There are two kinds of sports debates, the rules of which are often determined by the setting. The first is the carefully thought out, statistically-backed argument that usually takes place between two or three people, set anywhere from a living room to a restaurant to the workplace. The second is the spontaneous rambling that can include as many as ten friends or as few as one confused sports fan. This kind takes place almost anywhere drinks and sports are available simultaneously. Which debate is better? Let’s find the answer by comparing Alex Ovechkin and Sydney Crosby.

In the first kind of argument, Person A will bring up the fact that Crosby has more career assists, so he’s a better team player. Person B then counters that Ovechkin has more goals and points. He then says that Ovechkin has fewer penalty minutes, so Person A says that Crosby is more of a team player because he doesn’t take as many bad penalties. Person A says that Crosby led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row and won one of them. Person B says that Crosby is playing with more talented players like Fleury and Malkin. This back-and-forth style goes on and on without a resolution.

In the second kind of debate, which only starts because of a Penguins/Capitals game, or because Ovechkin did something embarrassingly awesome, or Crosby was seen in one of the ten thousand commercials he’s in. It invariably leads to Person A talking endlessly about how entertaining Alex is with his off-ice antics, his ability to skate through defenders, and wire shots wherever he wants, while Crosby just stands at the net and waits for the puck. He does not pause, except to breathe. The argument is then won by Person B who simply says “yeah, but Crosby is just better!” and takes a drink of his beer.

So which kind of debate is better? The answer is neither. Both kinds have their time and place, and both are entertaining, yet neither ever finishes with a clear winner. This happens with more than just Ovechkin and Crosby. It happens with comparing teams and different sports, and even more abstract things like A-Rod’s ethics or Allen Iverson’s “talkin’ about practice”. Next time you and your buddies are debating some sports-related topic, remember the rules that apply to the setting. Oh, and Ovechkin is better.