Now, three years later, the captain of the team that just won the
Stanley Cup is still living with the team’s owner?
Sure, Lemieux’s
home is a sprawling estate, as evidenced by the photos of his Cup party that recently made the rounds (too painful to link to here, but you can find ‘em if you search around). But c’mon, it’s not like Crosby can’t
afford his own mansion or three — plenty big enough to accommodate family or friends if he doesn’t want to live alone. Perhaps, just perhaps, it’s time to stop living with his employer. 
“Owner Knows Best” — Tells the story of Sidney
Crosby, the 21-year-old hockey superstar who has already won an MVP and
a championship, but still lives with the team’s owner. Watch as the old
man berates Sid the Kid for missing curfew, trying to sneak girls into
his room and drinking wine coolers out of the Stanley Cup. Advance
reviews haven’t been kind, with one critic saying “Get the @*%$ out of
here, this would never happen in real life.”
on the heels of Bill Simmons (a.k.a. The Sports Guy) recently poking
fun at Crosby; his hypothesis about NHL players in general is pretty
entertaining as well:
Q: I still can’t get over the fact that Sidney Crosby has been
living with Mario Lemieux since he was first drafted. Can you imagine
any other sport in which the No. 1 pick would go and live with his
team’s owner?
– Darren Low, TorontoSG: Couldn’t agree more, and I have been thinking about
it ever since it was mentioned during the finals and I said, “Wait a
second, he’s STILL living there?” I always thought hockey
differentiated itself from other sports with the Canadian connection,
playoff beards, fighting, the Cup, coming back into a game 10 minutes
after taking 50 stitches in the face from a slapshot and everything
else of that ilk. But you’re right — Crosby/Lemieux should be the
first thing mentioned in any “Why are hockey players different than all
other types of athletes?” conversation. If Matthew Stafford moved in
with the Detroit Lions’ owner, we’d think it was the weirdest thing
that ever happened and make him a running joke every time he threw an
interception: Look out, Matthew, you’re gonna get grounded! Uh-oh, they’re gonna take cable out of your room! That kind of stuff.In hockey? You could tell me any story about an NHL player, and
I’d believe it. You could tell me Crosby and Geno Malkin share a condo,
a bedroom and a bunk bed … I’d believe it. You could tell me the Maple
Leafs soak their hands in deer urine before games because it makes
their knuckles stronger … I’d believe it. You could tell me Chris
Chelios is still playing at age 46 … I’d believe it. (What? He is?) You
could tell me all NHL teams travel by bus and not plane … I’d believe
it. Hockey players are a different breed. That’s why we love them.You know how I started the Tyson Zone for athletes who pass the
point of craziness and eventually you’ll believe any story about them?
I’d argue that there’s also an NHL Zone — you could pick any
NHL-related story, real or made up, and tell another sports fan that
story, and they’d have no choice but to believe it. Why? Because of
moments like, “Yeah, the captain of the Stanley Cup champs still lives
at his owner’s house even though he’s 21.”
19 Comments
I think one thing that has to be remembered is that Mario was still playing when Sidney was first drafted. So when the question is posed, “Can you imagine any other sport in which the No. 1 pick would go and live with his team’s owner?”, you have to think which other owner was actually still playing?! So that explains why it occured in the first place..
Having said that, I agree that he can afford to move out and maybe should, but also if the arrangement works, why knock it? Stanley cup, MVP, looks good to me. And as you rightly pointed out; the estate is large enough he might as well be on his own property, save for home cooking etc…
Don’t hate, the kid just won the cup. It is really hard to monday morning quarterback after a championship? Maybe he will move out and score twice as much??? Who Cares!
Wasn’t there an article going around a while back that Mario wanted Crosby out because he thought sid was a freeloader?I think it also had to do with lemieux’s daughter being like 17 and Mario saying he needs to meet girls his own age.
Hey, Super Mario’s collection of Italian loafers ain’t gonna shine themselves! Clearly he needs the kid there.
Dude, when I was 21 I lived with my mother. It’s no big deal.
Crosby probably spent his entire adolescence with billet families. I don’t begrudge him spending a few more years with a family he really likes.
And Lemieux was a teammate when they started living together – nobody complains that Malkin lived with Gonchar until this year, and Jordan Staal rented a room from Mark Recchi.
