Last week, as you may remember, Washington's Alexander Ovechkin came under fire from members of the hockey world -- the most well known voice being Don Cherry -- for his wild celebrations. The tipping point came when he scored his 50th goal of the year against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tonight, the Capitals are in Toronto to play the Maple Leafs and as you might expect, the Toronto media had a field day with Ovechkin sitting in their laps. Actually he was sitting in a visitng locker at the Air Canada Centre, but you know what I mean. For Ovechkin, it was a great chance for him to speak his mind to the media and give the man credit because he did just that. But what else would you expect from the most charismatic player in the game today?Speaking with media earlier in the day -- an event recapped well by ESPN's Pierre LeBrun -- Ovechkin said Cherry can 'say whatever he wants' when it comes to his celebrations. A fair point from a guy who does the same in shooting straight from the hip. He continued to do so, with one of the money quotes being the following:
"It's good for the league, it's good for our fans," Ovechkin said. "Some players are just like robots. They score goals and it's like, OK, no emotion, nothing. They basically go, 'OK.' You have to show emotion if you're an emotional guy. Show it. You don't have to think about it if somebody doesn't like it. I don't care about it if somebody [doesn't] like it. I play myself, I enjoy my life, I've enjoyed my whole career. If somebody [doesn't] like it, don't watch my game, don't watch what I'm doing on the ice."
In this writer's opinion, Ovechkin didn't need to explain himself. The hypocrisy of this whole argument is amazing. On one hand, there is a large camp in the hockey world (media and fans alike) that criticizes players for recycling their words and 'sleepwalking' through interviews. Many times, it's those same people criticizing Ovechkin's celebration or complaining about why the NHL does not have any household names such as Alex Rodriguez, LeBron James or Peyton Manning.
In most cases, you have to do something noteworthy to be somebody. In the world we live in that is filled with Sportscenter highlights YouTube clips, the highlight rules. It's not about the big records and multiple titles may be out of the question in this 'everybody wins' version NHL. Like it or not, Ovechkin's goal celebration made the rounds on ESPN and set the internet a blaze much like his All-Star Game shootout attempt did. Like it or not, this is how the NHL can attract eyes in this day and age.
But of course, those aren't the thoughts that are going through Ovechkin's mind.
"[50 goals is] a big number, I think for everybody. If I get it, why [can't I] celebrate? If you win the lottery -- a million dollars -- you go to the bar and drink a lot," the Washington Capitals star said. "I scored 50 goals and I just celebrated."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-24-2009 @ 9:09PM
robbywilli said...
Way to go A.O.! Let me tell you all why Hockey players "celebrate" when we score. IT'S HARD TO SCORE! We are happy when we score. Hockey is one of the hardest sports to score in.
I can only imagine how it is to play soccer and never score a goal in an entire career, yet still be a very productive member of a renowned club. No wonder soccer players celebrate like madmen when they put that round ball in the back of a seemingly large net.
Leave us the utter joy at scoring in a game where we have to run a gauntlet of highly skilled players (some might say the best in the world) and score on an individual that has cat-like reflexes into a net the size of a small dresser.
YOU CELEBRATE ALL YOU WANT ALEX!
thank you for your time.
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3-24-2009 @ 11:01PM
schtickish.com said...
It was a premeditated, choreographed celebration. That's why people didn't like it. He planned it out.
That's why people took exception. His celebration wasn't a spontaneous display of joy. It was something that he thought of beforehand in order to get people talking about him, and also, let's face it, he never did that before when he scored 50 goals - this was a reaction to what Don Cherry said about him. He was trying to show up Cherry as well.
And that's fine, but a lot of people won't like it, myself included.
Wayne Gretzky raised his arms in joy and jumped spontaneously across the ice after he scored his 802nd career goal, breaking Gordie Howe's all-time record. It was a classy celebration. I can't say the same thing about Ovechkin's celebration. I'm not saying he doesn't have class or that he's an egomaniac - although some people think that - but he needs to grow up and stop thinking so much about himself and his accomplishments.
You can have fun and be enthusiastic and jump up against the glass, but choreographed celebrations, in my opinion, don't belong in the NHL, and I wouldn't like to see players on my team doing that.
It really is a matter of personality though. Some people won't mind it. Some people will. It's not that big of a deal, really.
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3-25-2009 @ 3:33PM
tigerclaws56 said...
we might not always agree with don cherry, but when he comments about players, coaches, teams or owners he explains why he does it. we might not agree with him but we respect his opinions 100%.
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3-26-2009 @ 8:12AM
JulesThaGreat said...
What good are you in life when you go through it not enjoying anything? When you don't have fun? Hockey is a serious sport, and one of the only times when you can have a little fun in it is when you score.. If you look at other sports with "fun" celebrations, they never mock the other team, they just do something to show confidence and unity in theirselves and their team. Which will only make you and the people around you better... Nobody likes work when you can't have fun and it feels like work..
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3-29-2009 @ 10:28AM
Bill Thomas said...
I'm a Washington Capitals fan and watch practically every game. I enjoy Ovechkin's show of emotion after he scores a game, and the passion he brings to the game. However, I didn't particularly enjoy his scripted celebration after his 50th goal, and didn't find it all that entertaining. The key is that if his celebrations are spontaneous and natural they're fine, but we don't need a bunch of players coming up with there own scripted actions after each goal like they used to do in the NFL.
http://www.capitals-hockey.blogspot.com
http://www.talk-hockey.blogspot.com
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