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Lidstrom For SI’s Sportsman Of The Year? Never. Gonna. Happen.
by IwoCPO on 11/20/08 at 04:52 PM ET
Comments (9)
By now you’ve seen this from Sports Illustrated’s Kostya Kennedy,
What makes Lidstrom so Sportsman-like is, well, his sportsmanship: his humility, his professionalism. He is intuitive on the ice and equally so in the locker room. Earlier this year Babcock told me that he had never coached player this good. “In what way?” I asked. Replied Babcock: “In any way you can think of.”
The fact that Kennedy picked Lidstrom instead of Gary’s Baby Boy is unique.
The fact that Lidstrom will most likely finish 30th out of 30 (I’ll get to that) is not unique, but it is almost guaranteed.
The chances of me showing up to work tomorrow in a Colorado jersey with the number 22 stitched in back are better than Lidstrom getting this award.
A hockey player hasn’t been selected as Sportsman of the Year since ‘82. Gretzky. Like the rest of the American mainstream media, SI has largely forgotten about hockey. The last national cover (they’ve gone regional now): The Hanson Brothers in July, 2007. Nice. It’s been 18 months since a hockey cover and the last one was devoted to three guys you could easily be bonging beers with in any minor league city across North America.
Prior to that? October, ‘02 when SI asked if the Wings could keep the Cup? They couldn’t. They didn’t.
Sportsmen? Hockey’s had a few. Orr in ‘70, Herb Brooks’ boys in ‘80 and the Gretzky selection. That’s 3 if you’re counting at home.
Other sports?
Baseball: 14
Football: 10
Basketball: 10
Track and Field: 8
Golf: 7
How many Americans recognize the name Nick Lidstrom? Less than ten percent I’d say. How many recognize his face? Less than 3 I bet. Does Sports Illustrated still care about a profit margin? Just checking.
How many Americans recognize the name Michael Phelps? I’d say, conservatively...80 percent.
In other words, who’s going to sell more magazines? Phelps or Lidstrom? The Boston Celtics or Lidstrom? Eli Manning in NYC or Lidstrom?
Here’s how I got on this subject. I’m not sure I received this email because I’m a highly credible hockey blogger, or because I’ve just happened to click on the SI home page more than once in my life...but I got it.
As a lead-up to the revealing of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award-winner, SI.com is running a special “My Sportsman” section, which includes daily installments of 30 SI writers’ Sportsman nominations, photo galleries, fan polls and more.
That’s from Kevin at Sports Illustrated communications. 30 other writers are nominating athletes. 29 will likely finish ahead of Lidstrom. That’s harsh. I’ll say 20.
Now to the core of the whole deal. Does Nick Lidstrom deserve this award? Sure he does. Just as much as Eli Manning does. More than Manning, actually. Lidstrom is the best defenseman in hockey, arguably one of the top 2. Arguably...the best player in hockey.
But he doesn’t deserve it like Phelps deserves it. That’s just a bottom line right there brother.
And even if he did, he wouldn’t get it because he’s a hockey player. A Swedish one at that.
Nice little mention. Good for Kennedy for picking Nick over Sid or AO. But it’s just not gonna happen....as if you needed to be told that.
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Comments
Hell Chief, the guy arrested in the Dive uni probably is more widely recognized than Lidstrom.
Posted by calquake on 11/20/08 at 07:32 PM ET
I like that the author finishes by stating “. . . as if you needed to be told that,” because we have heard this argument ad nauseum. Everytime, the same tone is applied by those who comment on the failure of American media, albeit recently, to embrace hockey like they may have done in the past.
You sound almost apprehensive toward Kennedy’s selection, that it will be just washed away by the other 29 votes. You are 100% correct about the comments, but you maintain a sense of apathy. Think about it this way, out of 30 beat writers at SI, one actually weighed in hockey when making his selection. This same paradigm can be applied to the population. At least where I live (Southern California), I could probably ask thirty strangers if they like/watch hockey, and I believe 1 in 30 would say yes.
My point is, there is no point to tell us that hockey won’t be the front runner of this award, especially not a player as established and tenured as Nick Lidstrom. Again, you qualify this by saying we probably don’t have to be reminded of it, but it shouldn’t cause any commentary on the futile vote of Kennedy. Instead, let’s silently accept that, save for the occasional miracle, hockey will be relegated beneath Nascar. I say we accept that we have the best sport in the world, that is seldom watched compared to other sports, and let in contribute to a sense of elitism. After all, capitalism in America leads people to seek participation in the elite.
Posted by Wild Wing from Orange County, CA on 11/20/08 at 08:22 PM ET
The only SI that I have actually pruchased since ohhhh about the time Larry Bird stopped playing basketball was the Stevie Y tribute issue.
SI is worthless no matter how ya dice it.
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 11/20/08 at 08:27 PM ET
Daunte Culpepper has a better chance at SI Sportsman of the Year than Lidstrom…
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 11/20/08 at 08:30 PM ET
Posted by Wild Wing from Orange County, CA / Northampton, PA on 11/20/08 at 07:22 PM ET
...what just happened
Posted by rwingscup19 from Dallas on 11/20/08 at 08:34 PM ET
How very literate of you Wild Wing. Of all your prose, I select the following.
Think about it this way, out of 30 beat writers at SI, one actually weighed in hockey when making his selection.
Yep. He sure did genius.
He’s a hockey writer. It was, you know, assigned to him.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 11/20/08 at 08:38 PM ET
That’s flat-out embarrassing and just more proof that Orange County hockey fans have no idea what they are talking about.
Wild Wing fail.
Posted by Wild Wing from Orange County, CA on 11/20/08 at 08:40 PM ET
Yep. He sure did genius.
Knew some sort of wonderful juvenilistic reposnse wouldnt take long.....
Funny the things a man will do for his paycheck.......
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 11/20/08 at 08:41 PM ET
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Ya, but at least everyone who has VS. will at least recognize the name Lindstrom
Posted by rwingscup19 from Dallas on 11/20/08 at 06:53 PM ET