Passion? Yes! Staged celebrations? No!

Hey there hockey fans! Within the last few weeks there has been a huge up roar about the amount of celebration that Alexander Ovechkin is exhibiting after scoring goals. As many of you may know Ovi does his moves around his opponents with his tongue hanging out, does the fist pump and points to the sky after most of his goals, and even jumps into the glass. So to say the least, he is known for his big celebrations. However, he has acquired a new celebratory move, which has left critics in aw. After he scored his 50th goal of the season in a game against Tampa Bay he celebrated by dropping his stick on the ice and acting like it was too hott to handle. Critics are now saying that the execution was a little to much and Ovi's celebrations are becoming staged. I mean come on! The guy has been the leading scorer in the league and the #1 point leader for the last two seasons. This is no different than using the football as a telephone. I think he deserves a little credit don't you? After his hott stick celebration, Ovi was asked in a press conference about why he exerts so much emotion and intensity after his goals. He stated, "It's good for our League, it's good for our fans. Some players are just like robots. They score goals and it's like OK, no emotion, nothing, they basically go 'OK.' You have to show emotion if you're an emotional guy -- show it." Also, when he was interviewed right after the hott stick celebration and was asked about the celebratory move he said, "If you win the lottery -- a million dollars -- you go to the bar and drink a lot. I scored 50 goals and I just celebrated." Finally, I wouldn't go to say that Ovi doesn't showboat a bit after his goals, but I will say that he has a very significant way of building his brand and maintaining his fan creditability. What do you think?

Check out the HOTT STICK at...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ak8Jf-EEoE

Read the story at...
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=415479