Crosby 3 Ovechkin 0

In sports, an individuals’ greatness is measured by their ability to capture championships. Who finishes second or scores the most points are feats that pale in comparison to achieving the ultimate prize.

Great Rivalries Make Greatness
In the 70′s, Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys respectively, and these two teams were widely regarded as the two best teams in the NFL. During that run the Steelers won four Super Bowls to the Cowboys three, and most football fans give the nod to Bradshaw as the best quarterback of that decade. Why? Because Pittsburgh beat Dallas twice in the Super Bowl and won more championships.

In the 80′s, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were widely regarded as the two best players on the two best teams in the NBA, the Lakers and the Celtics respectively. During that run the Lakers won five NBA championships to the Celtics three, and most basketball fans consider Magic Johnson as the greatest player of that decade. Why? Because the Lakers won two out of the three head to head NBA Finals match ups against Larry Bird’s Celtics and more championships

For better or worse, in team sports, greatness is measured by one thing, winning championships.

Not convinced yet? Let’s play word association, when I say Emmitt Smith what words come to mind? Champion, greatness, hall of famer…right?
OK, now when I say Barry Sanders, what words come to mind? Awesome, incomplete, lacking, hall of famer…right? Why is there such a difference in the connotation of the words associated with two of the greatest running backs of their generation? Because Emmitt Smith’s Cowboys won three Super Bowls and Barry Sanders’ Detroit Lions were playoff failures.

Unfair or not, this is what we do with sports, we compare.

Sidney Crosby vs Alexander Ovechkin

The rivalry developing between Sidney Crosby, aka ‘The Next One’ or ‘Sid the Kid’, and Alexander Ovechkin, aka ‘Alex the Great’, is the most interesting individual rivalry in all of sports, and as I watched Sidney’s game-winning overtime goal in the Olympic gold medal game I couldn’t help but think one thing; Crosby 3, Ovechkin 0.

But this rivalry is more than just about two great hockey players, it’s a clash of styles.

Crosby is the role model, the sweet aw-shucks kid from Canada with a tremendous respect for the traditions of hockey, a soft-spoken and humble guy who lives with the team’s owner during the NHL season. Ovechkin is the brass, irreverent Russian, whose game, image and scoring legend overshadows his team’s accomplishments, he’s physical, with a highlight reel full of both insanely wicked goals and crushing hits. And while Ovechkin isn’t really part of the ‘Evil Empire’ Russia of the Reagan 80′s, there’s still some mysterious stigma attached to Russians in the NHL, and it’s easy to portray them as the enemy when compared to Canadians.

So it’s within this rivalry’s backdrop that a theme is beginning to take shape; Crosby’s greatness versus Ovechkin’s unfilled promise, and it’s all because of the championships. For all of Ovechkin’s accomplishments, MVP awards and scoring titles, he knows he would rather have what the younger Crosby has achieved before the tender young age of 22; a World Junior Championship, an NHL title and now an Olympic Gold Medal. So on the greatness scoreboard it’s Sidney 3, Ovechkin 0.

One could make arguments for either player’s greatness based on a number of factors, but if we look back at their careers in the year 2030 and Crosby has a couple of gold medals and three NHL titles and Ovechkin has maybe one gold and one NHL title, history will regard Crosby as the best player of this generation.

It’s time for Ovechkin to elevate this rivalry, and the only way he can accomplish this is to beat Sidney when it counts.