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elocomotive
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I wanted to post this a ways back on the "other" board some of us used, but I knew it would just become troll fodder and degrade into some discussion with a bunch of <s and >s in it.
HBO Sports did a great piece on Bird & Magic chronicling their careers, relationship, and impact on the sport. I enjoyed watching it and also thought a lot of their experiences and personality were very similar to what we've seen from Crosby and Ovechkin so far....
Bird and Magic both entered the NBA with much hype in the late 70s after the NBA and ABA had merged. League ratings were at an all-time low and fans saw the league as "too black" and thuggish (note - not my words, from the documentary, and not thuggish like gangsta, but too physical, fights in games, and generally ungraceful and uncivilized).
Bird was characterized as very private, kinda quiet, and a blue-collar kinda guy who worked very hard.
Magic was flashier, outspoken, and loved the crowds. In the documentary, he even talks about how Earvin and Magic are too different people in his eyes.
Bird became a lightning rod for fans of white America in a league that was predominantly black while Magic garnered a lot of support from the African American community, even in Bird's Boston.
Bird had success early on and beat Magic in their first head-to-head for an NBA title, but Magic ultimately won more titles over his career and had a better supporting cast.
Anyhow, I just thought the parallels were interesting. All incredible players who will be considered among the games' best, all players helping their sport come out from some less popular era, and all play some roll as some type of archetype for society.
HBO Sports did a great piece on Bird & Magic chronicling their careers, relationship, and impact on the sport. I enjoyed watching it and also thought a lot of their experiences and personality were very similar to what we've seen from Crosby and Ovechkin so far....
Bird and Magic both entered the NBA with much hype in the late 70s after the NBA and ABA had merged. League ratings were at an all-time low and fans saw the league as "too black" and thuggish (note - not my words, from the documentary, and not thuggish like gangsta, but too physical, fights in games, and generally ungraceful and uncivilized).
Crosby and Ovechkin also both entered the league with much hype after the NHL had it's lockout, lost a major television contract, and with rule changes to make the game less "thuggish."
Bird was characterized as very private, kinda quiet, and a blue-collar kinda guy who worked very hard.
Crosby is known for his physical regiment, keeps a lower profile, and is known as a good "values" kinda guy.
Magic was flashier, outspoken, and loved the crowds. In the documentary, he even talks about how Earvin and Magic are too different people in his eyes.
Ovechkin is viewed as being more flamboyant and reckless both on and off the ice.
Bird became a lightning rod for fans of white America in a league that was predominantly black while Magic garnered a lot of support from the African American community, even in Bird's Boston.
Ovechkin is Russian and Crosby is Canadian. Both are often ascribed stereotypes that fit the type of hockey players that come from those places.
Bird had success early on and beat Magic in their first head-to-head for an NBA title, but Magic ultimately won more titles over his career and had a better supporting cast.
Crosby won the Cup first and beat Ovechkin's Caps in a 7-game series last year. Time will tell if the Caps are the deeper team and will have more of less success than the Pens.
Anyhow, I just thought the parallels were interesting. All incredible players who will be considered among the games' best, all players helping their sport come out from some less popular era, and all play some roll as some type of archetype for society.
