February 4, 2012
Blog by John Steigerwald
I don’t know how much play it got here, but Max Talbot made big news in Canada yesterday when he ripped Alex Ovechkin.
That’s a nice little rivalry between the Penguins and the Capitals and the Winter Classic will make it even stronger.
The best thing about it is that the Crosby-Ovechkin, Penguins-Captials rivalry could go on for the next 15 years.
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Date: July 28, 2010
Categories: Sports
Apparently, Penguins management was none too happy with Talbot for this and I understand why. The Penguins hold themselves to such a high standard.
BUT, Talbot is right.
So when you met Ovechkin you came away with the same impression?
I love the NHL backwards-running “what if” commercials that were out last year…especially the “What if Alex didn’t CHOKE?!” one…
Max Talbot simply stated what the world already knew….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No3fqNb3cqE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vcyFcZsLjo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEajRuKGm5Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK1yeT1f2jg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwwkW1PBUCc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2DWw27S1NY
Awesome Max, keep it up, I love it! Max is a true Burgher now. Let’s go Pens!
i wonder if talbot will be fined
the nhl doesn’t like players to actually show personality
Stupid and immature. If you feel that way about the guy then line him up on the ice and take your best shot ( which I’ve never seen Talbot do to Ovie BTW) . That’s how hockey players handle this type of stuff. Why air it in the media.?
the NHL likes their players to show and have class which separates it from the other sports…that’s one of the best things about the NHL and one of the main reasons off-ice issues are practically unheard of unlike other sports.
yeah and that works so well for the nhl, NOT
one of the main reasons the nhl is an afterthought in most of this country is because the players don’t act like real human beings, they always say “the right things” and are basically boring nice guys that are overly PC
the sport needs more trash talk and more personality, controversy sells
Yeah. Maybe they should come up with some of those hilariously entertaining celebrations after goals. Or start dancing around and beating their chests every time they block a shot or throw a check. One of the things I like about hockey is that, if a guy did decide to choreograph a goal celebration his OWN TEAMMATES would knock him down. I’m perfectly OK with the level of interest in the NHL. The more mainstream it becomes the more likely it is to be ruined. Putting teams in sunbelt cities made the sport less appealing. I’d rather have teams in Winnipeg and Quebec.
you’re ok with the level of interest but is the nhl?
the first thing non hockey fans say about crosby is how boring he is in interviews, he talks a lot on the ice, how will it hurt the sport for him to be a little more real in interviews?
all players sound the same
is boxing that bad today, or are there just no interesting personalities like ali and tyson?
how will it be ruined by being more mainstream?
I don’t think it will be ruined by going more mainstream. I think it will be ruined by ATTEMPTS to make it more mainstream. The best example is taking hockey out of Winnipeg and putting it in Phoenix. Lemieux was one of the most boring interviews of all time. Crosby learned from the master. I don’t disagree that it would be more interesting if he opened up, but he also has something that you find less and less of in sports these days. Class.
Boxing stinks becsuse there aren’t 100 people in Pittsburgh who name the WBC, WBA and WBO super featherweight champions of the world. Stupidity and bureaucracy ruined the sport.
Crosby is boring in interviews. So is virtually every other professional athlete in every sport. At least Talbot gave a straight answer.
The only ones who aren’t boring are usually saying something stupid, and you aren’t laughing with them, you’re laughing at them.
I’ve always hated interviews with athletes, at least with active ones. Sometimes you’ll get a decent, honest answer out of a retired one. One in a while, one is genuinely funny or entertaining (Jack Wilson was one). But what’s the point in asking a still-active athlete what he thinks of his coach or teammates? Think you’re getting an honest answer? Is Andrew McCutchen going to say, “Yeah, John Russell really is that dull. I can’t stand the guy.” When I listen to talk radio on one of the local stations and an athlete interview is coming up, I almost always change stations rather than listen to the trite fluff that 99% of athletes spew.
The endless “Live from Latrobe” segments that will be on radio next week are about as uninteresting and uninformative as radio can get.
Very observant. I used to like Tony Kornheiser’s show on ESPN. He had a policy of not interviewing athletes. He talked to writers, color analysts etc but no current athletess. The only exception is immediately after games. You can hear a player’s or a coach’s explanation of what happened and very often you will get good answers. I agree with you on the player interviews. Most are boring.Wait until the next TV ratings period in November when all three TV stations are killing themselves to get a sit down withj “Sid”. Those interviews have promotional value but they usually ad nothing to a newscast.
I liked Tony’s radio show.
He got in trouble with ESPN for exaclty the reason that I liked his show. He talked about sports and movies and politics and whatever else happened to cross his mind. He really wasn’t so much for the serious sports guy, but more for people just looking to be entertained, and that’s me.
A crazed liberal but he knows how to do talk radio.
