Cam Janssen did a radio show today and showed what a vile, despicable, disgusting human being he really is. The man is lucky he is able to skate and fight, and he really does neither of those well. Want proof? He was a regular healthy scratch for the Devils in the playoffs, and as a fighter had only two wins in nine fights last season. Moron.
Let’s examine what he said on the show in question (which is vile and disgusting and we at LWOS won’t give publicity to by mentioning its name) and critique two of Janssen’s quotes.
Janssen told the hosts that he intentionally tries to hurt opponents with body checks, specifically by targeting an opponents head when he sees them skating with his head down. In fact here is the exact quote:
“But you wanna be scary. You wanna put the fear of f***in’ God in people’s eyes, and not just, ‘Oh, I’m gonna beat you up’ — no, ‘I’m gonna catch you with your f***in’ head down and hurt you because you’re not gonna know I’m comin’ because I know how to hit.’ Fighting guys is one thing because I know, ‘Oh, I won’t fight you. I’ll just turtle.’ Whatever. But if you have the puck and you know how to hit and you can hurt guys with hits like I know how to do, that’s what puts the fear of God into people.”‘
With all we know about concussions, and the effects they have not only on players’ careers, but on their lives post-hockey, Cam Janssen goes out there and attempts to injure other players and cause concussions. In an era where we’ve discussed ad nausea the dangers of headshots, he openly admits that one of his goals on the ice is to dish them out. That and that he’s trying to end guy’s careers and effect their quality of life.
Is he throwing body checks to separate an opponent from the puck? No, he is openly going out there and attempting to “hurt guys with hits” like he knows how to do. Never mind the fact that the headshots he is referring to are not clean hits, but are now illegal under the NHL rules, as is the blatant intent to injure that he is admitting to.
I ask the question, how is this attitude different from the New Orleans Saints “Bounty-gate”? It ins’t. Janssen’s open admission that he attempts to injure opponents should be dealt with harshly and severely by NHL Disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan and even Commissioner Bettman. Just like the Saints, it’s a black eye on the game, and should be dealt with harshly.
Now as bad as that was, Janssen upped things one step further.
In obvious reference to the great You Can Play Project that is doing fantastic work advancing the cause of gay athletes in all sports, the hosts asked Janssen how he would feel if he learned of a gay athlete in the NHL? The following is Janssen’s quote. It is disturbing, it is graphic, it is not suitable for children and it may not be safe for work. You have been warned:
“Oh, if he’s suckin’ c**k, he’s gettin’ his ass kicked.”
Janssen follows up this blatantly homophobic comment, one that could only be uttered by a Neanderthal, by slapping the table and laughing about it.
It’s attitudes like this that need to be removed from not just hockey, and not just sports, but from the very face of the planet. The idea that someone deserves to have their ass kicked because of their sexual orientation is repugnant and should be to all human beings. I hope that one day I can live in a society where these types of attitudes disappear entirely from the earth. In a society where a radio host would immediately chastise Janssen for making such a ridiculous statement and shame him into understanding and learning about the severity of his actions – but no, these hosts cheered along with him.
There is no room in hockey for attitudes like this, and the sooner players like Janssen disappear the better. Now how big are Bettman’s gonads.
… and that is the Last Word.
