Why did the teenaged Crosby get more hate than McDavid is getting now?

[OilCanada92]

Outside of the Pens rival fans, I think most of us have come to like, or at least respect, Crosby. That wasn't always the case though. Before he was drafted, and certainly early in his NHL career, it was rare for someone to like Crosby.

Why doesn't McDavid receive that same level of hate? Or I guess the better question would be why did Crosby get so much hate?

I always suspected it had something to do with it just being the cool thing to do (for lack of a better phrase) and I kind of assumed that eventually McDavid would be criticized just as heavily. That doesn't seem to be happening. A lot of hockey fans seem to be almost celebrating that a kid like McDavid will be entering the league next season...and they should be, but they probably should have been celebrating Crosby as well. He really has met the hype and has been great for the game.

I know some people will say "we just feel sorry for him because he's going to Edmonton" but that's not really the case. It's not like there has been a change of opinion on him since the lottery....and it's not like the Pens were a team that everyone was lining up to go to in the years leading up to them getting Crosby. Outside of the chance to play with Lemieux, people felt bad for Crosby too.

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[The Joker*]

Crosby was always kind of whiny, allegedly.

 

[sr edler]

Because he came across as a whiny brat?

 

[rt]

Classic "punch me" face. Guy always looked like he just smelled his own fart.

 

[FiveFourteenSixOne]

Crosby is my favorite player, but I feel confident is saying that it is because as a young player Crosby had a reputation for both diving, and whining. Neither of those attributes appear to be yet synonymous with McDavid.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I also wonder how much of it comes down to the lockout. For an entire year the hockey media went mad over him as he was the only thing to talk about, this meant that he got a backlash due to the attention.

Also, because it was a proper lottery, every NHL fan alive convinced themselves that their teams was getting Crosby, without question. Thus when that dream was ripped away, people turned on it.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Everyone's too busy being mad Edmonton won the draft lottery.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Because he is whiny as hell, throws cheap shots together with his buddy Malkin and instantly dives if someone as much as breathes on him. His skill doesn't matter, when his attitude is terrible. Same combination as Subban (minus the whining, he only throws cheap shots and turtles/ dives) and that's why he's not particulary liked either.

 

[Spawn]

I don't remember Crosby getting much hate before he entered the league. I might just not be remembering properly though. I know early on in his career I despised him for a reason that was entirely not his own. I just couldn't stand the nonstop media attention he got whether he had a good game or a bad one.

 

[sr edler]

Same combination as Subban

Subban's got a bit of a twinkle in his eye, though. And a good smile here and there.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Because he is whiny as hell, throws cheap shots together with his buddy Malkin and instantly dives if someone as much as breathes on him. His skill doesn't matter, when his attitude is terrible.

The whining and diving have nothing to do with people disliking him. Otherwise Lundqvist would be equally disliked but he's not.

 

[FiveFourteenSixOne]

I don't remember Crosby getting much hate before he entered the league. I might just not be remembering properly though. I know early on in his career I despised him for a reason that was entirely not his own. I just couldn't stand the nonstop media attention he got whether he had a good game or a bad one.

That certainly has to be part of it too. Same reason a lot of us can't stand the Leafs. As they say, "familiarity breeds contempt". When you're constantly inundated with Crosby this Crosby that its easy for any of the negative impressions you have to snowball into an unreasonable amount of loathing and disdain.

 

[Bathcat]

Because Crosby was hyped to no end as the "face of the new NHL" and whined and dove a lot as an 18 year old.

Ovechkin came in at the same time with much less fanfare, and outperformed Crosby.

Also, watch this:

 

[Chimpradamus]

The whining and diving have nothing to do with people disliking him. Otherwise Lundqvist would be equally disliked but he's not.

Nothing?



When even Cherry talks about how Crosby has turned the league against him because of his antics, it's bad.

 

[Mister Hockey]

Crosby didn't at first because every team had a shot at him. Once Pittsburgh got him the hate started. The unjustified hate came from all teams, not just the non playoffs ones.

