The Sidney Crosby concussion
continues to evolve and the focus of the story seems to be less about how long
the Pittsburgh Penguins star and NHL’s best player is going to be out of the
lineup and more about everything else that went into the injury itself. Concussions and trying to prevent them have
been a point of conversation for the NHL over the past few seasons including
the creation and implementation of Rule 48 to deal with headshots in game
action. It is strange to see that Crosby,
whom many deem the most protected player in the game, take two blows to the head
with only two minutes of penalties called, no retaliation by his teammates and
no suspensions from the league.
That series of facts was obvious
on Crosby’s mind today when he spoke to reporters today about the injury. He criticizes the NHL for not following
through on all their talk about headshots (1:41-2:40 of the video) when he
said:
I didn't like them. You talk about headshots and dealing with them, and that's been something that's been a pretty big point of interest from everybody -- GMs and players. When I look at those two hits and when we talk about blindside, that's a big word, unsuspecting player, there's no puck there on both of them and direct hit to the head on both of them. If you go through the criteria, I think they fit all those.I know it's a fast game. If anybody understands it's a fast game ... I've been hit a thousand times. When you get hit like that, there's nothing you can do. There's no way to protect yourself. Those are things that hopefully they pay more attention to. It's easy saying that, being in this situation; but those are two hits, looking back, that I can't say I should have done something different or had my head down. I wouldn't change anything. [emphasis mine]
In general Crosby is 100% right
in those comments that the league has been wildly inconsistent in how they have
sought to implement Rule 48 this season where some actions get let go and
others of the same exact ilk are hit with varying degrees of punishment.
In discussing the David Steckel
hit/collision from the Winter Classic (video
of hit) Crosby reiterates his belief that Steckel could have avoided him if
he wanted when he said:
On the Steckel one, it's tough. It's really tough to decide if he meant to or didn't mean to. I feel like he could have gotten out of the way and avoided me. Whether he tried to hurt me, only he knows. I guess we'll never know that, but you still have to be responsible out there. I can carry my stick up around my head and say that I'm protecting myself, but I still have to be responsible for whatever I do with my stick if I end up high-sticking someone.It's the same thing. In that situation, I don't see anything [and] he sees me there. He sees the whole ice and he doesn't avoid me. I don't think that's responsible on his part. Whether or not he tried to hurt me, only he knows that. But he's got to be the one to try to avoid me in that situation.
This series of comments is
likely going to get Crosby criticism especially from those who have an aversion
to him already because of the exaggerated example he gives to try and create a
metaphorical scenario on the ice and the fact that he did not give Steckel the
benefit of the doubt on his intent. You
can say that he did not out and out accuse Steckel but the majority of the time
when you lay out a scenario as he did where you say “only he knows” you are
going to find many that presume it to be you accusing that person of a dirty
play, especially when you then call him irresponsible saying he saw you and did
not try to avoid you.
From listening to Sidney it
seems like the concussion was more likely from the collision with Steckel seeing
as how he was not feeling “right” even before Hedman boarded him into the glass
and probably exacerbated whatever symptoms he was already having. Why it matters when he originally sustained
the concussion is not about whether the Steckel hit was clean or dirty but the
fact that the Penguins let him finish the Winter Classic game and play in a
gave four days later while possibly having a concussion. Maybe Sidney should be complaining about that
as well as the league for not protecting the players because as we have seen in
other sport’s many times the league does a better job protecting the players
from each other and themselves than the team’s do.
Instead Crosby defending the organization from just that kind of critcism when he said: "No, I mean, looking back, I wouldn't have changed anything
we did. It may be easy to say that now, but I didn't have any head and
it didn't feel like a concussion."
No offense to Crosby's medical training but that is why team's have professional doctors and trainers on staff to determine those things and maybe the NHL has to go the route of the NFL that any time a player hits his head he has to be concussion tested in order to prevent guys from playing with them until they get severe. Personally from listening to Sidney today the
one week timetable that was laid out seems awfully optimistic and at least on
that count Crosby certainly seems to understand the need to wait until he is
actually ready to be back to avoid getting another one.
Also I know the media has a job
to do and without it I would not have this video to share with you of his
comments, but which person thought it was a bright idea to take a guy with a
concussion and stick numerous TV cameras and lights in his eyes?
Full Video via Penguins.com
