It's been a while since I bothered watching the ESPYs. Though I can't exactly remember how long ago it was, I can distinctly recall changing the channel after suffering through yet another lame attempt at humor by one of the WWL's talking heads. Safe to say, I've found something better to do in subsequent years. I hope you have too.
But now that fans of ESPN have bestowed the ESPY for best NHL player on Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby after a season where Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin simply dominated the entire league, I feel compelled to comment. It's only been a few weeks since Ovechkin cleaned up at the NHL Awards, going home with the Hart Trophy as the regular season's most valuable player; the Lester Pearson Trophy for most outstanding player as voted by the league's players; the Art Ross Trophy for most total points; and the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer.
When you clean up like that, I like to think that Ovechkin won't miss an ESPY.
But really, it's worse than that, isn't it? After all, Crosby, who was injured for a good chunk of the season, might not have even been the best player on his team during the regular season. That honor would go to Evgeni Malkin, the man who carried the Penguins offensively in Crosby's absence, and earned himself consideration for both the Hart and Pearson all on his own. As for the playoffs, while Crosby led his team in scoring, it was Marian Hossa who stole the show, scoring 12 playoff goals compared to Crosby's six.
In the end, I can't help but think this vote is an incredible indictment of the way ESPN covers all sports, not just the NHL. After all, if you can't figure out who the best athletes in the world really are after watching countless hours of SportsCenter and digesting endless amounts of content online at ESPN.com, it's pretty clear ESPN is falling down on the job. Then again, I'm not the first person to make note of that. It's clear I won't be the last either.
