Members Of Penguins Locker Room Suspicious Of Sidney Crosby's Injury Status According To Tribune-Review Sports Writer

by Stephen Catanese on Jan 13, 2012 7:01 AM EST

Dejan Kovacevic dropped some bombs in his latest piece for the Tribune-Review.

Most incendiary of the devices dropped? Unequivocally stating that some Penguins are questioning the validity of Sidney Crosby's most recent injury and even held a team meeting to discuss naming an interim captain.

A few, certainly not all, of Crosby's teammates are of the mind that he's been symptom-free for a while, though they have no medical basis for that. Some think he should be playing. Some simply think he should be doing more to communicate, or at least be as visible as concussed defenseman Kris Letang.

Last week in Pittsburgh, according to three sources, a group of players held a 45-minute meeting to discuss a temporary captaincy. Another source disputed that any such meeting occurred.

A three-source-to-one ratio? I'll take the three at their word. Kovacevic has rightfully earned a solid reputation. If he was able to find three trustworthy sources able to verify that a very particular event occurred, you can be fairly certain that it did.

Wow.

The first question is, What constitutes a few? Three players? Five? Eight? Any of those numbers is too many.

It's a startling statement, and appears to back sentiments shared by Mark Madden earlier this week about some semblance of dissent in the locker room.

An uncharacteristic bevy of losses can do that. Rarely does it get bad enough to go public.

Additional points of interest from Kovacevic's piece:

Crosby not only recently purchased a new home in Pittsburgh, but pulled an Elin Nordegren and demolish the entire thing in order to build a home more suiting his tastes. Kovacevic interprets this as an act taken in the interest of maintaining permanency in Pittsburgh, and proof that Crosby doesn't want to leave the city. I interpret it an act of someone with vast wealth. Both are probably true.
Crosby's still having trouble with balance. Worst of all, he isn't sure why.
Troy Crosby Troy and agent Pat Brisson keep very close tabs on him, but rumors of a serious divide between them and the Penguins is inaccurate. There was, however, a period of animosity after the medical staff botched the diagnosis of Crosby's initial concussion.

Perhaps most accurate in an overall outstanding opinion piece was this:

You're going to hear some of this stuff Friday when Crosby faces reporters at about noon in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But let me lay this out now: The Penguins, the public and, yes, Crosby all need to learn how to handle this situation better in the future.

Hopefully, all parties can simply avoid handling this in the future.

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Comments

Crosby Concussion

There is really no story here, as the Trib writers are force feeding it. Crosby, his father and agent are all in the same predicament as teammates, coaches and management are, i.e. when would Crosby be back.
It is impossible to know until he himself is sure of his health.

by allaboutpens on Jan 13, 2012 8:55 AM EST reply actions

I will admit though, it is very scary if there is some issues within the locker room concerning this. I was hoping this claim would be totally false, but it’s a very scary thought.

by xaryss on Jan 13, 2012 9:32 AM EST reply actions

you got 1 person saying its true. I’ll wait til at least 1 other person confirms his story. Until then, bollocks!

by biggoron on Jan 13, 2012 10:14 AM EST up reply actions

True. It’s a good article though that I agree with.

by xaryss on Jan 13, 2012 10:18 AM EST up reply actions

Dejan said he had 3 sources. Dejan doesn’t have a history of spinning stories.

Pensburgh

"You come at the King, you best not miss."

by Hooks Orpik on Jan 13, 2012 10:25 AM EST up reply actions

I count Dejan as my one source. If it is confirmed by another reporter or someone else with “inside info” then fine.

by biggoron on Jan 13, 2012 10:29 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, remember… everyone took it with a grain of salt when it was Mark Madden because, hey, that’s what Madden does.

Dejan doesn’t typically do this. And I can’t imagine him doing unless there’s some truth to what he’s reporting.

