"He's too quiet, too hum-drum, too cliched"
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Mar 24, 01:04 PM | Hype this story!
“I think a Sidney Crosby interview is as boring to watch as possible, said Jeremy Roenick in a radio interview. “As great a hockey player as he is and as much as he’s taken this league by storm, I don’t think he goes on a limb and says what he really feels.
“I think he’s too quiet, too hum-drum, too cliched. I love the kid as a hockey player, but I think he can be more spectacular if he steps up and shows a little personality.”
So the question is: are we talking about hockey?
Since when do a player’s interview skills have an impact on his game?
Hockey is played on the ice with physical skills, not through the media with verbal skills.
Then again, for the aging and declining Roenick, his interviews seem to be the only way he can remain in the spotlight.
In other words, he wants to hear himself talk, and he wants to be heard – since few even realize he still plays the game.
I’d gladly take a boring, politically-correct Crosby over a flamboyant, ignorant Roenick every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
What’s becoming shockingly clear, though, is that Crosby can do absolutely no right.
He gets mocked for being too vocal on the ice, yet he gets ridiculed for being too lackluster in his interviews.
He gets called out for not having enough passion, yet when he shows his passion through physical play and smack talk – activities 75 percent of players and 100 percent of team captains participate in – he gets called a whiner.
He gets scorned for being feisty and taking part in borderline cheap actions, yet he gets lambasted for removing his shield to fight Marc Savard (who subsequently backed down).
And while he is scorned for being borderline cheap on occasion, few bother to mention how frequently he is on the receiving end of cheapshots that go completely unnoticed.
Quite the double standard, eh?
The reality is, for whatever reason, Crosby is not just disliked, but hated by fans and players across the NHL – fairly or not.
But Crosby doesn’t care.
In fact, he’s second in the league in scoring despite missing a handful of games due to injuries, and despite spending most of the season with Pascal Dupuis on his left wing and a smorgasbord of Tyler Kennedy, Miroslav Satan, Matt Cooke and other grinders or has-beens on his right wing.
If that doesn’t speak to his skill level, nothing will.
So, while his detractors rant and rave about his personality, Crosby will continue to focus on his on-ice tasks and ignore his post-game interview techniques and post-goal celebrations.
And that is what really matters.
Comments
btumpak
Mar 24, 01:16 PM
Is he a bit boring in interviews, yes.
Its nice that he doesn’t create distractions for his team in interviews, like some players in this league….
go Pens.
Matt Bodenschatz
Mar 24, 01:40 PM
I’ll gladly take boring in interviews and exciting on the ice over exciting in interviews and boring on the ice.
bag o' pucks
Mar 24, 02:06 PM
He’s too old, too slow, too irrelevant.
ScottyG
Mar 24, 02:40 PM
Matt: How long till you think Sid snaps? I know that this whole article is about how he’s PC and all that, but seriously, people are starting to notice his personality slipping into his on-ice play. I for one wouldn’t mind seeing what crosby is really thinking, even if it is just one time.
@Bag: I wonder who is more useless, JR or Claude Lemieux!
Matt Bodenschatz
Mar 24, 02:46 PM
@Scotty, put it this way. I do think Crosby cares what people think of him. He’s 21, how can he not be effected by constant boos and backlash, especially when he’s such a good hockey player and person? As a result, I do think we are starting to see a bit more of a “me vs. the world” attitude, both in his interviews and on the ice. For the first time, we recently heard him speak negatively about a player, saying that he doesn’t care for Ovechkin’s showboat antics and whatnot. While not controversial, it certainly is not the norm from Crosby. The same goes for the removal of the shield.
So, with that being said, I don’t think he’ll “snap,” but I do think we’re going to see an edgier version of Crosby as time goes on. he’s doing what he feels is right and he’s getting a ton of backlash for it. Why continue when he gets no credit?
Ben Schmidt
Mar 24, 03:20 PM
Crosby is a boring interview. There’s nothing incorrect about that. I’d like to hear Crosby diverge from the standard hockey cliches he always spouts, myself. It’s gotten to the point where I’ll skip the interview if I’m watching a recording, when I see it’s Crosby.
No, that doesn’t impact his ability on the ice, at all, but, well, I don’t have a problem with Roenick’s advice to Crosby on this one.
Every once in a while, Crosby’s personality does come out (usually when poked by a teammate, or when we see him interacting with kids, for example). That’s a very likable Crosby, and one I’d like to see more of in interviews. I don’t see anything wrong with him letting that show through more often.
Also, I’ll point out that for every fan on the internet who spouts off with the Crosby hate, I’ll bet you can find at least 2 (if not more) fans out there in the real world who own the guy’s jersey – and not just in Pittsburgh, either. Just because the haters are vocal doesn’t mean they represent everyone – or even a majority. It just means they’re loud. The fact that he gets hounded for autographs and interviews everywhere he goes is proof of that. The fact that his jersey is always among the best-sellers on NHL.com is proof of that. The fact that buildings across both the United States and Canada sell out when the Penguins come to town is proof of that.
