Mother Mario Would Be Very Displeased

Sidney Crosby is a young man. A very young man. A very good hockey player…but a very young man. In fact, I believe the socks I am currently sporting are two months older than he is. And every once in a while, he reminds us just how young he is. To wit, his response following a minor on-ice tete-a-tete with Ottawa Head Coach Bryan Murray last week:

"If he wants to say that I'm disrespectful to him -- if he feels he wants to do that -- that's fine," Crosby said. "It's not right, but, if he wants to do that, so be it. I didn't speak to him until he started making gestures. But what I was saying was, 'Why are you looking at me?' There was absolutely no reason for him to be yelling at me."

Coach Murray, when asked to comment, resisted the logical rejoinder of “I know you are but WHAT AM I??” Mutterings of “Stupid little whippersnapper, dagnabbit” were overheard however.

For those of you not scoring at home, Crosby quickly gained a reputation during his rookie year as a whiny little brat who flopped to the ice like a pole axed weasel at the merest suggestion of contact. He’s been fairly quiet in that regard this season. Nature, however, abhors a vacuum. And Gary Roberts weeps quietly in a corner.

Penguins Notebook: Crosby gives his side of Murray spat [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]