PITTSBURGH — A partial list of Hall of Famers who left their original team after achieving greatness:
Michael Jordan. Tom Brady. Joe Montana. Johnny Unitas. Pete Rose. Willie Mays. Joe Namath. Peyton Manning. Jerry Rice. Emmitt Smith. Tony Dorsett.
There also have been hockey Hall of Famers who moved on from their first team:
Wayne Gretzky. Bobby Orr. Gordie Howe. Martin Brodeur. Ray Bourque. Mark Messier.
And we think there's no chance Sidney Crosby will leave the Penguins?
Maybe we're being just a little naive.
I'm like you. I hope it doesn't happen, either. I want to believe Fenway Sports Group executive Dave Beeston when he said recently the ownership group doesn't ever want to see Crosby in another jersey. I also want to believe Crosby, who said recently, "I'd love that to be the case. That's been the case since Day 1."
No doubt, Crosby belongs here.
I also know we've been pretty lucky with our Hall of Famers, All of the Super '70s Steelers came and stayed with the sad exceptions of Franco Harris and Mike Webster. Same with Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski and Willie Stargell. And, of course, the greatest, most accomplished athlete in Pittsburgh sports history, Mario Lemieux.
Crosby has to finish his career with the Penguins, right?
But then I googled Jordan and saw him in a Washington Wizards uniform. Brady in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform. Montana in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform. Smith in an Arizona Cardinals uniform. Rice in an Oakland Raiders uniform. Dorsett in a Denver Broncos uniform.
You get the idea.
That's why it's not all that difficult to picture Crosby in a jersey of another team, likely one of the Canadian clubs.
I'd love to know what Crosby really thinks about the Penguins' state. He knows they missed the playoffs this year for the first time in 17 seasons and that they haven't won a postseason series since 2018. He also has to know that, with an aging team that is in salary cap hell because of a number of bad contracts, it is unlikely he will seriously contend for a fourth Stanley Cup, let alone actually win one.
What happens if FSG changes its mind about an all-in, win-now philosophy and decides a rebuild is in order? Will the ultra-competitive Crosby want to go through that? Will Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang? It's hard to think Crosby will want to stay if management is able to convince Malkin and/or Letang to waive their no-movement clauses and they leave.
And what happens if FSG decides Mike Sullivan isn't the right man to coach the Penguins? A lot of fans on the talk shows and social media wish that would happen sooner rather than later. Crosby, though, loves playing for him.
Crosby will turn 36 on Aug. 7. He still is playing at a high level. He played in all 82 games this season and finished with better than a point-per-game average for the 18th time in his magnificent career. He hit 1,500 career points with two goals and an assist in a win at Detroit on April 8. He ranks 15th on the NHL's all-time points list with 1,502 and 29th in goals with 550.
Crosby is signed for two more seasons at an annual cap hit of $8.7 million. I'd like to think he'll do another long-term deal to stay. If FSG really is serious about keeping him with the Penguins forever, it should step up this summer and at least give him three more years to match the five years that Letang has left on his contract.
I really want to believe that will happen.
But then I googled Gretzky and saw him in a Los Angeles Kings uniform. Orr in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform. Howe in a Houston Aeros uniform in the WHA. Brodeur in a St. Louis Blues uniform.
Am I the only one who finds that just a little disturbing?
