Penguins fans fear opposing fan base desecration of Mario Lemieux statue (VIDEO)

PITTSBURGH -- When news leaked that a statue would be erected in honor of Pittsburgh Penguins owner and team legend Mario Lemieux, the fan debate began as to how Le Magnifique should be immortalized. What moment? What pose?

Some Penguins fans wanted to see him holding the Stanley Cup above his head, other would have like to have seen some re-creation of the celebrated goal he scored in 1991 Stanley Cup Final against Jon Casey and the Minnesota North Stars.

After sorting through hundreds of photos, the team decided on a shot of Lemieux splitting two New York Islanders defensemen, capturing not only his efforts of overcoming obstacles on the ice, but also off the ice -- like rescuing the franchise from bankruptcy.

We spoke with several Penguins fans after the statue was unveiled to get their thoughts on the specific moment chosen to remember Lemieux, and if the newest addition to the CONSOL Energy Center scenery would be a target of opposing fans ... given what happened to the famous one depicting fictitious boxer Rocky a few years back when the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers teams met in the playoffs.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy