PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- A picture was taken a couple of years ago in the Pittsburgh Penguins dressing room.One of the owners of the Penguins, Mario Lemieux, is in it. So, too, is the Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby. In the middle, flanked by one Hall of Fame center and one sure-fire Hall of Fame center, is a highly touted and broadly smiling prospect named Connor McDavid.A moment in time, to be sure.Three No. 1 overall draft picks.And maybe more than that. Maybe the kind of intersection of greatness that transcends time.When McDavid steps into the PPG Paints Arena here Tuesday night, it will not be to pose for more pictures -- it will be in search of two points for his Edmonton Oilers (9-3-1) against the Penguins (8-2-2). The Oilers captain will no longer be an awestruck teenager imagining what it might be like to live the life, as was the case two seasons ago when that picture was taken.McDavid is still a teenager, at least for a few more months. But early in his second NHL season, he is the catalyst to a buzz that hasnt come out of Edmonton for a decade or more, as well as being the standard bearer of an unprecedented influx of world-class young talent populating the league.No doubt there will be butterflies as McDavid prepares for the first time to face Crosby, who has shaken off a concussion sustained before the season to explode for eight goals and two assists in just six games. Just as there will be more than a passing interest from Crosby, who is almost 10 years McDavids senior.Once you get out there, I think thats the best part, Crosby said Monday. The competitive side kind of takes over.Bob Nicholson has seen hundreds of the games best players, including McDavid and Crosby, come and go, playing on hockeys greatest stages at various points in their careers. The former longtime head of Hockey Canada understands the bond that exists between the best of the best, a kind of organic link that exists in spite of geography and age, and even experience.He recalled, for instance, Lemieux talking about the lessons he learned from having played with Wayne Gretzky during the 1987 Canada Cup. Nicholson knows that Crosby reached out to McDavid after McDavid was selected first overall in 2015 amid a tumult that hadnt been seen since Crosby himself was the first-overall pick after the 2004-05 lockout.Those guys, theyre there for each other, Nicholson said. They dont know each other real well, but they respect each other.Nicholsons words of advice for Tuesday night?Take a deep breath and enjoy it, said Nicholson, who now presides over the Edmonton Oilers renaissance, having two years ago taken over as vice chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group.Theyre generational players, he said of Crosby and McDavid. Theyre different players. Not too often do players like this come along.As time passes, Crosby and McDavid -- who broke his collarbone and missed more than half his rookie season, including a game against Crosby -- might well play alongside each other soon, whether its at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea or the 2020 World Cup of Hockey. But until that time comes, this stands as a chance to savor something unique, two iconic stars playing against each other, one well-established as the greatest player in the world, the other just starting to fulfill those kinds of lofty expectations.Maybe therell be a moment like the night Gretzky first played against his idol Gordie Howe, when Gretzky thought Howe was winking at him in warmups (it was more likely Howes constant blinking) or how Howe at one point gave Gretzky a sharp rap on his wrist after Gretzky stole the puck from him, the legendary Howe admonishing Gretzky not to do it again.Coming into the league and youre thinking, Geez, Ive got to show everybody I belong, Gretzky said. So each and every night it was, Wayne Gretzky and, well, can he play against Dionne? And then it was, Gretzky and can he go against Lafleur? Gretzky and Trottier? And you know those things kind of get you excited when youre a kid: Youre 18, 19 years old, youve got nothing to lose. Youre just going out there to play.Crosby always dreamed about playing against childhood hero Steve Yzerman, although Yzerman was injured during Crosbys rookie season, 2005-06, and the two never did play against each other.Peter Forsberg was another guy that growing up I really liked to watch, Crosby added. I got a pretty hard lesson, I think: One of the first couple times I played him, I was minus-5. So I think I was watching him a little too much that night.I saw him a lot and learned pretty quick that now Ive got to compete against him, not necessarily watch him.In a week, former Philadelphia Flyers great Eric Lindros will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2016.He recalled playing with his boyhood idol Mark Messier in the 1991 Canada Cup, even before Lindros had played a single NHL game. But in his subsequent rookie season with the Flyers, the path to acceptance, to understanding he belonged, went through Pittsburgh and Lemieux.Youve also got a job to do, Lindros said. You get over the situation and you try and just get yourself focused and win two points.Memories? Lifelong.But when you win a faceoff against Mark Messier and he crosschecks you, you know its on, Lindros said with a laugh.When Crosby and McDavid step onto the same ice for the first time Tuesday, its a chance to observe -- heck, celebrate -- those kinds of intersections.Why not care? Lindros asked. Why not celebrate it?And heres the thing. Mark the moment, savor it, because these moments pass quickly.It probably seems like yesterday that Sid was going through the same thing, being compared to guys ? when he first came in, Gretzky said. And before you know it, youre the guy thats on the other side of that.I remember all of a sudden thinking, Wasnt it just yesterday I was being compared to Lafleur? the games all-time leading scorer added with a laugh. And before Auston Matthews and Connor know it, theyre going to be in the same situation that Sid is in, that hes the old guy.But its more than that, according to Gretzky, who proved in a heartbeat that he not just belonged but that he belonged at the top of the hill.I always tell people, youre the king of the castle until someone knocks you off, and right now these kids are all pretty good, Gretzky said, but Sidneys still the best player in the game. Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. Michael Strahan Womens Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. http://www.nygiantsfanaticshop.com/Black-Dexter-Lawrence-Giants-Jersey.html?cat=966 . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Dalvin Tomlinson Giants Jersey . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Phil McConkey Giants Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. As just about everyone knows by now, Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale was a bit unhappy with the 1970s leisure suit throwback uniforms that the team was slated to wear on July 23 -- so unhappy that he reportedly used a knife to cut the jerseys to shreds.But hey, Chris, if youre reading this, keep in mind that it could have been worse. The Sox could have broken out the shorts.Uni Watch is referring to, of course, the shorts that the White Sox infamously wore on the diamond in 1976. In fact, were fast approaching the 40th anniversary of the shorts on-field debut, which took place on Aug. 8, 1976. That makes this the perfect time for the Sox to trot out the shorts as a throwback, no? Perhaps it could even be timed to coincide with Sales turn in the rotation (as long as the clubhouse staff hid all the knives and scissors).Four decades later, theres a lot of misinformation about the shorts, especially regarding how often they were worn. Broadcasters will often say things like, Remember that season when the White Sox wore the shorts all year long? or Remember that one game when the White Sox wore the shorts?The reality is that the shorts were neither a season-long enterprise nor a one-game experiment. They were unveiled on March 9, 1976, along with the rest of the teams leisure suit uniform set, (team owner Bill Veeck said at the time that the shorts would be ideal for hot weather) but they didnt make their on-field debut until the first game of an Aug. 8 doubleheader against the Royals. They were worn again on Aug. 21 and 22 against the Orioles (the second game of which was the opener of a doubleheader).Those three games comprise the totality of the Sox-in-shorts saga. The team won two of the games, giving the shorts a nifty .667 winning percentage -- not bad, especially for a team that went 62-96, or .392, for the rest of its schedule.Photos from the three games are rare, but you can see some good shots here. Theres also some fantastic home-movie footage from the Aug. 22 game, which shows a bit of pregame and game action. The film, which has been preserved on YouTube, also features priceless shots of fans participating in a bizarre bit of between-games entertainment: a beer case-stacking contest.Many fans mistakenly think the Sox couldnt slide in the shorts for fear of cutting up their knees, but that wasnt the case. The players had little pads tucked under the tops of their socks, just below the kneecap, which apparently provided enough protection to allow for sliding.You might not think those little pads offered much protection, but the numbers dont lie: According to the archived box scores, the Sox stole eight bases without being caught in their three shorts-clad games, so the pads must have been doing the job.dddddddddddd (Either that or the opposing catchers were too busy laughing to throw anyone out.). You can see some footage of two shorts-clad slides by skipping ahead to the 1:51 mark of this video:Despite the winning record and the success on the basepaths, the shorts were retired after those three games, so MLB has been shorts-free since then (well, unless you count Hunter Pence). But while the White Sox were the first and still only big league team to wear shorts, several minor league teams wore them in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.And heres an interesting wrinkle: Those red shorts worn by the Austin Braves were a trial run for the teams parent club in Atlanta. Former MLB pitcher Ron Reed, who was on that 1966 Austin squad, provided the details in this 2011 article, in which he said, The shorts were worn in that first game as a trial to see if they would be appropriate for the Atlanta Braves players. Summers in Georgia are hot [and 1966 was the Braves first season in Atlanta after moving there from Milwaukee], so some genius figured shorts might be better for the players rather than the wool uniforms they wore at that time. After a couple of our Austin players came back to the dugout with giant strawberries on their knees and thighs from sliding into second, third and home plate during that first game, the shorts idea was abandoned, thank God.Hmm, maybe the Braves didnt think to use sliding pads like the White Sox did, eh?Although the Chisox never wore their shorts after those three 1976 games, the shorts nonetheless had a bit of an afterlife. Like many MLB teams at that time, the Sox recycled their old uniforms in their minor league system, and the shorts ended up being worn by the Double-A Knoxville White Sox. At one point that resulted in a dream matchup of 1970s uniforms: the Sox shorts versus Houstons tequila sunrise design.Of course, that took place long before Chris Sale was coming up through the White Sox farm system. Luckily for him -- and, maybe, for the shorts.(For more information on the White Sox shorts, look here.)Would you like to nominate a uniform or uni element to be showcased in a future Friday Flashback installment? Send your suggestions here.Paul Lukas wore shorts while writing this column. If you like how it turned out, youll probably like his Uni Watch Blog, plus you can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Want to learn about his Uni Watch Membership Program, be added to his mailing list so youll always know when a new column has been posted or just ask him a question? Contact him here. ' ' '