 

[Dylonus]

Because he ran his mouth as a teen, but backed it up.

People nowadays are just delusional. He doesn't whine and hasn't for YEARS. He runs his mouth when people challenge him, but trolls consider it whining. However, when someone else does it, they're being a bad ass or in Toews case, "A STRONG LEADER"

He gets a bad reputation for something he did as a child.

 

[FiveFourteenSixOne]

Because he ran his mouth as a teen, but backed it up.

People nowadays are just delusional. He doesn't whine and hasn't for YEARS. He runs his mouth when people challenge him, but trolls consider it whining. However, when someone else does it, they're being a bad ass or in Toews case, "A STRONG LEADER"

He gets a bad reputation for something he did as a child.

haha well put.


Some people have a deep seated and inexplicable contempt for Crosby that blinds them to his objective quality as a hockey player.

 

[daver]

Everyone's too busy being mad Edmonton won the draft lottery.

Surprised it took this long for someone to say this. This probably takes the heat off of him in this regard.

Comparisons to past greats are a big factor too. Noone is saying McDavid is the next Gretzky while thanks to the great one himself, Crosby was. Similarly, thanks to Sportsnet, McDavid is hyped as being better than Crosby.

While McDavid will benefit from the Edmonton factor, I am sure you will see the "hate" build up as despite any potential to be better than Crosby, I simply cannot see how he will have a better first two years which no doubt he will be criticized for.

 

[Liferleafer]

Not long after Edmonton won the lottery, i said this to a friend. .."McDavid just went from a player everyone wanted....to a player everyone now wants to bust". The dislike will come now that Edmonton has been gifted him.

 

[Penguins23]

I'm a Pens fan but before the Pens won the lottery I hated Crosby. With Rimouski he was a whiny diver. The guy in the league who is most like that now is Ehlers(Halifax). I don't blame non-Pens fans for hating Crosby but I find he has changed quite a bit from those days. He definitely doesn't dive anymore which is a big plus in my books.

 

[sansabri]

because the Pens won the lottery after racking up high picks for years.

most just wanted to see him fail.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Nothing?



When even Cherry talks about how Crosby has turned the league against him because of his antics, it's bad.

Cherry says lots of things, and that comment was a reference to one particular play in a game between arch rivals. Hardly suggestive of Cherry’s general opinion on Crosby's character.

Fact of the matter is, each and every action of even the slightest controversial nature Crosby takes is put under microscope and subject to excessive criticism over something which is generally disregarded (and sometimes even applauded) when taken by any other player. When Crosby does something that warrants criticism, it’s blown out of proportion and referred to as a justification for subsequent criticism in a completely unrelated context, the proof of which you just provided.

Does Crosby talk to the refs from time to time in a criticizing/complaining manner? Yes, but which captain doesn’t? In fact, as the captain of his team he’s obliged to talk to the refs and question their decisions (within the limits of reason obviously) for the sake of the good of his team and teammates.

Does Crosby occasionally embellish in order to draw a penalty? Yes, but so do most players when an opportunity presents itself.

Has Crosby been guilty of wrongdoing subject to reasonable criticism in duration of his career? Of course, but who hasn’t?

 

[Dr Pepper]

I respect both players immensely, not just for their talent, but how they've handled the colossal weight being placed on their shoulders by the media (and us), as hockey gods.

because the Pens won the lottery after racking up high picks for years.

most just wanted to see him fail.

That definitely plays into it.

The same way people hate on Edmonton for piling on all of these high picks, those same people (minus Pens fans, I guess ) were bitter about the team that was on the verge of moving, being gifted this phenom who was going to "save" them.

Then they slapped a "C" on his jersey after only two seasons.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Because he ran his mouth as a teen, but backed it up.

People nowadays are just delusional. He doesn't whine and hasn't for YEARS.

Okay bud.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

When your the best player in the world at 19 years old you will have haters