Sidney Crosby will not play in the NHL All-Star Game in Carolina next weekend due to a concussion he is recovering from. Crosby, the Penguins, and his agent have been dancing around this issue, mainly because he is the biggest draw in the sport. Without him, the hype will not be the same.
Initially, it was thought Crosby would be sitting out as a form of protest over the head shots in the NHL. What is becoming more clear is that his recovery from the injury is going slower than anyone wanted it to. From behind this keyboard, I would venture to guess that the delayed recovery can be directly tied to him continuing to play not only in that game, but the next as well.
Crosby can be mad about the head shots, however he needs to look in the mirror a bit too. He handled this concussion like most “bravado” men do, as if it was nothing. It is time for Crosby to take some responsibility for his actions also.
The Concussion Blog 
Dustin,
It could just be that Crosby, like most people, does not understand proper concussion recovery procedures. It would be great if he were to become an ambassador for concussion education, but maybe that’s too much to expect. It is certainly a good start for him to speak out against headshots. NHL is way behind IIHF there.
–Flyers fan, non-Crosby apologist.
Yes, agreed on the not understanding. However, he knew and the team knew he had a head injury after the Winter Classic, he and they chose to “play through it” and that is where the problem lies. If Crosby didn’t know, I can understand, but the medical staff should have known and told him about it, which I would tend to beleive as the case.
Unfortunately the medical staff for each professional team has to work in the shaddows of the coaches and higher-ups. They are put in tremendously difficult situations at times (see Cutler, J.), but they are acting on their knowledge and providing safety for the player.
And the fact that IIHF is ahead of the NHL does not surprise me, they always have been. When a sport is run by a group of “good ol’ boys” changing how the game is played usually ruffles their feathers. Where as an internationally run organization has the thoughts and openmindedness of many…