So I thought I was done talking about the Pens, seeing as how their season is over. But the truth is, I’ll never be done talking about the Pens. Its moments like these when we find out how much we’ve taken for granted, and the level of effort that these professionals put into a “game.”
The Kid announced that, for the final 2 1/2 weeks of the regular season and the playofffs, he’s been playing with a broken foot. Let me say that again. HE’S BEEN PLAYING WITH A BROKEN FOOT!
This puts the scoring title in a much bigger perspective. Joe Thorton, the only real competition to Sid in the scoring race, really put the pressure on Sid during the last few weeks of the season. Before Joe, it was Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. In order to win the title, Sid not only had to fend off some prolific scorers, but also had to do it with one foot!
If I get a paper cut, my finger is out of commission for a few days. My hand will be up in the air when I shower, and I make sure that its clean and not in contact with anything…because those things hurt like a bitch. Sid played hockey during the home stretch of the season and in the playoffs with a broken foot (I can’t stress this enough), and even wore minimal padding so as to not tip off the media. Alright, Ted Nolan and Bryan Murray, go ahead and call Sid soft one more time. Honestly, we haven’t heard it nearly enough.
Sid plays a game. For a living. How easy would it be to take time off from the “game” and let your broken foot heal? Hell, you kinda need your foot to play hockey. Whether its simple skating or blocking shots, feet are an integral part of the game. The impessive part is that Sid’s performance hardly took a hit because of the gimp foot. He believes he broke the foot on a blocked shot against Montreal on March 16th. That equals 11 regular season games and 5 playoff games (none of which he missed) in which Sid put up 19 points (8 goals and 11 assists). 19 points in 16 games…with a broken foot.
Hats off to Sid, the newest badass in Pittsburgh sports. Now knowing what he’s capable of with one foot, I can’t wait to see his maturity next season when he is able to use both.