Moq
Mar 24, 03:51 PM
Matt, I think the premise of our article could have benefited from a less subjective approach to the question of athlete behaviour towards the media, ie. not the allout defence of Crosby.
I don’t think anyone disputes that Crosby doesn’t offer the most interesting interviews or comments in the world of hockey. Therefore the characterisation by Roenick seems pretty accurate to me, and he doesn’t dispute Crosby’s qualities as a hockey player. So I see no reason for an overly defensive attitude.
As much as his interviews are mundane and boring, no one wants Crosby having a controversial opinion about everything even if he was capable of that. Though probably the foremost face of hockey against his will there’s also a responsibility of promoting the game in action as well as words. Still, it’s probably an area under development and improvement given his age.
After all, hockey is also business and entertainment. And we can’t leave it all to the Russians ;-).
Bam
Mar 24, 04:40 PM
It bothers me that people think there is something wrong with always having the “right” answer and carrying yourself with class.
Does every great athlete need to be foul mouthed or brash or outspoken to really be appreciated?
I sure hope not.
Matt Bodenschatz
Mar 24, 04:42 PM
I think the point is being missed.
Crosby has become such a target at this point that hockey players now are criticizing him for mundane interviews. Sure, it would be great if his interviews were more off-the-cuff, but the reality is, the interviews are meaningless in terms of the game itself.
Roenick is calling for Crosby to be more himself in his interviews, but we’ve all seen the backlash he gets from being himself on the ice. What incentive does he have to change his ways in his interviews?
The simple fact that Roenick went out of his way to criticize Crosby for interviews, not his game, shows that has become a target across the board.
Matt Bodenschatz
Mar 24, 04:45 PM
@Bam, exactly what my point is. Hockey is played on the ice. When was the last time a player was called out for being too cautious or boring in an interview? My guess is this is the first.
How Crosby plays on the ice is what matters. Everything else is a bonus.
Ben Schmidt
Mar 24, 05:31 PM
“How Crosby plays on the ice is what matters. Everything else is a bonus.”
Except that isn’t really true. Crosby is the face of the League (whether he asked for it or not). How Crosby interacts with the media impacts directly on the public relations of the League, and how the NHL is perceived by a lot of people. So it really does matter how he acts in interviews.
Now, one other point I think needs to be made: one doesn’t need to be controversial to be an interesting interview. One doesn’t need to be brash or offensive. One can still be politically correct, and be a good interview at the same time. Crosby isn’t a bad interview because he’s politically correct – he’s a bad interview because he almost never deviates from spouting cliches.
Granted, most interviewers aren’t very good at drawing out good responses from him, but at the same time, he could stand to improve his public perception if he could say something that isn’t a pure cliche. Crosby has a lot of teammates who give good interviews without being controversial. He could stand to get a few pointers from them.
As for how he can’t win: that’s the way it goes for any player who gets a lot of media attention. While most people still like the best players, you’ll always find others who want to tear them down – and the ones who have something negative to say are going to be the loudest, and get the most attention. It’s already starting to happen with Ovechkin (see: the whole ridiculous debate over his celebration). I expect we’ll start seeing it happen to Malkin within a season or two, now that he’s started talking to the media more.
For that matter, look at how much Penguins fans deride Ovechkin already. “He only gets so many goals because he shoots the puck more than anyone else!” (And how, exactly, does he get so many shots on net in the first place? Shots that don’t go wide and don’t get blocked, since otherwise they wouldn’t count for that stat, no less?)
There is a natural human reaction against the player getting the most attention, when one feels that the player on their team is deserving of more attention than they receive. The negative attention to Crosby is a reflection of this.
diane
Mar 24, 06:20 PM
Exciting interviews determined the stanley cup winner, how?
Through all this year when folks have made snide remarks about Sidney; somehow he has maintained his composure. Class and dignity; valued traits no matter who you are.
LateHarvest
Mar 24, 06:39 PM
Is Roenick still technically declinING?
I thought he was retired until about 2 min ago.
The fact that anticrosbyism has transcended the ice is a luxury. His game has so few flaws, he has to be attacked personally.
brings up the infamous “if you ever watched him play…”
having said that…he clearly has a personality and a lot of passion. It’d be great if he was actually honest in just one interview, rather than treating the interviews like he’s talking to his parole officer.
BUT, if his crappy interviews and bland off-ice personality are the lightning rods for criticism…he must be the best player in the world.
We need him to lead the Pens. Not win popularity contests.
TheOneAndOnlySurge
Mar 24, 06:55 PM
I gotta back Matt here. Roenick didn’t say something about Sid because he wanted to give him advice. He said something to get under his skin. Since all things hockey have already been said he had to comment about his interviews. That just shows how classless Roenick is.
