Sidney Crosby and the Glass Skull

The date: July 30^th 2005. The Pittsburgh Penguins, with their first pick, choose a kid whose destiny was to be one of the greatest hockey players of his generation. His name is Sidney Crosby. Now, the 2011/12 season, may be his last pro hockey season.

                Ok, yes we all know who Sidney Crosby is. A talented hockey player, who has broken so many records, won many trophies and especially, won the hearts of many...but not all. I guess some thought Crosby as something beyond human. Sadly, this is not true. Sidney Crosby is an NHL hockey player, as human as anyone else who laces up his skates. This being said, being human comes with many, MANY tough situations.

                During the 2011 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2011 against the Washington Capitals and January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Crosby suffered hits to his head from Dave Steckel and Victor Hedman.  One could say he suffered 2 concussions before realizing his situation. It’s a fact, that the NHL approved new rules, to keep their “face of the NHL” from being hurt. I say again, he is only human. Hockey is a rough sport, and hockey favors no one.

                No one thought Sid the Kid would ever get hurt like he did, but the truth hurts. Crosby spent the rest of the season in the press box, as concussion symptoms were heavy. He then worked hard to get better, only to set him back again. He even missed 20 games at the beginning of the 2011/12 season. All summer, we wondered if he, Sidney Crosby, would follow the steps of former NHLer Eric Lindros, and never play again. But, that didn’t seem to be the case. After expressing he would only return to the ice once he was 100%, he returned on November 21, 2011 against the New York Islanders, scoring two goals and two assists in a 5–0 shutout win for the Penguins. SID’S BACK! HE’S 100%! Well, he must be, right? He said he would only come back when he felt 100%....I guess we were wrong.

                You see, after having a concussion, especially multiple ones, you start to have what I call a glass skull. Work it too hard, or let it get bashed around, and the brain weakens. Hence probably THE game, that may end it all. During a game on December 5^th against the Boston Bruins, Crosby received an elbow from the Bruins' David Krejci, a mid-ice collision with teammate Chris Kunitz during the third period and a lot of bashing around. After the game, he claimed to have felt “not right” and would be out 2 games. Then, 2 games turned into indefinitely.  In my opinion, if one game of being bounced around makes his concussion symptoms return, who’s to say it won’t happen again?

                Now the question surfaces again. Does he eventually return, or does he end his career short? I guess it’s tough to say right now, but if it does come down to the NHL losing one of the greatest players of this generation, it will certainly be a sad day. Sidney Crosby: an NHLer, a Superstar, a Human.

I’m Just Sayin’: As pretty much everyone says, and I agree: Crosby’s career is over. He should now worry more about his health, than hockey.