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Columnist: An anonymous doctor thinks Sidney Crosby should retire

Sid Crosby

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby skates during practice in Sunrise, Fla., Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Crosby skated with his teammates for the first time in more than a month on Friday but still has no idea when he’ll be cleared to practice, let alone see action in a game. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

AP

As if the hysteria around Sidney Crosby’s potentially broken neck wasn’t already sky high, leave it to a columnist to find a way to up the ante.

Such was the case for The Globe And Mail’s Robert MacLeod who spoke with a “respected Toronto sports orthopedic surgeon” who told him that Sidney Crosby should retire from the NHL.

“Crosby would be far better off quitting the game and becoming the chief spokesperson for concussions and speaking out against head shots in the game,” said the doctor. “He is taking a huge gamble with his health by trying to come back.

“He has nothing left to prove in the game. And imagine the impact he would have, especially to younger kids, by getting out now. That alone would force the NHL to take serious steps to clean up its act.”

Getting word from someone in the business who knows about injuries is nice, but hearing it from a doctor we’ll have to assume has never examined Crosby and doesn’t know the specifics of his injury is doing a disservice to the story.

If you’re consulting a surgeon who knows his or her’s stuff, why not attribute said knowledge to them? For all we know, MacLeod’s doctor friend might be Dr. Nick Riviera and asking about Crosby’s health from a guy who went to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College isn’t any good.

This isn’t the first column written saying that Crosby should retire and until we find out what’s up with him, it won’t be the last. Letting the doctors figure out what’s going on with Crosby is apparently too hard to do.