Looking at it with a skeptical eye is fine… but, coming from this particular reporter, it’s worrisome.

by Stephen Catanese on Jan 13, 2012 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah Dejan seems as solid as it gets. I’m going to go on a limb and say Orpik would be the one to question Crosby’s or anyone else toughness on the team as he is a straight-shooter. I’m having a hard time coming up with anyone else that would/could call Crosby out. I guess it could be any of Asham/MacIntyre types. Isn’t he speaking today…maybe we’ll get a better understanding of what’s going on.

by AronV on Jan 13, 2012 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

Ehhhhh…yes and no. He certainly had an obvious axe to grind with the Pirates when he was their beat writer for the P-G, and I suspect that’s why he was taken off that job before his departure to the Trib. That, and the Trib has been known to sensationalize their sports pages in the past (Rossi, anyone?).

PensBurgh
Follow me on Twitter if you feel like being bored. Also, Facebook.

by JustinM on Jan 15, 2012 10:14 AM EST up reply actions

on a side note: god this season turned to crap real fast

by biggoron on Jan 13, 2012 10:33 AM EST reply actions

on the bright side…. we’re one of 4 teams in the conference with a positive goal differential, so things will even out and we’ll probably crawl back up to 5th or 6th seed before it’s done.

by AronV on Jan 13, 2012 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

What are we, the New York Jets all of the sudden?

I don’t mind the idea of a temporary captaincy.. if the players want someone out there with a C on their jersey every night, I’m ok with that idea. But to think that someone in that locker room thinks that Crosby would fake or milk this injury? It’s absolutely disgusting. Whoever that may be should be shipped out of Pburgh faster than they can pack a bag. Yes, even if it is Geno. That’s the kind of thinking that will put an irreparable fracture in a locker room.

by SidgeniMalsby on Jan 13, 2012 10:49 AM EST reply actions

Let’s not forget that Sidney Crosby is more than a hockey player. He’s a brand, a business, a multi-million dollar corporation. His image is controlled and his words are carefully chosen. He’s the front guy, but trust me, there are an army of handlers behind the curtain. There are myriad endorsements and contracts to consider.

No one doubts Sid’s heart and desire. But if he can’t play, just tell us he can’t play. Get better, then come back when you can. But… when Sid goes, might the sponsors (and a lot of the bandwagon interest) be far behind? So long as you think the possibility exists for Sid to play again this year, people will hang in there.

At this press conference today, do you honestly think anything will be said that we haven’t already heard a hundred times before? In the midst of this losing streak, frustration set in. Some of his teammates and various media members questioned Sid. The Penguins stonewalled, and Crosby himself has been silent. The ticket-, beer & nacho- and replica jersey-buying public want answers to simple questions. I feel we are entitled to that. This veil of secrecy needs to be lifted. So Sid speaks after his morning skate. Jeez, I can hardly wait!

Dejan’s article? Corporate spin. Didn’t say anything that I hadn’t heard or thought before. The last time any news outlet broke a story worth reading was Watergate. MSM shills for corporations and the government. Tell you what, the next time you walk into the Consol Energy Center through the Trib Total Media gate and settle into your seat, look up at the founding partner wall and take notice of the logos (surprise, isn’t there a Trib logo up there?)… and remember who’s paying the bills!

When in doubt, follow the money. It’s almost ALWAYS about the Benjamins!

by davepol on Jan 13, 2012 10:59 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Oh and Obama was born in Kenya… water fluoridation is a communist plot… contrails are actually chemtrails sprayed by government planes.. and 9/11 was an inside job.

by SidgeniMalsby on Jan 13, 2012 11:58 AM EST up reply actions

you're way off

Obama is just a pawn of the Illuminati, and water fluoridation, chemtrails, and 9/11 were all perpetrated by the Bilderberg Group. :)

P is for Latrobe.

by holiday park on Jan 13, 2012 12:13 PM EST up reply actions

But, this still doesn’t explain the moon landing.

