Good for Hockey - Good for Sports

Victory! Watching the Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup was nothing short of amazing. Considering the odds stacked up against them throughout the entire series, I'd say their comeback effort was more than impressive. There are wins and there are wins. The Penguins triumph over an aging Detroit hockey club sends shockwaves throughout the sports world that extend far beyond hockey. The message it conveys is that of a changing of the guard. Yes, it signifies the arrival of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as annual cup contenders, but it also shows how the infusion of youth SUPERSTARS in sports can translate into immediate success. Until the young Pens, the only other major young superstar under 27 who has achieved a championship of some kind is Dwayne Wade (unless you consider Ben Roethlisberger a superstar...pshh yeah right). Lebron failed (twice), Dwight Howard came up short, David Wright has yet to taste postseason glory, and even Pujols and Longoria couldn't get it done in the World Series. The NFL has many young budding stars, but none that has the universal appeal of a LeBron or DWade so we needn't even mention any of them yet. Lionel Messi did score a goal in a UEFA Champions League Final but who really watches that stuff anyway? (at least here in the US). So what's my point? My point is that young superstars finally overcoming older more experienced and seasoned opponents is an anomaly that hopefully sets a precedent. Obviously, it's great for hockey. Not only are the Penguins the best team in hockey but they are also the most exciting to watch. It's also great for sports in general. Finally we see young superstars tasting success. It leads to hope for fans that others like Lebron, Dwight Howard, and maybe even guys like Matt Ryan and David Wright can follow suit. Exciting times are ahead for the future of American professional sports. So many of these under 25 titans of their game will provide us with epic battles for years to come. Lets hope that the sight of young Sidney Crosby hoisting the cup is the inspiration needed for other young stars to cross the threshold and win something other than endorsement deals.