The Pittsburgh hockey media is going to be busy playing rumor
control for the next several weeks, or until Sidney Crosby is back on the ice
after his concussion.
On Tuesday, Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review debunked "speculation on the Internet" that Crosby would be shut down this season, quoting Coach Dan Bylsma as saying, "That really has not been a topic of conversation or a thought."
More rumor control this evening, as Mike Brophy of Sportsnet cited an anonymous source in saying:
"Told Crosby tried light workout and immediately saw black dots and stars. Not even close to starting light worlkouts (sic) again."
This led to more Rossi debunking, via Twitter:
"Any reports of Crosby having troubles after a recent light workout are denied by sources with within Crosby camp.
"Crosby rehab continues to include light exercises, but he is not having trouble with those. Source says he has had a couple of good days."
Wrote Penguins Plus on the Post Gazette site:
Two team officials with first-hand knowledge of Crosby's situation denied it in the most emphatic terms possible. One described the story simply as "all (barnyard expletive)," and the other said in an email that he confirmed the story "is NOT TRUE straight from Sidney." The capital letters, which obviously were intended to provide emphasis, were added by the team official, not Penguins Plus.
Spin from the Crosby camp? Bad info from outside the Crosby camp? Viral marketing from a new spinoff from Lucky Charms (black dots! yellow stars!).
The only reliable fact in this situation is that Crosby has a concussion, and concussions are about a predictable as Alexei Kovalev wearing a blindfold. Nobody knows nuthin'; he could be feeling aces one day and see "black dots" the next. Nature of the beast.
But welcome to our new reality for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Shreds of information passed along on the down-low by hangers-on or representatives or secondhand from teammates. We're going to be inundated with reports and denials until Sid's back on the ice. It's going to make the upcoming Peter Forsberg injury updates seem quaint.