Hello, FOX Bloggers and FOXY Bloggers alike, this is Mike Greenspire, and I am here to award the first annual Pittsburgh Sportsman of the Year Award!

The award goes to the best player or coach in Pittsburgh Pro sports of the past year, starting in August 2007, and going to July 2008. Any Pittsburgh sportsman in that time period is eligible for votes!

I have limited the field down to 8 contestants!

Ben Roethlisberger

Evgeni Malkin

Sidney Crosby

Nate McLouth

Marc-Andre Fleury

Jason Bay

Mike Tomlin

Michel Therrien

Get voting, my vote is below!

-Mike Greenspire

Breaking news right now! Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals hockey star will be named Most Valuable Player next week.

This comes after an NHL.com T-shirt was released for sale with “Ovechkin MVP” or something along those lines on it a tad bit earlier than scheduled.

The award ceremonies are not for another week, but who cares!? We now know who the NHL thinks their best player is, so let’s get debate going , only on MGKB Sports!

So, I want you to tell me who the best player in the NHL is and why.

In my opinion, it is Evgeni Malkin. When Crosby was out with an injury earlier this year, he stepped up incredibly, and he is most likely the best player in the entire world. Although his Stanley Cup Finals play was lack-luster, he is still the best player, and for the NHL to give this award to someone who hasn’t even won a playoff series yet when there are better players that were competing in the Stanley Cup Finals is not the right move.

All I’ve heard all year long from Caps fans is “Well, he scores more than Malkin or Crosby do”. Well, yeah, if you are such a one-man-team, which the Capitals are, then he is more likely to take more shots. When you have better players surrounding you, like in Pittsburgh, you can pass the puck and still get a goal. Ovechkin is a one-man-team, and does not deserve this award.

Alex Ovechkin is a “puck hawk” and Malkin is not. The Russian Defector should be getting this honor this year, not a guy who was eliminated by a team 3 spots down in the standings.

Let me get your thoughts.

-Mike Greenspire

Man, what a bunch of great games we had yesterday, huh? Personally, I can’t afford to stay up until 12:30 in the morning to watch the late game, which was Calgary vs. San Jose. I was disappointed to find out that the Sharks choked away a 3-0 lead to fall, 4-3 to the Flames.

But, the main reason for this blog is the extremely exciting series between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers. This is probably the most evenly-matched series in the first round this year.

Anyways, my real issue with the game was this: A Devils player, whose name I am unsure of, started a mini-brawl with on of the Rangers players, and what followed was both teams trying to break it up alongside the refs.

After the two were finally separated, they remained staring each other down while being held back by the referees.

I was watching the game on Versus, and like most other hockey networks, they have cameras positioned around the ice behind the glass, and of course, all working television cameras have microphones. It makes the home audience feel more “there”, and boy, does it work! I feel like I could be sitting right next to the action.

Anywhoooooo, after they had all been split up, the Devils player continued yelling at the Rangers player, and what came out of his mouth shocked me speechless. I must warn you, this is quite profane, but I have to repeat it to really drive home the message I’m trying to send here. This is what was said by the Devils player:

“Don’t be a ####! You’re a ####! You’re a ####! You’re a #### ####!”

My mouth was wide open, and what’s worse, little Rangers and Devils tykes could be watching at home with their fathers, and this was on national television!

Think about it: If you were sitting in the front rows, right next to the brawl with your son, pleasantly enjoying the game, and your son heard that, what would you say to him if he turns to you and asks “Daddy, what’s #### ####?”

These players may not realize it, but they are all role models for young teens, and kids who hope to aspire to the NHL someday. This coming from anyone who is supposed to be playing for the sheer enjoyment and good sportsmanship of this great game is wrong in my opinion.

Could you imagine an international role model like Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby saying this on the ice, in front of millions of people? Probably not.

Just think before you act and say stupid #### That’s all I’m asking! Is that really too much to ask from someone who’s supposed to be a professional? A role model? No, it’s not.

That’s all I got for this, let me hear your take.

-Mike Greenspire