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Shutdown Corner

Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

Chad Johnson compares Michael Jackson's death to 9/11

By Chris Chase

Impulsivity and the ability to instantly post things on the internet are a dangerous mix. Throw in egomania and, well, you've pretty much got Chad Johnson's Twitter page. (And, yes, we'll call him Chad Johnson(notes), because that's still his display name, despite the fact that it's easily changeable.)

Anyway, after news of Michael Jackson's death broke yesterday, Johnson had a typically measured response:

That's some good perspective there, Chad.

Can we please put a moratorium on comparing all tragic events to 9/11 (and, for that matter, all evil things to Hitler)? Those are the extremes. The news of yesterday can still be plenty sad without having to break out comparisons to anything else.

Johnson retracted his statement a few moments later, though the apology read like he came to the conclusion his analogy was weak because of responses from fellow Twitter folk not because he realized anything was wrong with it. Still, at least he took it back.

At some point, an athlete is going to say something even more stupid and controversial on Twitter and it's going to lead to a big public outcry.

When it does, it should be interesting to see whether teams ever put in contract provisions that ban players from writing blogs or making Tweets. In this week's Sports Illustrated blogging Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood tells Dan Patrick that he'd accept it if his team's front office made his writing go through an editing process.

Thanks to athletes like Chad Johnson, that day may come sooner rather than later.

Thanks, The Big Lead

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520 Comments

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  1. Devon Da Phenom
    1. Posted by Devon Da Phenom Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:08 pm EDT

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    Cmon chad....gotta be smarter than that.
  2. Travis
    2. Posted by Travis Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    oh good grief. i know to expect some MJ over-indulgence right now, and i got love for his music, but it's really sad that people are paying so much more attention to this than they are the revolution in iran or the continued genocide in darfur.
    people, you make puke a little in times like these.
  3. Travis
    3. Posted by Travis Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    also, mjd, can you get on this lawsuit situation with the browns and joe j.'s infection? i know it happened to winslow there and, i think, edwards maybe. at least one or two others. what the hell is going on at that facility? seriously, they can't disinfect the place properly?! there's gotta be more to this.
  4. Travis
    4. Posted by Travis Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    round three: they should NOT be censoring twitter. that's insane and i can't believe haywood would agree to that. the nflpa and aclu need to prevent that from happening.
  5. Incredibly_Disrespected
    5. Posted by Incredibly_Disrespected Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:27 pm EDT

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    chad johnson = 1st CLASS DOOOOOSBAG
  6. Incredibly_Disrespected
    6. Posted by Incredibly_Disrespected Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:28 pm EDT

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    ..........doooooshbag
  7. quid pro quo
    7. Posted by quid pro quo Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    Maybe to chad it was as bad as 9/11 ... who am I to judge
  8. quid pro quo
    8. Posted by quid pro quo Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    Ps. is this Chad Johnson, Saftey for the KC chiefs?
    try this link MJD ... and do some research before you post this stuff
    http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5483
  9. Zilla
    9. Posted by Zilla Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:21 pm EDT

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    who gives a sh*! ?, real newsworthy stuff. MJD, how can you ok this weak stuff on the SC?
  10. brian b
    10. Posted by brian b Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

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    are you serious? Saying Michael Jackson's death is just as sad as 9/11 basically means Chad is saying this is an event that was sad and very sad to Chad. Similarly as sad as 9/11 was to him. Yes the news flash here is Chad Johnson is very sad about 9/11 and also the death of Michael Jackson.
    Lame.
  11. brian b
    11. Posted by brian b Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    BTW MJD is batting 1-1 in weak posts today.
  12. bryon h
    12. Posted by bryon h Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Lets step back and think, this reporter who posted this idiotic story deserves the blame. You have Chad expressing his feelings not making a comparison to history like this reporter baited everyone to think. I mean really how desperate are you looking for athlete's tweet on someone's death and then post the story because you are desperate for news. You feed the monster and it will eat.
  13. Robert V
    13. Posted by Robert V Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    that is bull [profane]
  14. Tall John
    14. Posted by Tall John Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:36 pm EDT

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    He referring to 9/11/2008... the day Neverland Ranch denied him entry. MJ told him he "likes 'em YOUNG w/out gold teef"
  15. JOSH H
    15. Posted by JOSH H Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    wow thats whats wrong with this country.......people thinking losing one or two celebrities to natural causes is as bad as being attacked on our own soil killing thousands.....its a celebrity get over it.....how bout we have all this news coverage and memorials for our fallen soldiers or police or fire fighters. how bout we idiolize the right people in this country like teachers or the ones keeping us safe instead of obsessing over celebrities. sadly a good portion of this country are hollywood sheep hence why obama is pres. because oprah, hollywood, and the dailyshow said so thats why.
  16. Shaun
    16. Posted by Shaun Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    Wow.....
  17. Derek
    17. Posted by Derek Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:46 pm EDT

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    so you posting about this would make you a meta-douchebag? perhaps its hyperbole. perhaps he's using 9/11 as a signifier for the 'remember where you were when..." experience that older folks had with the deaths of JFK, MLK, RFK and the Challenger explosion for.
    the fact is, you're actually gleeful that chad said this because it gives you an easy, thoughtless topic to fulfill your blog obligations. and maintain the 'above it all' pose when your writing is every bit as ridiculous.
  18. brian b
    18. Posted by brian b Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:46 pm EDT

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    The part that hasn't been brought up his who the hell still calls themself OG. That was played out back in 97.
  19. D-Rich
    19. Posted by D-Rich Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:52 pm EDT

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    Some of your are just ignorant that you just don't realize a man has died. We are humans FIRST, and Americans LAST, so show some respect and class, whether you liked him not. Put yourself in his shoes and imagine how Chad Johnson felt when someone he grew up on died. Typical Americans, always blowing everything out of proportion. I think there is this thing called the Constitution that guarentees the right to free speech.
    Of course 9/11 was moretragic, but Michael Jackson entertained millions of people for years and donated alot of money to charity. All Chad Johnson was saying is that he felt the same pain in his heart when these tragedies occured.
  20. Puddy
    20. Posted by Puddy Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:53 pm EDT

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    who cares what he put. it's his page. this is probably the most iconic person to die for this generation next to princess di. so your opinions are right and his are wrong?
  21. phil m
    21. Posted by phil m Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    he's a child molester, no rip, more like burn baby burn! and mj is and always will be jordan, not wacko jacko
  22. tviau123
    22. Posted by tviau123 Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:57 pm EDT

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    It is official he has lost his mind. I thought his perspective was slipping with the name change, but this just shows that he has no perspective at all. Big Picture here...... while the loss of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett is very tragic and definitely sad for their families, it really has no impact on daily life. When the aftermath of the vigils are cleaned up it will be over, unlike 9/11, which changed the way American's think, live, and pray forever.
  23. IT DOESNT MATTER
    23. Posted by IT DOESNT MATTER Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:03 pm EDT

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    You fckin moron
  24. Frank M
    24. Posted by Frank M Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:05 pm EDT

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    Are you joking this is nothing close. a child molester dies and its as sad as 9/11 chad you got a problem.

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