12 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, July 25, 2005
The next Great One? The
NHL sure hopes Crosby is
A fter closing up shop for only the NFL has the widespread players of all time. If Crosby is not
almost a year, the NHL is popularity necessary to weather a a star in the next few years, there is
L back in business. When the setback of the NHL lockout's magni- a chance he will be seen as a bust.
30 owners agreed to the terms of the tude. Even with this immense popu- Few 17-year-olds in any arena would
collective bargaining agreement last larity, the NFL can benefit from an be able to handle a spotlight this
Friday, the lockout officially came to electrifying performance by a player intense.
an end. But it was the draft lottery like Michael Vick or the determined Even the NBA appears to agree,
- that signaled the pursuit of a major record, like that of despite the effect that 18-year-old
arrival of hock- Peyton Manning last season. For the LeBron James had on the sport a few
ey's future. NFL, players like Vick and Manning years ago. In its collective bargaining
For the first are luxuries that increase already agreement announced in June, the
time in league high attention. But for the other three NBA raised its minimum entry age
history, the lot- major sports leagues, players like from 18-years-old to 19-years-old,
tery determined these are essential. in addition to being at least one year
the position of STEPHANIE While popular, the NBA and MLB removed from high school. NBA
all 30 teams in the WRIGHT are reliant on their superstars to keep officials said they sought the change
Entry Draft, giv- Wright on Target audiences interested. When the NBA because they wanted to improve the
ing every team a was at risk of folding in the late '70s quality of play in their league. But
chance to have the No. 1 selection. and early '80s, it was the charm another concern was the maturity of
This year's first pick was especially of Magic Johnson, his rivalry with its players and their ability to handle
prized with the rights to a 17-year- Larry Bird and the other-worldly tal- the attention.
old phenom from Nova Scotia at ent of Michael Jordan that not only It's hard to draw direct compari-
AP PHOTO stake. Sidney Crosby dominated the saved the league but carried it to new -sons between the NBA and the NHL,
NHL executives are itching for junior hockey phenom Sidney Crosby to break into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League levels of popularity. but if Crosby can handle it, why
Pittsburgh lineup, potentially saving a league seemingly doomed by a year-long lockout for the past two seasons, and Wayne After the MLB strike in 1994 that can't the half-dozen or so basketball
Gretzky has called him the best cancelled the World Series, pundits players each year who want to enter
junior player he's seen since Mario everywhere wondered whether Amer- the NBA right out of high school?
G SIrLemieux. ica's pastime had lost its appeal for Ultimately, the different rules reflect
j L A'jTC 1 AL T The NHL hopes Crosby is the good. But the home run race of 1998 little more than business decisions
second coming of Gretzky, destined and Barry Bonds's controversial run designed to maximize profits. Profes-
to rekindle interest in hockey in the at the career home run record proved sional sport is a business after all.
south and southwest, the areas where that all baseball needed was a super- NBA commissioner David Stern
the lockout is sure to have the great- star or two to regain its popularity. supported the age limit because he
est effect. While Gretzky was able to Unless a league is the sports hege- believed the league had an image
court this audience because of where mon of its time, it must rely solely problem that its teenage players
he played, Crosby's dynamic pres- on the abilities of its most dominant only exacerbated. The raw style of
ence alone should be enough to peak players to increase both its fan base its mostly urban players has proven
interest in these areas, due in large and its profit margins. The NHL is unappealing to the NBA's white,
part to the inroads Gretzky made. in a more precarious position than middle-class audience. In the same
For the Pittsburgh Penguins - the either the NBA or MLB. Even before fashion, NHL commissioner Gary
team lucky enough to win Crosby - the lockout, some contended that it Bettman trumpets the talents of the
he is a young Lemieux, a charismatic had lost its place among the major teenage Crosby because he believes
playmaker sent to save the franchise. professional sports leagues in the the league has an image problem
Crosby might be all this and more. United States. If the NHL has any that young, exciting players can only
But right now, neither the NHL nor chance for survival, it must market improve. It's hard to attract main-
the Penguins care. What matters at Crosby as its savior. History shows it stream American youth when so
the moment is whether Crosby will has no choice. many of your stars are over the age
be able to spark enough interest in a But how will this attention affect of 35.
$100nation that has become largely indif- Crosby? He cannot possibly live up As much as professional sports
r- ferent to hockey. to the hype he has received - even are just games, they are also big
Of the four major professional if he amasses unheard-of numbers businesses. The NHL needs Crosby
sports leagues in the United States, and goes down as one of the greatest for his marketability as much as
his playmaking ability. The NBA -
needs James for the same reasons.
Rent Baron Mode 1504? Gas Motor Scooter. The problem is no player comes into
any league as a proven commodity.
-"* 151There's no guarantee that Crosby
so S1c fuitywill ever develop into the player the
hockey world expects him to be. He
hcewolexethitob.H nAutomuatic could be the next Gretzky just as eas-
ily as the next Sedin brother.
" Electric start Either way, it's good business for
the NHL to market Crosby as the
next Great One; the recent histories
* EPA, DOT . of the NBA and MLB show that.
But the fact that the NHL needs
" Street legal Crosby to fulfill his destiny indi-
W7 +cates an even larger problem for the
70 r+'mpggame of hockey.
only A problem not even shoot-outs
Apaulment"11600. can solve.
p Will Thorp Stephanie Wright would like to con-
1819 Willowtree Lane gratulate penguins - the hockey team
Ann Arbor, MI + assemby 248-250-3680 from Pittsburgh for winning the Draft
Lottery and the real ones in "March
769-1313 .ofthe Penguins" for making an awe-
wwwcollegeparkweb.com www. baronscootersofmichigan.com some movie. She can be reached at
*Cerainconiuos aplysmwrCumich.edu.