I asked him. From most other athletes this would sound flip and boastful. From Lemieux it sounded perfectly reasonable. Lemieux isn't just a great athlete. He's there with Jordan, who made a point of going to yesterday's skate-around just to speak with Lemieux.
Elite athletes live in a different world and speak a different language only they understand.
It's striking how big and solid Lemieux is. This conversation took place in the hallway outside the visitors' locker room at MCI Center and Lemieux towered over everybody in sight. You could feel everybody in the hall shrink from him, like he was a lion. Everyone mentions how strong Lemieux is, and how much he has been working out. Apparently, Lemieux wasn't exactly Denise Austin the first time around.