Let's just ignore the fact that the Penguins have been absolutely horrendous in this opening series against the Philadelphia Flyers. The defense, goaltending, system, and composure have all been missing. However, the focus has shifted to the actions of Sidney Crosby. Crosby has been called out by Flyers players, announcers, and the Philadelphia media for his perceived whining.
↵The heat on Crosby ratcheted up after he knocked away the glove of Jakub Vorachek after a scrum in the first period of Sunday's 8-4 rout. After the incident, the Crosby-haters came out in full force. Words like, "brat", "baby", "whiner", and "punk" are being thrown around again, and not just by fans. If I'm Sidney Crosby, I am done being the poster child of the NHL.
↵Crosby is swarmed in every city the team travels to and answers every question asked of him. Most of his answers are diplomatic and bland. He then gets criticized for showing no emotion. Then Crosby answers questions honestly, saying he doesn't like any of the Flyers, revealing a snarly and personal side of Crosby we rarely see off the ice. And again, Crosby loses in the eyes of the media.
↵So what should Crosby do now? The answer is simple. Quit trying to please the media, the sponsors, and the NHL. He obviously can't win either way. Throw decorum out the window. There is a commercial advertising some cologne with a guy in front of the media saying, "I'm not going to be the person I'm expected to be anymore." I think Sidney Crosby has started to embrace that attitude.
↵In any case, it shouldn't matter to Crosby, because just like the Penguins, he can't win.