Crosby shows class beyond years
The New York Daily News
The battle for the Calder Trophy, the NHL's top rookie honor, is likely to come down to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who was the first overall draft pick over the summer, and Alexander Ovechkin, who was picked first overall by Washington in 2004. By the most accurate method available to determine the status of any person, place, or thing in North American culture, the Penguins' phenom can be declared the winner.
It's so easy to tell with eBay.
Type in Crosby's name on the virtual marketplace's Web site and you get more than 1,000 hits. Ovechkin? Not so great. A paltry 190 items turned up on his search.
The Crosby collection includes everything from hockey cards, shirts, photos, bobbleheads and hats to the kid himself, sort of. For a mere $2,999, you could start the bidding on a Web site incorporating Crosby's name and number (87, which if you don't know by now, signifies Crosby's birthdate, Aug. 7, 1987).
There were no takers for the domain name. Since Crosby has had his own Web site for years, he won't need to squander his rookie paycheck buying back his own good name.
Speaking of his good name, one of the items for sale was an unauthorized vulgar decal employing Crosby's name and number, but not likeness. It's hard to think of another item that could be less appropriate for Crosby, who spent part of Sunday afternoon wandering, wide-eyed, around Times Square like any other anonymous tourist on his first trip to the Big Apple.
"It's really busy," Crosby proclaimed before his Garden debut last night, where he was named the No. 1 star in Pittsburgh's 3-2 win over the Rangers.
He wasn't recognized or badgered for an autograph until he and a few teammates had dinner later in the evening. All of those scores of fellow sightseers who brushed right past Crosby might just regret the missed opportunities. On Crosby's own Web site, an autographed jersey goes for $679.99. You could have had his signature for a "please" and a "thank you."
On the ice, the 18-year-old Crosby has been compared to a young Wayne Gretzky. After Jaromir Jagr made a near-mystical pass from the right corner to find Petr Prucha in front of the net for a big goal against the Devils on Saturday, Rangers coach Tom Renney was asked who else in the NHL could have crafted such a play. Renney's first candidate: Crosby.
Off the ice, Crosby is also a young No. 99, and not just in his marketability (in addition to his status on eBay, he's a spokesman for Reebok and Gatorade). He is unfailingly polite, polished, accessible, and for the time being, cautious not to say anything that could possibly be construed as the least bit controversial. Crosby will never have a Terrell Owens-type meltdown.
Crosby's debut on the big stage was scrutinized by guys who know all about pressure. Mark Messier, a Garden god, looked on from a luxury suite, as if from Olympus. Mike Eruzione, the legendary U.S. Olympian, visited in the locker room.
Did Crosby dominate? No, but neither did another teenage star, LeBron James, in his first NBA game in New York in February, 2004, but James's 22 points were a glimmer of things to come, and so was Crosby's highlight-caliber second-period goal. He nearly netted an even more dramatic score in the first, busting between two Rangers defenseman to draw a penalty and get a scoring chance that was stopped by Kevin Weekes.
"I should have went high," Crosby said, almost sheepishly. "I was just trying to get a shot off. I've had a couple of chances like that already this year. Hopefully one of these days I'll be able to get one."
Crosby's goal was his fifth of the season, and he leads all NHL rookies with 19 points in 15 games. His first goal at the Garden is just another in what is certain to be a long list of milestones.
And with every game like last night's, Crosby's value skyrockets.
Originally published on November 8, 2005
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