Lions Want Jimenez Suspended for Johnson Hit - Mike Beamish

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Lion ... story.html

VANCOUVER - Jason Jimenez spent the aftermath of Saturday's 35-31 win over the B.C. Lions dumping on his former head coach, offensive coordinator and the B.C. organization. But his personal grievances didn't measure up to the level of outrage felt by former teammates against him -- after Jimenez submarined defensive end Brent Johnson in the first quarter of the CFL game at Empire Field.

Dirtiest play I can recall seeing. The play is over. Jimenez is running behind Johnson and to the side. When Johnson is looking away, Jimenez does a very quick, sneaky dive down and roll over at Johnson's left leg. Fortunately the leg was not planted, otherwise it would have been shattered. A 6'7" 320 pound rollup of the leg would guarantee that.

"I thought it was dirty. I thought it was uncalled-for," said Lions centre Angus Reid, who played four seasons with Jimenez in B.C. before the latter's release. "It wasn't related to the play. And I, personally, thought it was a blatantly dirty hit."

Jimenez's explanation: "I was trying to cut him off because he was chasing the ball. [Chris] Bauman caught it. I guess I hit him [Johnson] after the whistle. It was an unnecessary roughness penalty, but I wasn't trying to . . . You can't hear [bleep] in this stadium."

I can't buy it. It looked like some primitive instinct kicked in, perhaps fueled by dislike of the team that let him go.

"For 161 games, you usually play against people who have a general respect for the other players, the league and the game itself," he said. "And for the guys who came before, and the guys who come after, you're setting a standard and a precedent. To have a blatant disregard for that . . . it's shameful."

I don't think anyone would say Jimenez is a statesman for the game.

For CFL fans and media who may have given Jimenez the benefit of the doubt after he injured Calgary Stampeder defensive lineman Anthony Gargiulo three years ago, it was a particularly distressing incident. Gargiulo's promising career was undone after an illegal block by Jimenez in a game at BC Place on Nov. 3, 2007 -- (the last time that the Lions, who play in Calgary Saturday night, have defeated the Stampeders). Gargiulo's leg was shattered. Although he attempted a comeback the following year, Gargiulo, then 23, was never the same player again and was forced to retire.

I did not want to think Jimenez did that on purpose to Gargiulo. At some point I think you have to look at the actions to determine the intent. This time with Johnson makes twice Jimenez made that type of hit on a vulnerable player.

But after Murphy left through free agency, Jimenez's influence lessened to an extent that the Lions released him in January. "We parted ways because we couldn't reach him and he wasn't buying into us," Buono said Sunday. "It was time to move on." In a less guarded moment, Buono snapped, "he [Jimenez] was in the quarterback's lap the whole year [2009]."

Jimenez, however, contends he was made into a "scapegoat" for the Lions' 8-10 record as a way of deflecting condemnation of the coaching staff onto the players.

"He's [Buono] a good spin doctor," Jimenez says. "He''ll say, 'Screw that guy, he's garbage.' He's got to make himself look good for the decisions he makes. When Wally released me, he told me, point blank, he didn't have an answer to who was going to replace me. I scratched my head with that one.

They said I was always calling out the coaches for the sub-par offensive schemes we had. But I felt I had the latitude to voice my opinion at times I needed to do that. Dorazio [offensive line coach Dan] took offence to that. He'd slam his pen down. For four years, we had a very stable offensive line. But look at them now. I find that the lack of preparation and due diligence on the Lions [coaches] part, has come back to bite 'em in the ass."

"sub-par offensive schemes we had" Well there has been much commentary by some fans about that on this site too.

IMO Jimenez is a very capable O Lineman. It is s shame how he does those rollups on the back or side of a vulnerable player's leg.

[TheLionKing]

What goes around ultimately comes around.

[Sir Purrcival]

I defended him last time because I thought he had a reasonble explanation for what happened. At least it was the benefit of the doubt. However, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice.....

I'm glad he is gone now.

[Spud387]

I feel bad for supporting Jimenez and his contact, as there was no proof that what he did was intentional, against the Calgary player as it is looking like It was dirty as this hit definitely was.