Seriously, people in DC really care about this kind of stuff? Hmm, well I suppose you have to have something to talk about when your “Caps Image of the Day” is Bob Woods talking to an imaginary Mr. Hat…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/capitals_imageoftheday/3742100767/
I know it’s the off-season and we all hate Sidney, but Jesus Christ, this is getting old.
All Sid wants to do is win championships. You heard Mario say it after Game 7. You see it in his work ethic. Living with and picking the brain of the greatest hockey player of all time is just a part of his desire to win.
Granted, the family enjoying having him around and vice-versa goes a long way in him staying, too, but you can’t tell me that’s the only reason and have me believe it. It’s just another edge that he has on some of the other great players around the league.
Hey, I don’t blame Sid at all. He doesn’t need to learn how to cook or do his own laundry. ANd who is he going to live with on the team? Max? HA. Geno? Might get a little uncomfortable the first time Sid ran into some naked girl in the hallway at either place. Sid likes his peace and quiet and I am sure he gets that at Mario’s. And the two families have become very good friends. Austin and Taylor are the same age. I think Sid should stay there as long as everyone is happy with the arrangement. And, considering all the hoopla about Big Ben right now, the longer Sid stays where he is, the better. I am sure there are plenty of girls who would like to go to his place and then claim he raped them or whatever….There are some really sick and weird people out there.
Has anyone considered that the both are gay and that the arrangement fits perfectly? I’d believe that.
Sid actually does have his own house. Mario was his teammate when Sid moved in. How could you not know when Mario retired, dude?! And Sid’s not 28 he’s only 21-years-old. I’ve known quite a few folks in their 20s who are wealthy and don’t live on their own 12 months of the year. There’s a lot more to wealth than buying 8 mansions and 10 sports cars to show off. Anyway, if you’ve ever been in a mansion where only a small family lives you’d know it wasn’t that awkward being that it’s a freeking mansion.
@ERINK, Ha! Nice dig on the image of the day.
Obviously living with one’s parents at 21 (or well beyond) is pretty common. But Mario isn’t selated to Sid, as far as we know, so the comparison isn’t really valid.
Hey, having some fun at Sid’s expense is fine and all, but these hockeyless days can’t pass by soon enough. When will someone invent a Life TiVo so we can fast-forward the off-season to the drop of the puck? Game on!
This would be a great idea for an OFB contest. Come up with the best “believable” NHL-Zone story. Main rule is that it has to be totally made up.
Clever idea NS2NOVA — thanks!
Patrick Kane lived in Stan Bowman’s basement his rookie year. The Kane family knew the Bowman’s from Buffalo, and decided it would be best for Patrick.
@NS2NOVA
That’s already been done.
HockeyOutsiders
Please feel free to email me any content you’d like considered.
On that note, Bill Simmons is absolutely correct, people pretty much believe anything with regards to hockey, it’s quite amazing
i can’t begrudge anyone trying to write hockey articles in july, so no biggie, but…
- i love the sports guy, but those are probably the most hockey words he’s written in 5 years.
- do you think hockey’s tradition of billet families makes this a non-story in hockey circles.
- back in 86 sports illustrated (http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1064552/index.htm)did a story on a 20 year old lemieux, living in an apartment smoking cigarettes and drinking iron city beer – not 21, mind you. so, as the only penguin fan who hates mario, i’d imagine he knows the ropes for a young star living alone and perhaps hopes this is a good situation?
anyway, keep up the great work, there’s a reason a penguins fan comes to this site in the dead of summer!
PETE, we’re happy to have provided some good reading.
And FWIW I agree with you regarding The Sports Guy — he’s slowly returning to hockey after the Bruins destroyed his love of the sport, and I hope he aims his entertaining writing skills at the NHL more in the future.
There is nothing wrong with living with Mario. I have seen the stories as a true Pens Fan. If I could live Michael Jordan, Joe Greene, Lance Armstrong, or any other living legend, I would ABSOLUTELY do it! Well….accept for maybe Mike Tyson. I could pass there.
Why are you still going on about Crosby I thought you were more intelligent ????? Seems there is a few Cap Fans moving from D.C ?????? these days tired of a poor show TEAM getting closer to the Canadian Border to be near Crosbys home town and as far as The SUPER KID living with Mario he has a expensive taste of FINE WINE but maybe you have no idea that Mario has one of the finest wine cellars going !!! where as Ovie drinks CHEAP VODKA so if you were wise you would give up on the CAPS also and get a team that has a backbone and GUTS .