CBC, NHLPA player poll

CBC released the results to its 2010/2011 Player Poll, done in conjunction with the NHLPA (well, clearly), and there are a couple key bits of information I would like to address.

I understand that CBC has gotten lots of mileage out of this Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry, but was it really necessary to bring up Ovie's shortcomings every time Crosby was awarded a win in any given category? The blurbs for toughest forward to play against, player you'd most like to start a franchise, best role model, toughest to play against, and smartest player all work in a little Ovie jab about how he's not the one with top honours. Man, they even make a point of how Ovechkin only got number one in a single category instead of, you know, discussing why the goalies voted him the toughest player to stop in the first place. From CBC: "The odd thing is that there are only four categories where Ovechkin is in the top five, and this is the only place where he is rated number one. On the other hand, Sidney Crosby gets mention in 10 separate categories and only once is he not in the top two." As Greg Wyshynski put it, "And on the other hand, there are actually a few other players in the League not named Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. Weird"

I'm Canadian and I have a Crosby keychain that I purchased in Vancouver after he scored the gamewinner in the shootout of the Switzerland vs. Canada preliminary match. I've been watching him play (hard not to given his media time) before he was even drafted and I believe that he has consistently improved in every single season he has played. I love watching him play and think he's absolutely remarkable.

But dear god,  stop shitting on Ovechkin. It's getting old. I mean, obviously he's no Phil Kessel, but this is ridiculous.

Final note before I go eat pancakes (yay Sunday!) -- Ron Wilson got the nod as the coach players would least like to play for with an overwhelming 24%. That's right: a quarter of the league doesn't want anything to do with him.

Fire Ron Wilson.