Sid Chat

Crosby and the DMV
TUESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2013 10:46 WRITTEN BY SHELLY ANDERSON


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Because it's a story that won't die and because the original story keeps getting misrepresented, let's talk about Sidney Crosby going to get his Pennsylvania driver's license renewed last week.

The Post-Gazette wrote the story, and it seems as if every news outlet, blog forum and sports talk station from here to Moose Jaw and beyond has rewritten it or used it to criticize Crosby, the paper, the Department of Motor Vehicles or people quoted in the story. Service for Crosby was expedited because of a DMV policy that aims to avoid mob scenes when well-known people arrive.

In case you have not read it, you can find the story here.

Reaction has been widespread, to say the least, and sometimes has included criticism not based on anything concrete. In some quarters, Crosby has been blasted for seeking preferential treatment. Nowhere in the story does it outline such behavior by Crosby, and it's farfetched to think he would do that.

Here's some background: Crosby was seen at the DMV and seen going to the front of the line. Someone called the Post-Gazette newsroom (not the sports department, which was not involved in the story). Editors there thought it might be interesting to look into the DMV's policy for handling celebrities. That's the story that was assigned. That's the story that was written.

Not unexpectedly, the DMV sizes up the potential for disruption with a famous person in the waiting area and has the discretion to wait on that person quickly. It's also possible for those renewing their license to make an appointment -- something Crosby probably did -- but the policy still allows for quicker service than most people get.

That's what the Post-Gazette reported, with Crosby as the example since he was the famous person who had just been the subject of the policy. It could just as well have been Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl, etc. The Post-Gazette quoted other DMV patrons, some of whom agreed with the DMV policy and others who disagreed with it.

The distortions and assumptions that followed have been troubling. Some better-known blogs have highlighted quotes of people who criticized the DMV policy, ignoring the others and formning a one-sided rant against Crosby. The respected Globe and Mail of Canada referred to the story as an "editorial," which would indicate that the Post-Gazette took a stance on the matter and tended to imply that the paper was criticial of Crosby. The original article was a news story with no editorializing. The Globe and Mail should certainly know better.

In a follow-up today -- an actual editorial -- the Post-Gazette exonerates Crosby while criticizing the DMV policy. You can read that here.

So, OK, it's the slowest part of a slow offseason, and it was a story that involved Crosby, a lightning rod for fan and media attention as the face of the NHL despite his low-key, cooperative nature. But the ensuing outcry has been out of proportion, and often out of left field. Discussion of the DMV policy is fair game. That's what the story was about. Criticism of Crosby has been transparently made by those stretching for a reason to do so.

Thank goodness we renew our licenses every few years, not every year.

Nice try Shelley. That article was not targeting the DMV, that article was targeting Crosby and I think she realizes she may be screwed when the season starts. After pissing Fleury off in the playoffs and now this, it seems to me the PG is goin down in flames and they only have themselves to blame.

I know this article about Sid is small scale on the world of causing offense towards people but the Post Gazette needs to suck it up and admit they did wrong.

They need to admit what they did was thoughtless and stupid, that it detracted from the issue of inequity of government service and devalued whatever point they were trying to make, that they deliberately misrepresented Sid's true character and it is no one's fault but their own.

Anything less is weaselly.

All I can say here is someone was clearly butthurt in there..

Some support from Army

I'm torn about the missing necklace... On the one hand I hate jewellery on men, single men should not wear jewellery at all, end of story - married men can wear a wedding ring, that is it. On the other hand it's like a trademark accessory for Sid and he looks a bit vulnerable without it.

I know this isn't popular, but I HATE that necklace. I hate jewelry on men, especially gold chains. I think it looks tacky and cheap. I hope whoever Sid marries one day, makes him melt it down into a wedding ring

Didn´t even notice that his necklace was missing, that tells how much I liked it!lol

You definitely know what you like sdd!!! That's a good thing.

Oh god, the bead necklace was horrendous! Every time I start getting turned off by the gold chain I remind myself that it could be so much worse! I like sdd's suggestion that he melt it down into his wedding ring.

You might be right, cherie, about him having a sort of emotional attachment to having something wrapped around his neck. But why Sid? Why?

I wonder if that ring was a special ring... Like a cup ring. I know the interview was done in 2005 so it wouldn't have been the Stanley cup ring. He doesn't seem to wear it at other occasions.

ladies, maybe it was his class ring. He had just graduated highschool.

From Elliott Friedman's 30 thoughts

30. Tim Thompson, who does many HNIC opening videos, is working on a piece about players' musical choices. There were some surprising responses. Crosby, a fan of Great Big Sea (which played his Stanley Cup party), sheepishly admitted liking "Wake Me Up" by Avicii, a Swedish DJ. The biggest stunner was Blues captain David Backes praising the motivational messages of Matisyahu, a Hebrew Hip Hop artist. The NHLer who said he prefers Katy Perry? We'll keep that one a secret for his own sake.

That Avicci song is wonderful. Good for Sid!