Broad Street Bully: Frenzied Flyers fans want to see Penguins' Crosby stilled and mashed

IF YOU'RE not from Philly and you wander into Wednesday night's Flyers playoff game, you'll hear the high-pitched chants of little children blending with the roars of their proud parents, and you'll assume that the Pittsburgh Penguins have a star player named "Crosby Sucks."

On Sunday, as the Flyers clobbered the Penguins, 8-4, to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff, Crosby Sucks repeatedly started fights, knowing that his teammates would finish them to preserve his concussion-prone head.

This inspired Chris "Bundy" Therien, former Flyers defenseman and longtime broadcaster, to tell SportsRadio 94 WIP, "Punch him in the face as hard as you can . . . drop a bomb right at his beak, and you let him know, 'I don't care about your head, kid, if you're going to pull this stuff in our house.'"

Two days later, Therien told Broad Street Bully that what he said in the heat of the moment still holds true - Crosby kept provoking fights, then chickening out and letting his teammates rescue him and take the penalties.

"If he's going to do that, and he's coming off a concussion, he knows he's putting his head in danger," Therien said. "So why does he deserve special treatment? You're open game as far as I'm concerned, especially if you started the whole thing."

Season-ticket-holder Mike Greenspun agreed, saying, "Next time someone on the Penguins takes a run at Danny Briere or Claude Giroux, the Flyers shouldn't go after the perpetrator. They should go after Crosby."

THE CROSBY FLOP: As Crosby-hatred built to a fever pitch before Sunday's game, Justin Sierocinski, 14, of Newark, Del., sweated inside his chicken suit and Crosby jersey, repeatedly throwing himself down on the hot Wells Fargo Center parking lot, mocking Crosby's fake flops to persuade refs to call penalties. Flyers fans loved it.

NECK JERKY: Flyers die-hard Greg Melasecca, of Wilmington, said, "Crybaby Crosby has his teammates doing what I call 'The Neck Jerky' - flicking their heads back like they've just been beaten to death, so the Flyers will get a penalty.

"The other night, [Penguins defenseman Kris] Letang flicked his head like he'd just been in a five-car accident. That's what Crybaby Crosby taught him."

Melasecca was surprised that Crosby had supplemented his usual boohooing to refs by taking cheap shots at the Flyers in Game 3.

"He was pretty much out of control," Melasecca said. "I don't think it was frustration. I think he really hates us. I can understand that because I hate him, too."

LI'L WEASEL: Dave Leonardi, the Flyers' famous "Sign Man," said: "Sidney Crosby has great skills but he's just a whining little weasel, crying to the refs, 'Oh, somebody hit me with a stick. Somebody sneezed on me.' "

Leonardi, who holds up signs behind the goal, said that he doesn't usually create placards for individual players but might make an exception for Crosby. "Even if I do nothing for him, there'll be 'Sid the Squid' signs and a thousand more at the game," he said.

"Did suspended New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams give the Penguins their pregame pep talk on Sunday? Something about bounties on the Flyers? I don't know how else to explain what got into Crybaby Crosby's head."