True greats can handle the moment; and some Bruce for fun

Of course, he scored.

Today, Sidney Crosby is going to handle the Occupy issues all over the world, he may cure a handful of communicable diseases, he’ll call Billy Hunter and David Stern and NBA training camps will open tomorrow and then, hang tough Middle East, your problems are soon solved.

Yeesh. Wasn’t that something.

Yeah, I know.

Pucks. Me. Oil. Water.

Anyway, sure I had to watch a bit, I wouldn’t be (a) Canadian or (b) a guy with a 1,000 or so words to write before the sun came up if I didn't so I had to take a quick look.

(Yes, just a quick one, I started to throw up in my mouth a little bit with the media overkill; dude did only miss 61 games and that’s, what, almost three-quarters of a season? Call me when someone comes back after two or three years next time).

Anyway, it was impressive and the Kid does seem to be one of those unique athletes who comes around about once a generation who just delivers on his greatness when it’s most expected.

There was that Olympic goal thing and then last night, when even a dope like me could see that he didn’t look at all out of place and is as uniquely skilled as any athlete playing any game on Earth, at least for one game.

There just does seem to be something about the true greats that allows them to simply seize the moment, to take the inherent pressure and spotlight and expectations that come with something like returning from a long absence and playing lights out.

Now, I would fully expect adrenaline had something to do with it, the rush of being in true competition for the first time since February would have carried him a little bit and the jolt you get from incessant cheers had to have an impact.

There could very well be nights in the next couple of weeks where he’s slower, less dominant, more unable to handle the speed of the game as well.

But for last night, Crosby did what few athletes anywhere in the world are capable of doing:

He did more than anyone expected when everyone – including me – was watching.

Now … that’ll likely end the pucks in this little corner of the universe for a while. That’s two days in a row; I can almost feel the hives breaking out.

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Oh, oh.

Looks like the TF’s want me out there among the people.

Check this out and we’ll see where it goes.

You can send e-mails at webpoll@thestar.ca and let us know in the address bar that it's basketball stories you're proposing (same link as the usual mail) or go here and do some nifty video stuff if you want.

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I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the news that Bruce Springsteen plans a tour.

Yes, he is a musical icon and the concerts are spectacular because they are long and dedicated almost entirely to music rather than theatrics or histrionics but …

Yeah, that’s the big “but” isn’t it?

How can it be The E Street Band without Clarence?

I know, I know. Life goes on, terrible things happen and we have to get over them and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Still …

It’s Clarence and Bruce.

And they were around and together for a very, very long time.

Will I go see them if there’s a Toronto date?

Most likely, if it works into the budget and the schedule.

But I guarantee you I’ll be like a lot of other people and, if I do, one of the first things I’ll say when I walk out is: “Nope, not the same without The Big Man.”

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Hey, remember the NBA?

No, there is no news – and I have nothing firm on which to base this suggestion – but I wouldn’t at all be surprised if we didn’t hear something of some sort this week.

There is no doubt that Christmas Day is a watershed day each year for the league; it is the kick-off of the major network broadcasts (ABC kicks in on that day), it is a day the league generally has to itself and casual fans have a tendency to start paying closer attention that afternoon.

(Now, I personally feel there are too many games on Christmas and it diminishes the impact having five or so when they used to have just one but that’s another point entirely).

That digression aside, there is no doubt it’s big and if you take David Stern at his word that they’ll need a month for a handshake agreement to any start of an abbreviated season, Friday would be the day.

Now, that doesn’t at all mean he’ll pick up the phone and call Boies to kickstart some kind of discussions with the anti-trust plaintiffs but if there’s any sense of urgency around the league office, something better happen and very soon.

Doubt it will but Friday would seem to be the next “biggest” day in this drawn-out (yawn!) process.

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Tough couple of days for Jay Cutler.

Dude breaks his thumb and perhaps ruins the season and then there’s some false report about an engagement to some, well, I’m not sure exactly what she is but if Deadspin’s writing about it, she must be important.

Not Kardashian important but important nonetheless.

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Hey, way to go BBWAA!

You got it right with the Verlander as the AL Most Valuable Player, as perhaps you recall me mentioning yesterday.

Good nod to JoeyBats being third, too.

Now, we’ve kind of got the same thing going in the National League – Matt Kemp on a bad team, Ryan Braun on a good one, Albert Pujols – and, just in case you wanted add to the mystery, Clayton Kershaw on the Dodgers.

Now, Kershaw was spectacular a lot of the year and has MPV-like numbers. But, as we mentioned yesterday, it can’t just be one thing, which is why he can’t be in the same discussion in his league that Verlander was in his; in this case, team success matters.

Me? I’m okay with Kemp or Pujols, with a not to the Cardinal.

 

 

 

Comments

[doug]

Crosby just has it, what it is is indescribable in words, just as you knew when Jordan had the ball at the end of the game, he wasn't going to miss or be stopped....the NHL is missing the boat in my view, they have to take steps to protect him, for one get rid of the instigator rule, I am opposed to fighting but Gretzky had Semenko , top level stars in any sports need to be protected as their what fuel the league....Bruce should keep performing as it's what he does, Clarence's passing was sad and a great loss but Bruce didn't pass away with him, they'll show Clarence on the big screen doing his thing is my guess, as to replace him or try would be foolhardy, he'll be there visually as well in spirit and his legacy will continue to grow..ok cheers

[furcifer]

I don't know if it was your spell check or your obsession with hoops but it's Sidney not Sydney.

