Pittsburgh Penguins: Tom Brady, LeBron James defy Father Time, why can’t Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is one of the most talented and most decorated hockey players in the history of the game.

No one will dispute that above fact, but what people may dispute is whether or not Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby is among the NHL’s elite right now.

If you ask hockey fans who the best player in the league is today, you would probably hear Sidney Crosby from a few, but most would say Connor McDavid. If not McDavid, perhaps they’d say Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, or one of the many other tremendous talents featured in the NHL today.

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Age is the reason that people are so quick to shy away from picking Sidney Crosby. There are newer, shinier players that capture the interest of fans, but is that any reason to discount what Sid can do?

At 33 years of age, Crosby has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s tallied eight points (4 G, 4 A) in ten games to start this season, a number that will surely improve as the games pile up. What makes Sid extra special, though, is that he doesn’t have to score to be mesmerizing.

On Monday against the New York Rangers, Crosby was held without a point, but he dominated the game with a lacrosse-style shot and a couple of wicked backhand attempts that missed by inches after he made magnificent plays to find space to shoot.

Don’t count out Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby just yet

That doesn’t resonate with all fans, but even if you want to focus on stats, Crosby proves that age is only a number. Last season he recorded better than a point per game with 47 points (16 G, 31 A) in 41 contests, while in the 2018-19 season he amassed 100 points (35 G, 65 A) in 79 games.

The point I’m trying to make is that Crosby clearly still belongs in the discussion as one of the league’s elite stars. There’s no evidence to say otherwise, and there is nothing that suggests that he can’t do what fellow aging stars Tom Brady and LeBron James have done and continue to do in their respective sports.

James, now 36, is defending an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers. The championship that he captured in October was his fourth, and it came at a time where his place as the league’s best was being questioned. Giannis Antetokounmpo won consecutive MVP awards, while the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard were supposed to be the team that stifled LeBron. When the dust settled, though, it was James emerging victorious and earning Finals MVP.

Fast forward to today, and Tom Brady is doing the same thing. He is 43-years-old and playing for a new franchise that is known for its lack of success, yet he is heading to his tenth Super Bowl. It’s not supposed to be him playing in that game, though. His arm is supposed to be weak and his stats are supposed to be struggling. Players like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson are taking the league by storm, but here Brady is in the big game once again.

A year ago people seemed to be questioning what these two generational players were still capable of, and now all they want to talk about is the history and the greatness that we are witnessing. I believe Sidney Crosby is in that same category.

Fans no longer want to call Crosby one of the best current players and they continue to question whether the Pittsburgh Penguins can win another Stanley Cup with the veteran captain. There are a lot of immensely talented NHL rosters, so I’m not saying that he will win, but look around the sports world, and you’ll see that he definitely can. Why? Because 33, 36, and 43 are just numbers, so don’t count 87 out just yet. There is no reason that Sidney Crosby, like Brady and James, can’t defy Father Time and run it back at least one more time.