Put on your dancin' shoes.

by PensFan024 on Jan 13, 2012 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

Well played!

by SidgeniMalsby on Jan 13, 2012 4:48 PM EST up reply actions

I must agree

I rarely post here but I read daily. This situation is one to be stoked to drum up readership. All the better to insert some juicy details. Sadly, this is where our media is in the present conditions of corporate ownwership. This writer may be good and reliable but this is akin to simple gossip and a responsible writer would not be passing it over the fence. It is sensational bs published to get people talking and reading.

by sperie on Jan 13, 2012 12:01 PM EST up reply actions

And... all of the Penguins came out for the morning skate wearing Cs

https://twitter.com/#!/JoshYohe_Trib/status/157863938082607104

https://twitter.com/#!/PensInsideScoop/status/157863563518689280

https://twitter.com/#!/pgshelly/status/157863828498038784

by Stephen Catanese on Jan 13, 2012 11:40 AM EST reply actions

AWESOME, all we need is a Michael Jordan like “I’m Back”

by AronV on Jan 13, 2012 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

HA!

“Evgeni Malkin curiously wearing big K made of tape on his left shoulder at #Penguins AM skate.”

https://twitter.com/#!/pgshelly/status/157863257795854338

by Stephen Catanese on Jan 13, 2012 11:46 AM EST up reply actions

Just read that. Glad to see them do that. Makes me feel better.

by xaryss on Jan 13, 2012 11:59 AM EST up reply actions

aaaaand it's another reminder that the hockey world doesn't take concussions seriously

On one hand, this isn’t terribly surprising: long losing streaks have a way of bringing out players’ frustrations, and we’ve been hearing rumblings for a while that the atmosphere in Pittsburgh’s locker room is pretty bad right now. I’d be stunned if this was coming from anyone who played on the team prior to 2010, insofar as they’ve seen Sid’s dedication in action. If the report is real, it’s probably coming from someone who joined the team in the past couple seasons. The only thing I agree with is that the team and Sid himself need to be more transparent about his status; even if it’s “I’m still having symptoms X and Y, no change,” there’s no reason to keep people speculating.

Honestly, though, it’s just another reminder of how far we are from a hockey culture that takes concussions and player safety seriously. I’ve said it here many times, but if concussions kept Sid from taking another shift in the NHL, I wouldn’t begrudge him his retirement; I’d be tremendously disappointed as a fan, but I wouldn’t wish a life with concussion symptoms on my worst enemy. Expecting a guy who’s just missed 10 months of action due to concussion to play through new symptoms is just jaw-dropping to me.

P is for Latrobe.

by holiday park on Jan 13, 2012 11:42 AM EST reply actions

Nobody knows weather Dejan story of dissent is true or not. One thing is known for sure. Sid, his agent or the Pens, should be more open about this whole situation, and clearly established that Sid is not playing until he feels 100% or he feels like it (meaning he may decide to play even not at 100%) which is exactly what’s going on here. The players may recent this as pros, because most of them are eligible to play when the team Dr. says so, no when they say so.

The Hockey Dr.

by Outcast on Jan 13, 2012 12:45 PM EST reply actions

Mounting Frustration

I’m willing to chalk it up to mounting frustration at this point. I’m fine with appointing a temporary “C” if Sid is going to be out for awhile longer, although I have a feeling that this ‘meeting’ was just a closed door meeting among players to try and straighten things out during this rough patch.

On a side note, what a stupid move by these supposed sources if they are on the Pens payroll. Sid is the face of the Pens. If you are a rogue player, trainer, beer vendor or parking lot attendant who took this public without thinking long and hard about the implications, do you think they would hesitate for a second before shipping you off to preserve the locker room or the perception of the locker room? Even if it was a small group of players who felt this way I can’t imagine they wouldn’t feel the wrath of upper management to a degree.

by Littlefield's Legacy on Jan 13, 2012 1:00 PM EST reply actions

If Crosby ever comes back, I hope somebody takes him to one side and tells him to stop trying to be a physical style player. I cringed when he was throwing cross check after cross check in one of his games back. It’s not his job to clear the area in front of Fleury and just makes him a target for retaliation, which, after these concussions, he can well do without.

I also NEVER want to see him in a fight again.

by rlsuth on Jan 13, 2012 4:02 PM EST reply actions