Blogger's note: So I was told; seconds before I fixed it.

[Dave in BG]

Doug

did you mean "Pucks. Me. Oil. Water."??

Blogger's note: Fixed. Thanks

[sam]

Crosby is pretty impressive. No doubt, but agree the over kill of his first game back was a little much. I don't recall CBC having a weeknight version of Hockey Night in Canada, aside from the playoffs....Sidney is the face of the NHL it seems. Compare him to the guy in the NBA that got all the attention last year. . . with his decision - and his entourage -
Good East Coast kid wins out on the likeability scale.

I have never been a Springsteen fan - but love the family aspect of the e street band. There are musicians that just love to play and Springsteen seems to be one of them. He he can still walk and play - and the E Street guys are in agreement they should hit the road...

I read a couple of tweets that were sent by Jose Bautista. Don't remember where I saw them, but the message was thoughtful and gracious. How could you not like the guy.

[John D.]

I don't care about typos (typo's, typoes??). Can I still comment? I do wonder how much the New York Islanders being really bad had to do with Sid's night? I think, a lot. Well done Crosby - nice to see a headline about hockey in general that doesn't leave me scratching my head, or trying to figure out ways to protect it.

[Peter]

I think it was smart to have Crosby come back in a game against the Islanders (a team I think my mom could score 2 goals on), but, yeah he hasn't lost a step it seems.

I wonder if Bruce might do the tour by himself (he's put out albums and toured alone before), but either way, I think I agree with the commenter doug, playing music is what Bruce does.

Thanks for the blog, Doug!

[Jeff R]

From Springsteen's eulogy at Clarence's funeral:

"Clarence doesn't leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die."

[Lorie]

Hello Doug!
So, after resolving NBA woes and convincing Berlusconi to stay out of the public eye for a decade or so, maybe Sid will reveal the truth behind The Umbrella Man in Dealey Plaza (with a nod to those of us of a certain age who will never forget what happened on this day). So, Doug, how much has been allocated by The Tall Foreheads to send you off in seach of really great hoops stories? 'Cause there's a really great one in England: in Yorkshire, in a town called Sheffield - The Sheffield Hatters Womens Basketball Team. They dominated the National League winning the championship every year from 1991 to 2002. And this is their 50th year! Good story, no?
And, as well as a good basketball story, there's a very cool pub. Dates back to 1475. Legend has it that Mary Queen of Scots hung out there. In fact it's named after her (well part of her): Old Queen's Head. Kind of a win-win trip, wouldn't you say. And you know how very much we Irregulars enjoy your roaming foreign correspondent pub reviews! Plus this guy hails from there. (Now, is it just me, but whenever I hear this song I'm reminded of John Olerud.)
http://youtu.be/kDR2fXoHdQw

[Adam]

Hey Doug,

I personally feel that since the CY Young award is exclusively for pitchers then either the MVP awards should be exclusively for hitters or they just re-name the award after a great hall of fame hitter so hitters have their own award to strive for.

What do you think?

Blogger's note: I disagree. I think everything's fine the way it is and every quarter of a century a pitcher has an MVP-worthy season. And hitter's do: It's call the Hank Aaron Award

[Mr. Cook]

There was a rumor floating that Macy O'Parker (from Prince's band) was going to replace Clarence. That'd be something.

[Tim H.]

I think a missing link?

"Oh, oh.

Looks like the TF’s want me out there among the people.

Check this out and we’ll see where it goes."

Thanks!

Blogger's note: Think they come a paragraph or two after

[jpc]

"You’re problems are soon solved."

Blogger's note: And here I thought the Typo Police had taken a day or two off. Thanks so very much

[Mike D.]

Does "meeting a group of Irregulars at a sports bar to quaff Stellas and talk about basketball" qualify as basketball-related research? It definitely gets you out among the people.

[m]

Macy O'Parker, that's a joke, right?

My question is this. Are there proofreaders for sportswriters? I'm not referring to your blog at all, clearly your readers do the job -) but I'm appalled at the lack of skill on display in sports writing. Yesterday, in an account of the pickup game that featured Rubio, it was pointed out that "James Haden had the most ingenuous slam" of the game. Huh? I've seen Eric Smith write "reining threes" and another write about the "rein" of MJ as the #1 player etc. (It rains threes and MJ reigned as whatever). These are not simple typos or spelling errors which do happen, but indications of a sheer lack of vocabulary. For a writer, I'd assume that a knowledge of words wpould be of paramount importance.

[The J]

@m - It sure wpould, it sure wpould.

Sorry, it was too easy.

[m]

I knew as soon as I posted that someone would pounce on that. As I pointed out,
"These are not simple typos or spelling errors which do happen," I was referring to these writers using words that don't mean what they are using them to mean. I was wondering though, are there still proof readers around for the sites like ESPN or TSN.