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Phil Kessel wins entire arena Big Macs, is an American hero
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel looks like the furthest thing from a prototypical athlete, which makes the fact he's one of the most prolific scorers in the National Hockey League all the more astounding. This 205-pound, pasty white guy with a scraggly beard can fly up and down the ice and score goals with the best of 'em, which has made him into a cult hero of sorts. Pictures like this factor into that cult status, as they are often shared on social media any time Kessel does something noteworthy:
You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. Kessel has 82 points on the year, scoring 27 goals and dishing 55 assists for the playoff-bound Pens. Two of those goals came on Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings, a game Pittsburgh won 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena. As if that weren't enough cause for celebration, Kessel's second goal came during the "Big Mac Attack," a promotion that states if the Penguins score in a certain two-minute time frame, the entire arena wins free Big Macs. Kessel was Ronny McDonny on the spot on Thursday, and it caused the whole arena to chant "Thank you Phil!":
So in addition to being a cult hero, he's also an American hero, because there is nothing more American than a free Big Mac. Not to mention the fact Kessel played in the last two Olympics for Team USA, scoring six goals and winning a silver medal in 2010 in Vancouver. Believe it or not, this isn't even the first time this year Kessel has accomplished the Big Mac feat, as he also did it in December. What a legend. Maybe he'll be known as the Big Mac guy rather than the hot dog guy going forward now.