Ovechkin Versus Crosby…Revisited

Why would Alexander Ovechkin be sick if hearing about Sidney Crosby?

I don’t know…maybe because Crosby makes millions of dollars in endorsement contracts that he gets because he is “Canada’s golden boy” and Ovechkin has …wait for it…that’s right his very own blog!

Crosby gets the benefit of playing with seasoned National Hockey league scorers such as Mark Recchi and Petr Sykora, while Ovechkin plays with Chris Clark and…some other guy. By the way, Chris Clark has a whopping 168 points in 439 NHL Games.

Crosby has graced the cover of countless magazines, has his own line of Reebok clothing and is the face of Tim Horton’s and the Tim Bits hockey program.Ovechkin is sponsored by CCM and is known for introducing a blue tinted Oakley visor.

It’s not necessarily about which player is better because, like Lemieux and Gretzky, they are different players. Ovechkin should lead the league in shots on net and will undoubtedly be a more physical player over the course of his career than will Crosby.

Crosby has become known for his work ethic and intensity.
Crosby may be a slightly better playmaker than Ovechkin, but it is difficult to judge because the supporting casts are so different.

When Versus decided to feature a player to develop a television special on for the opening of the 2007-2008 season, the natural choice was Sidney Crosby.

Of course, there were some who thought that featuring one player was not the appropriate course of action and that a special featuring a variety of talented young players would have better served a marketing purpose for the National Hockey League.

Developing a strategy featuring a multitude of young talent in the NHL would certainly evoke attention from more of the markets that the League wants to penetrate.For instance, adding featurettes of Toews and Kane would certainly target the

Chicago market effectively. A series of features that could be broadcast in the local markets of each team would likely be a very costly endeavor, but could help to cement relationships with the local fans.

I have to admit that Crosby does a great job with the media, especially in keeping a “politician’s” neutral stance. However, this robotic style of answering questions leads to an almost emotionless and sometimes false appearance to his answers.

I would love to see players take a more passionate role in the media. However, I am certain that this will never happen because players often get crucified for speaking their minds. It is unfortunate that players feel the need to be politically correct and take a neutral stance in the media instead of speaking their minds.

I’m not saying that Ovechkin speaks his mind on all issues, but if you have ever seen one of his interviews, they are always entertaining. Ovechkin is entertaining and passionate in his views of the game and, even in his broken English, will crack the odd joke.

Not to mention the antics he displayed after Hole In One that was caught on tape at last year’s Capitals golf tournament.

The National Hockey League went to great lengths last year to make the players appear as “real people” in their Game On campaign, so why not encourage the players to continue this strategy in the daily media?