The Penguins are GUTLESS...

[adamslogik]

I heard last night about Malkin's lower body injury and thought to myself:

"Wow, I guess the Penguins decided to protect Malkin this year instead and roll the dice by allowing Crosby to play at the All Star Game for a change"

Then I read today that Crosby will miss it as well.

Seriously, Crosby to miss the all star game(what is this, his FIFTH missed All star game, Sixth? I know that one was a legitimate injury, so don't start crying about his concussion, he still had ALOT of questionable missed AS games) .

I guarantee both of them play the first game after the break.

GUTLESS.

All about protecting their investment I guess. Why showcase their talents in an attempt to grow the game in lesser markets, as long as they keep putting the butts in the seats back in Pittsburgh.

Absolutely scumbag move by the pens management. Not to say it wasn't expected, Shame on him for once more going along with it and proving yet again that he believes himself to be bigger than the game.

Wayne should send Walter Gretzky over to Crosby's house to slap some sense into him and remind him that he plays for the FANS. On Second though, nevermind, the slap might give him another concussion and then we would have to endure months of media coverage about how the game's best player is on the shelf.

[RGM81]

But how does it make you feel?

I just had this pop up on my phone. To me, that's a joke. It's a glorified scrimmage. Nobody at the game is going to take a run at him or let a slapper go at his head.

All the talk from the NHL about growing the game and boosting themselves in their "non-traditional market" and the Penguins are just allowed to pull out two of the games very best players from Columbus?

That's not right.

**EDIT** Just saw that as a result of this, Crosby has to sit out Tuesday's game against the Jets. So that's something.

Send in Subban. He'll razzle-dazzle everybody, even if he goes in disguise...



Even better, have him go out in this get-up:

[adamslogik]

to me it's DISGRACEFUL that Subban isn't there. He is one of the most well recognized figures in the league at the moment and is doing more to grow the NHL than 99% of the players in the league. The guy is a marketing machine.

He would have killed in the hardest shot competition(especially with Chara not there, which he also should be, much as I hate to admit it) and I think he would have been pretty stellar in the skills obstacle course. I bet he would have had some fun stuff for the breakaway challenge too.

Bettman is an idiot, I don't know how he's lasted this long.

[30ranfordfan]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I can say with absolute certainty I won't even watch.... Crosby, Malkin, & Subban could start - and that wouldn't change a thing for me.

The players don't care about the game, and don't want to be there. Sure when they're fresh in the league... still wide-eyed & bushy tailed, it's a big deal. Once they've been once or twice (and they're hitting their mid-20s) you can tell by the way they play, they'd rather stay home.

About the only thing I can think of, that might make players try a little harder, is to fill the penalty boxes with $1000 bills, and if they score a goal they get 20 seconds in the box to stuff as many as they can into their pants.

Subban not being there a disgrace? He's having a great season, I agree that he's EASILY among the top 12 dmen in the league (I'm not suggesting that top 12 is even an argument, it's just that you need to take 12 for the game) but there are two things you have to remember:

1. They will send a player from every team
2. Fans get to vote for the starters, so they can throw the 1 per team out of whack.

If Chicago fans hadn't stuffed the ballot box, Subban is probably on the team. They did, so there isn't room for him (as good as he's been, Price is having an even better year).

No Malkin & No Crosby? Could care less.

[RGM81]

For the game itself, it's not a big loss. It's a glorified practice. It's not like the baseball ASG where there's actual consequences (World Series home field advantage) for the game's outcome.

But where the heart of the event lies is with all the off-ice activities and interactions with the players. Imagine being a kid in Columbus, Ohio, who just loves hockey more than anything, and he's a Crosby fan. This is probably the one opportunity in his life that he'd have to meet him. So that's a pretty big loss. And PuckDaddy tweeted a few minutes ago that like 50% of all the ASG promotional material around town features Sid.

It's a silly little thing but it's going to have a ripple effect for the weekend. A week from now when hockey's back on, nobody will care so much. LOL

[pwskelly]

I agree that it's garbage but then again so is the All-Star game. It's basically glorified shinny hockey at best.

I admit that I enjoy watching the skills competition but I will be changing the channel when I see the game starting.

[canucksfan007]

Dont really care whos there .... I wont watch ..... if a team rather give their star players time off, and the only penalty is missing 1 mid season game ... I would make that decision 10 times out of 10.

These guys are playing to go as far as they can in the playoffs, not show people how skilled they are during a weekend at the All Star Game.

As a fan, I dont care. If I were an owner / GM, I would be making the same decision. 82 games + the playoffs has got to be the most grueling test in sports .... especially when it comes playoff time .... a weekend in January can make a major difference.

[Crosby 87]

Wasnt going to watch if they played anyways.

[10-4 collector]

I think real hockey fans watch these events and deserve to see the star players, we make them stars, we pay their salaries!

[Crosby 87]

I think real hockey fans watch these events and deserve to see the star players, we make them stars, we pay their salaries!

and there it is...it was only a matter of time before this came out....

"I think real hockey fans watch these events"