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Tonight, Sidney Crosby should return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup healthy and strong, having finally gotten back into better shape after missing the past 28 of 31 games due to a right ankle sprain.
With the Pens securing a playoff spot, Sid the Kid can ease himself back into action and start gelling with newly acquired Marian Hossa.
Already supported by Evgeni Malkin, Crosby now has an additional weapon to make him and the Pens look spectacular. This bodes well for their Stanley Cup aspirations as well as for the sport as a whole.
Sid the Kid came into the league to much fanfare, being heralded as the next Gretzky, the next big thing, the sport’s savior, and so on. And of course, he has been quite good – he led the league in scoring and won the MVP award in just his 2nd season.
And so finally, the masses are starting to take note, as evidenced through this commercial that has been running on television lately:
Hey NHL and ad execs – trying to capitalize on the success of the Outdoor Classic much?
As shameless as it is, the Outdoor Classic, and hell even that Gatorade commercial, are quite good. The ad has been running regularly, and Crosby definitely isn’t paired with slouches in the ad campaign either. If you don’t remember, immediately after the Super Bowl, retard-strong Eli Manning was featured in this very League of Clutch campaign.
However, it is necessary to keep wow-ing on the ice. None of this will have as big of an impact as it will if the Penguins can hoist the Stanley Cup.
As of now, the Penguins are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and will be heading into the playoffs with good health and a full head of steam. Hell, it might even be worth it to launch a conspiracy to help the Pens go all the way.
Crosby popularity + Stanley Cup status = NHL hype machine
Let Crosby be crowned king with his first Stanley Cup. Sell it for everything its worth. Yes, this will lead to most new hockey fans sporting #87 Pittsburgh jerseys, but who cares? You have fans now.
The NBA went through the same thing during the Jordan years. Everyone loved the Chicago Bulls and loved Michael Jordan. Eventually, Jordan retires and the Bulls are tanking it in the Central Division. The fans move on, and I’m willing to say that more often than not, they enjoyed the sport that Jordan introduced them to and ended up being an NBA fan for life.
Ditto with the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990′s or the modern New England Patriots. Granted the Cowboys are still relevant, but dominant players, championships, and dynasties garner a lot of attention and will hook new fans.
We’re almost there with Sidney Crosby and hockey. With my beloved Kings done for the year, I’m hopping on the bandwagon. It’s for the greater good of hockey, dammit!