[Rammer]

I defended him last time because I thought he had a reasonble explanation for what happened. At least it was the benefit of the doubt. However, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice.....

I'm glad he is gone now.

Well I never said he was innocent on the Calgary player hit, but I did tone it down from what some were saying. I really think that he didn't intend to injure on that play, he just tried to get a piece of a player that he wasn't in position to do so. After the attempt on Johnson, I can say it would be a similar effort. He played a very solid season after the Calgary hit, clean and between the whistles, Saturday was after the play and after Johnson had let up. He has to keep his emotions in check and just play the game as he has the physical skills to dominate in this league.

[Toppy Vann]

If I were the TiCats I'd get him quieted down. But as a fan it is good copy to have this out there like that. His comments on the O line were pretty spot on and I loved the shots at Wally and Dorazio. Wally takes a lot at former players including Jason J just before this game. Do you not think the best motivational speech the TiCats got this year came from Buono trashing Jimenez before the game?? Those former Lions played like beasts this game.

I was no fan of the hit on Johnson but it is hard not to be a fan of Jimenez as he is a good football player and a pretty smart guy who used to grace these boards with commentary. He was wrong and it might be too big a risk if he just plain admitted he was wrong on that play - but that might incriminate him with the CFL.

Brent Johnson is all class and I like his statements all the time particularly the one about teams not respecting contracts any more - how right that is. How many players disappear before that off season bonus kicks in? Players let go for the new cheaper model. The only player who got his money and was let go in recent years was Joe Smith who had his money front loaded that year and Wally dumped him.

[ziggy]

I figure the players will have the last say on this one. No one repects a player that intentionally goes out to injure another player, teammate or not. It's just a game and at the end of the day everyone is just trying to make a living and survive. I find it odd how similar the two incidents were, but want to believe its was an accident. Perhaps jason has just lost a step and is getting frustrated?

[KnowItAll]

Jason is a Bertuzzi like goon who should have been banned from the league long ago.

[Ravi]

Tom Higgins, who was the irate Calgary head coach at the time of the Gargiulo incident, will be looking into this latest incident involving Jimenez so we should know if there is any supplemental discipline within the next day or two.

[Rammer]

Tom Higgins, who was the irate Calgary head coach at the time of the Gargiulo incident, will be looking into this latest incident involving Jimenez so we should know if there is any supplemental discipline within the next day or two.

The end result will max out at a one game suspension, the CFLPA and the CFL need to change this to reflect better on the league.

[Lionheart]

Obviously I don't like what he did either, but this is a two headed story and I can't seem to find argument with the things he was saying.

[kenny]

I have no problem with a dirty or late hit. Emotions can run high during the game, but a what JJ did was a cheap shot from behind to a defenseless Brent Johnson.

As fars as the quotes go. They guy was released I doubt that left a good taste in his mouth. So it should come as no suprise that he takes some shorts at the lions through the media. I only wish he had done them before the game maybe get a few more people at the game. Twenety two thousand was a disapointment.

[Shi Zi Mi]

Jason is a Bertuzzi like goon who should have been banned from the league long ago.

This is nothing new for Jimenez......a number of years ago, before the Gargiulo incident, I was at a Lions/Argos game in Toronto when Jimenez did EXACTLY the same thing to Jonathan Brown.....but unlike BJ, Brown's leg was partially planted......the result was Brown was down on the field for quite some time and didn't return to the ball game.

I lost all respect for Jimenez that day and posted about it on this board.......but it wasn't caught by the TV cameras so most posters were unaware that it had happened.......it was shown several times on the Jumbotron in TO.

It's sad that there are no rules to ban players who show total disregard for the welfare of another player.......and that the strongest punishment allowed by the CBA is a mere 1 game suspension.

But what I find particularly disturbing......after Jimenez destroys the career of Gargiulo......he does the same thing to a player he played with for several years!!........as intelligent, educated and well spoken as Jimenez is......there's something seriously wrong with the man if he can justify these actions in his own mind.