of all the sports listed makes "GOAT" arguments difficult. Every sport has their "era arguments". Crosby is clearly the GOAT between 2000 and 2020.

He's the best of his gen but if we're talking about best in sports since 2000, no hockey player sniffs even the top 15.

Also individual sports are more impressive imo, since you don't have teammates, no time-outs, no direct in-game coaching, and it's much tougher to handle mentally.

 

[bottomofthefoodchain]

2nd best in hockey for sure

 

[Toxic Holocaust]

But he hasn't won a scoring race in a long time, and never beaten McDavid in a scoring race, only has 2 Art Rosses in his whole career while McDavid is 23 and already has 2 Art Rosses.

Yes, I know what’s in the history books is the only thing that matters, but.... using Sid’s 2 Art Ross & 2 Hart’s as a knock against him is disingenuous.

Without the concussions and also a freak slap shot to the jaw, it is undeniable that he would have 4 Art’s and 4 Hart’s. It’s a damn shame that he missed out on them.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Valentino Rossi is the correct answer.

 

[shtorm2005]

2nd best in hockey, which is very good!

 

[KidLine93]

Hes a product of Kunitz

 

[Hatfield]

2 MVPs over a 20 year span is great but it does not sound “dominant” to me, especially when another player in the same sport has more.

 

[GreatGonzo]

Sid has no worse of a GOAT argument relative to Gretzky than LeBron does relative to Bill Russell. LeBron has a whopping three titles in a league where he's able to play 95% of the minutes available in games. Sid has three in a sport where he's only going to be on the ice for 33% of a playoff game at most. LeBron needed superteams. So did Sid. LeBron had bad series against a player like Kawhi. Sid had a bad series against a player like Bergeron. Both are generational talents who don't quite have the team success of past generational talents (whether that's Gretzky or Orr or Howe or Lemieux or Jordan or Wilt or Russell or KAJ).

The difference is that basketball acknowledges the changes in the game(systems, talent pool etc), changes in the league(no losing record teams making deep playoff runs unlike Gretzky and Russell's eras), advances in pro sports (access to tape, advanced scouting, all players maximizing fitness and skill down to the most underwhelming scrubs) while hockey sweeps them under the rug and pretends the only thing that's changed is "level of dominance".

Lebron has dominated basketball in a way that Sid hasn’t in hockey though.
-1x scoring champion
-4x league MVP
-12x First team all NBA
-5x First team all defense
-3rd in career points
-1st in PPG
-5th in field goals made
And many others where he sits near the top statistically. Especially his playoff numbers. What he has done by the numbers puts him arguably in the top 3, if not better of all time.

Lebron is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and to many, THE best. Crosby has been consistently near the top, but he hasn’t really “dominated” the league.

Lebron is closer to Jordan and Russell than Crosby is to Gretzky and Lemieux. Now I know the sports are entirely different, and that they are played very differently with a lot of different dynamics. In the end though, in terms of “dominating”, Lebron is clearly ahead.

 

[kugelbahn]

He is the most interesting sportsman in the world of this century

 

[leafsfan5]

he's not even in the conversation

 

[edog37]

2 MVPs over a 20 year span is great but it does not sound “dominant” to me, especially when another player in the same sport has more.

while this “other player” focuses on regular season accolades, Crosby goes out & gets it done in the playoffs when it really counts. And to make it even sweeter, repeatedly goes through the “other player” to make it happen...

 

[kugelbahn]

"Ladies faint when they see his partial season ppg"

 

[Hatfield]

"Ladies faint when they see his partial season ppg"

“Sorry ladies, I’m married to the game”

while this “other player” focuses on regular season accolades, Crosby goes out & gets it done in the playoffs when it really counts. And to make it even sweeter, repeatedly goes through the “other player” to make it happen...

Regurgitate whatever narrative you want. Even if you convinced me that Crosby’s better, he still could never be considered “dominant” when he only has one more Hart than Corey Perry.

 

[RorschachWJK]

I'll fix this for you: "Sidney Crosby's teams have been some of the most dominant of the past 20 years".

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

I'll fix this for you: "Sidney Crosby's teams have been some of the most dominant of the past 20 years".

how? They very rarely won any president trophies.

 

[GreatGonzo]

how? They very rarely won any president trophies.

They have more wins and more points than the Caps do since ‘06. Even over the past 10 years, the Pens still have more wins than the caps as a team and only sitting 6 points back at second from the Caps in overall points.

They have 3 Stanley cups as well and overall have shown to be a dominant team without Crosby. They have been a very good and very competitive team.

 

[edog37]

“Sorry ladies, I’m married to the game”


Regurgitate whatever narrative you want. Even if you convinced me that Crosby’s better, he still could never be considered “dominant” when he only has one more Hart than Corey Perry.

5 championships he lead his teams to. Face of the league for over a decade. Back to back Conn Smythes. 5th GOAT

 

[lottster14]

Brady
Ronaldo
Manning
Federer
Djokovic
Williams
Nadal
Trout
Messi
Bolt
Phelps
Woods
White
Hamilton
Schumacher
James
Bryant
O’Neal
Curry

plus I’m sure a bunch of others

he’s been the best hockey player but he has been nowhere near as dominant as any of these people

Hockey is better than all of these

 

[Deluded Puck]

Hockey is better than all of these

Then just keep the argument to Hockey.

I love this sport but it's insecure fans are so annoying.