Controversial Pittsburgh journalist slams Evander Kane for calling out Sidney Crosby.

Over the weekend we published an article covering comments made by San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, comments in which the polarizing forward blatantly called out Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for not speaking out about recent events in America that have led to widespread civil unrest in the country.

For those of you who missed that column, here's what Kane had to say:

"We've been outraged for hundreds of years and nothing's changed," Kane continued. "It's time for guys like Tom Brady, and Sidney Crosby, and those type(s) of figures to speak up about what is right and, clearly in this case, what is unbelievably wrong. Because that's the only way we're going to actually create that unified anger to create that necessary change, especially when you talk about systematic racism."

The comments received a relatively mixed reaction with some taking Kane's side on the issue while others chose to defend Crosby, arguing that no one should be forced to put themselves in the spotlight if they simply would rather not do so. On Monday however a highly controversial figure in the Pittsburgh media, John Steigerwald slammed even Kane for calling out Crosby in a much harsher tone than I had seen previously. First Steigerwald appeared to argue that Kane himself had no real business interjecting himself into the issue because he was not an American born player.

From Steigerwald:

Evander Kane needs to mind his own business.

Kane plays left wing for the San Jose Sharks, and he’s black.

And Canadian.

Steigerwald would then go on to list a variety of reasons that could be responsible for Crosby choosing not to comment on the issue, most of which were frankly quite reasonable. Steigerwald however could not resist taking yet another shot at Evander Kane while doing so, indicating that he felt the Sharks forward was ignorant of the issue he himself was commenting on. 

Again from Steigerwald:

Maybe Crosby doesn’t agree with Kane when he says nothing has changed. Maybe he knows he doesn’t know enough about the subject to have a strong, credible opinion. Kane showed he doesn’t know enough about it to have an opinion that deserves any attention.

Last but not least Steigerwald suggested that Crosby has been doing just fine in his role as a leader in the Pittsburgh community, something I think no one would really argue with, and demanded that players like Kane leave the Penguins captain alone.

Again from Steigerwald:

Crosby is doing just fine. He has been an adopted Pittsburgher for 15 years, and he’s done everything right. You won’t find anybody who has a bad word to say about him.

He does his job and minds his own business.

Leave him alone.

Although Steigerwald's column received some praise from his readers on the Tribune Review's official website, thus far his column has been universally panned by his peers in the hockey community on social media. Here are just a few examples of the responses he has received thus far.

"Dipshit writes column saying Sidney Crosby shouldn’t need to comment on racism and then projects so much absolute nonsense onto Crosby that he pretty much has to comment now," wrote ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

The Athletic's Arpon Basu called it "nauseating"

Sportsnet's Sean McIndoe implored people not to read the column at all.

What do you think guys? Does Steigerwald have a point when he says Crosby should be left alone? Or does he simply go too far in his column? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.