Zach Werenski hits back at Bill Simmons for a hot move
It can be said that no one had a Bill Simmons-Columbus Blue Jackets beef on their bingo cards for the 2025-26 NHL season. Simmons made some comments about the franchise on a recent podcast, which was a bit of a shock, considering he doesn’t have much hockey imagery on his shows. Still, a polarizing podcast host attracted attention Blue Jackets and star defenseman Zak Verenski.
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter. I guess it is what it is, right? I’m not going to lose sleep over it,” Werenski told reporters before the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I like Columbus, I like playing there and I don’t care what Bill Simmons has to say.
Simmons’ comments included that the Blue Jackets were “the most unimportant franchise in professional sports” and that he “never heard a single conversation about the Blue Jackets.” The comments came about the return of a popular segment from the podcast’s past, Bill Simmons’ Mailbag.
Columbus has a small but steadfast fan base in his region, but they don’t get much attention. They have only six playoff appearances and two series wins in 25 years, and it’s rare to have a superstar player. The Blue Jackets’ scheme is generally built on more depth throughout the lineup than the players willing to play with the organization. The typical narrative surrounding the team is that it’s hard to attract big-name free agents, but when they arrive, they love the market.
Verenski is the team’s current superstarbut the rest of the group doesn’t really get much attention. Simmons’ comments weren’t necessarily incorrect, but it was bizarre for him to take shots at the team when he rarely talks about hockey, which is probably what angered the Blue Jackets more than anything else.
2025-11-21 13:28:00