It cracks me up when I hear people complain about hockey and the NHL stating that it’s not popular is one of the reasons they don’t like it….are these people actual grown adults who claim to think for themselves? How many people like the NFL or college football solely because it’s popular as opposed to the actual game itself? What else do these people “like” because others like it…although I know it’s true I find it very hard to believe and very disturbing that there are people who think like this walking around, breathing my air and doing nothing but lowering the gene pool.
I like the things I like BECAUSE I like them not because others do or don’t. Obviously I’m different because I refuse to think like an infant.
As for fans of the NHL who say that want it to be more popular…why? If that happens then it becomes football…no thanks, I’d say.
Talbot is 100% correct but I really don’t care for this war of words stuff through the media and hope it doesn’t creep it’s way into the NHL. Aside from the sport itself one of the biggest reasons I prefer the NHL over other leagues is it’s class…crap like this belongs in the NFL and NBA: the 2 Look At Me leagues. It is funny though.
Ovechkin is a great hockey player….nobody can argue that…possibly the best natural goal scorer I’ve ever seen in watching 30 years of hockey…and if he played on the Pens with Crosby it would be incredible but I wouldn’t care for his antics and there’d be a risk I stop watching because of his NFL mentality when it comes to celebrating and making sure the spotlight is always on him. Just shut up and play, I’d say.
I hope it doesnt clutter up the league like everyone worries but does it not seem atleast somewhat deserving after what semin said about sid
Wait a minute here…
For those who have a problem with Talbot’s remarks, how about the players AND head coaches who bashed Crosby over the course of the last four years? I guess they are simply ignored and their remarks are pushed under the carpet?
How nice.
Let’s keep in mind here. We have one guy who is a full-blown jagoff on and off the ice. The other is the complete opposite. Bottomline, Talbot was asked a questioned and he didn’t give the politically correct answer. It was nice to hear an athlete speak his mind instead of giving the B.S. answer.
One more thing…
If you are going to leave your feet, bring up the elbow or sweep the leg every time you throw a check, you damn well better believe you’re going to have some pissed off customers throughout the league. Eventually you are going to be called out or have your career ended.
Don’t get wrong, I respect his offensive talent, but his recklessness is going to end a career. How can one respect that? The guy is out there to hurt people. I’m all for a beautiful and clean hit (Scott Stevens), but this guy is going for the knees and head every time he throws a check.
How about we worry about that instead of Talbot’s remarks?
That’s a point that is almost ALWAYS missed when someone says something controversial. They were asked a question. Fans see a quote in the paper or see sound bite on TV and they think the guy just decided to make a controversial statement.
Max has 2 goals in Finals Game 7. Ovi…..?
NHL players are the classiest off the ice with fans…but old-time hockey is full of guys calling out others…it stokes the rivalry until the games are played…
The vast majority of fans LOVE what Max said…and they will take their cue from it…I fully expect to see the “D”- fence signs at Heinz Field, only the picture of the fence will be replaced by a bag…
There ‘s a classic Youtube video of Kevin Stevens doing a lot more than calling a guy out.
Talbots comments reek of what’s called in the wrestling biz as a “work”. Or “cutting a face promo”., the timing being the key. Same day they were advertising the game at Heinz Field. Nothing wrong with it but I question whether he really hates Ove., lots a hype here I think.
What do you think John? Real or fake?
In my opinion, the dislike is legitimate. Unlike wrestling or Jerry Springer (one in the same), hockey is filled with real and raw emotion. The dislike for Ovechkin was present and accounted for long before Max Talbot’s remarks. It dates back to Ovechkin’s attempted run at Malkin back in 2008 to intentionally taking out Gonchar’s knee in 2009.
Those are just two examples over the last four or five years.
Once again and I don’t think this can be stressed enough, Talbot was asked his opinion and he answered it truthfully. It’s not like he seeked out the media, grabbed the microphone while tearing off his shirt and called-out Ovechkin on national television. In short, I think Talbot met the guy in person and didn’t like him. Is it really all that shocking?
Real.
All of a sudden we find out he “hates” him., in July ? Same day as the big press conference ? Next I see someone grabbing a chair……
Maybe I’m missing something here, but…
He was asked in July, so he answered in July. If he were asked the same question in January and gave the same answer people would still accuse him of hyping the WC.
So why would it matter if he gave his answer in July or January?
The point of a press conference is for the media to get comments from players and coaches. Questions are asked and answered. If Talbot made the same remarks during an interview on KDKA in January, people would still accuse him of hyping the WC.
So why would it matter if he gave his answer at a press conference in July or in the KDKA studio in January?
Eitherway, I really don’t see why the league would need Max Talbot to hype-up this game for them. They have two of the biggest names in the hockey world playing in a Winter Classic game in Pittsburgh. I think that will do.
.
I’d love to see Max on TV ripping off his shirt and asking AO, “What you gonna do when Maximania runs wild on you, Brother?!” That would be CLASSIC! Especially with that french accent.