Personally, I don’t care what anyone says in an interview. At least not after this past offseason. I record every game and usually watch or end up watching them after the game has played. Not one time do I listen to an interview, not post game, not pre game and definetly not during intermission. I watch the 60min of hockey and the short breaks between faceoffs. If I want to hear anything other than the game I will watch a news show, NHL Live or the one on NHL Network after the games play. Sure Sid could liven up a bit but, why should he risk saying something he could be attacked about later. Let the wannabes and hasbeens eat up that stuff. Let Sid play hockey.
bag o' pucks
Mar 24, 08:26 PM
I don’t think Roenick said these things to get under Sid’s skin. I think Roenick did it to get people talking about Roenick. This guy’s been an attention whore his whole career and he’s not good enough to draw attenion to himself with his play, anymore. So, he pops off about a tried and true topic to get some airtime. Hey, look, it worked.
Pens1967
Mar 24, 08:45 PM
Didn’t Sid go off message last year during the playoffs? I think the funniest line posted at one of the message boards (not sure if it was at F-F or LGP) was:
“Sid-bot malfunction!”
DaBich
Mar 24, 09:39 PM
I used to like Roenick. He needs to get another job…stand up doesn’t suit him.
Mike Wilson
Mar 24, 10:02 PM
I’m with LateHarvest, until I’d read the headline, I’d completely forgotten Roenick still played in the NHL.
I don’t think Sid will snap at all, nor do I think he’ll change his ways very much. Don Cherry supports Sid’s behavior and I think that is all a Canadian product wants to hear. If Cherry, one of the classiest, most respected names in hockey likes how I’m carrying myself on and off the ice, then I’m not changing much.
Another thing is that when Crosby talks, he is speaking almost on behalf of the NHL. He’s the face of the league (though Ovechkin is the mouth…the unfortunately large mouth). He doesn’t have as much room to speak his mind as other players do that want to get noticed.
Matt Bodenschatz
Mar 24, 10:15 PM
Two points…
1. Were Mario Lemieux’s boring interviews ever criticized?
2. While Crosby may be the “face” of the NHL, he has zero responsibility to change his style simply to be more attractive to fans. What if his playing style was ultra boring, yet extremely effective. Should he then change his playing style to be more exciting simply to appease fans?
As has been said, the Cup is won on the ice. Who cares how exciting his interviews are? As long as he helps the team where it matters, I’m not going to complain.
Albert
Mar 25, 12:57 AM
The interviews are irrelevant.
The haters are a (vocal) minority — who are vocal BECAUSE they are threatened by Sid’s awesome and dominating play.
If Sid adopts a “me vs. the world” attitude during this playoffs…WATCH OUT, world!
He carries himself w/ dignity and class. Credit to Crosby.
I wish for him that he didn’t have to be “The Face of the NHL.” I’m sure he thinks the same thing not infrequently. But for whatever reason—respect for the game / desire to give back—he does it, and he does it exceedingly well. As he promotes the league, it helps ALL players—who should show more appreciation and respect.
DaBich
Mar 25, 05:47 AM
I’m sure his parents are proud of him, heck, I would be.
He has class, AND he has talent. That’s the bottom line.
Ruben
Mar 25, 04:54 PM
I don’t think Jeremy Roenick was suggesting that Sidney Crosby is a poor hockey player because he gives bad interviews. And sorry, but Sidney Crosby isn’t the first to get this criticism from Roenick, either. Earlier in the year, he pointed out that most of the young players on the Sharks need to learn how to interact with the media better as well, as opposed to just spouting off cliches.
Roenick isn’t trying to criticize Crosby, he is criticizing how much of the players promote the game. This particular interview just happened to focus on Crosby. And he isn’t saying Crosby needs to be like Terrell Owens or, heck, even Roenick himself. Ever heard Joe Thornton give an interview? Affable, fun, honest when he can be. No one is suggesting Crosby is hurting the Penguins because he gives poor interviews. But the suggestion that he could do more to grow the game, with virtually no downside to the product he brings on the ice, is probably accurate. There is nothing particularly offensive or demeaning about that. And it really has virtually nothing to do with his skills on the ice.
MGS
Mar 25, 08:41 PM
I agree with Reuben. No doubt Crosby is talented and no doubt JR likes to talk. Roenick has had a lot of great years in the NHL and Crosby has a lot to look forward to.
Nothing wrong with a player being able to hold his own in an interview as well as dominate play on the ice.
Jyonny
Mar 26, 07:45 PM
JR does have a opoint – As skilled as he is, the face of the NHL is as dull as dishwater when he’s off the ice. Fantastic player, tremendous skill, but unusually stoic.
Of course the other guy who came off this way made a pretty good career for himself too. Wayne something or other.
Harley
Mar 26, 08:32 PM
Too hum-drum, quiet, and cliched, huh?
Funny, I don’t remember Sakic or Yzerman ever being criticized for that.
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