Fall From Grace

Every sport has there legends, and its every athlete's dream to become a household name of their own. From Michael Jordan to Wayne Gretzky, whether it be on a court or on ice, most Americans know of these people and of their unbelievable sports careers. But how does an athlete become a legend of their own? Being a hockey fanatic, I closely follow the news of Pittsburgh's superstar, Sidney Crosby. Last year, in the Winter Classic, Crosby took a hit, suffered a concussion, and the rest of his career has been foggy ever since. Crosby took the ice on November 21st for the first time since the middle of the season last year. Scoring four points in his first game back against the New York Islanders, "the Crosby Show" seemed to be back in action, but just earlier this week, Crosby fell victim to injury once again. After colliding with teammate Chris Kunitz, Crosby was back in the locker room. Even though Crosby suffered no head contact, he was declared out for the next few games so he could get back on his feet. 

My problem with all of this is the legacy Sidney Crosby will leave behind. An unbelievably talented, dedicated, and humble hockey player, Sidney Crosby is seen as a "wuss". In an ESPN article, Crosby was quoted saying, "I just want to be smart with this. Its been a long road back and we want to err on the side of caution". Crosby was torn apart. Called soft, a wuss, fragile, made of glass, the insults on the greatest hockey player of the decade were relentless. I believe that its an American value to be concerned with the legacy you leave behind, and to want to achieve greatness. Sid the Kid with a Stanley Cup Championship in his back pocket, unbelievable statistics throughout his career, and captain of his team won't only go down in history as a great hockey player as he should, but will infamously be regarded as "soft". I don't understand how Sidney Crosby, hockey superstar, can't achieve greatness, and it makes me think, who can? These days everybody is judged so critically, whether it be Barack Obama's policies, or some celebrity's wrong dress choice, everyone seems to be judged rather than praised. In this society will anyone be remembered positively?