Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski Fires Back at Bill Simmons

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski does not care what anybody has to say about the place he calls home.

In a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, longtime sports media personality Bill Simmons answered a fan question about what the most irrelevant franchise in professional sports was. After much contemplation, the answer Simmons ultimately reached was the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

That response raised eyebrows among avid hockey fans, but someone who took exception to it was Werenski.

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter,” Werenski said to the media prior to the team’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. “It is what it is, I guess, right? I’m not going to lose sleep over it. I like Columbus, I like playing here, and I don’t care what Bill Simmons has to say.”

The Case Against Columbus

The evidence Simmons brought to the table for why the Blue Jackets are the most irrelevant franchise in all professional sports was extensive. He rattled off the team’s unimpressive resume that features just six playoff appearances and only two series victories — one of which was just a qualifying round win during the 2019-20 season. He also made note of the lack of any notable team captains.

Still, the point seemed harsh — yet Simmons was not done roasting Ohio’s lone NHL franchise.

“I’ve never heard a single conversation about the Blue Jackets,” Simmons said. “Now granted, I don’t have a ton of hockey fans in my life, but I have never heard a single convo about them.”

Can the Blue Jackets Change His Mind?