Twitter Lampoons Claude Julien With #JulienSmearCampaign
BOSTON (CBS) -- Claude Julien didn't last long on the open market. Just seven days after the Boston Bruins gave their now-former head coach the ax, the first-place Montreal Canadiens shocked the hockey world when they swooped in and replaced Michel Therrien with Julien.
Just one week after Julien was at the podium wearing a "Do Your Job" shirt to support the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, he is now coaching Boston's chief rival. The immediate social media reactions were swift and strong.
Some likened the move to a professional wrestler suddenly turning on the good guys and becoming a villain, or "heel."
Mah gawd! What in the hell?! Claude Julien has just joined the Habs?! #WWE pic.twitter.com/GFQ37t6t4q
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) February 14, 2017
Handsome Ralph takes the ultimate heel turn, and I love it.
— Toucher and Rich (@Toucherandrich) February 14, 2017
If Claude were a wrestler, this is him joining the NWO.
— Andy Gresh (@TheRealGresh) February 14, 2017
I was thinking this is Claude Julien throwing Cam Neely through the plate glass window of the barber shop. https://t.co/jThH6Zg004
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 14, 2017
EVIL CLAUDE!!! pic.twitter.com/dj6PtI8llj
— Hockey Jones ???????????? (@adamjones985) February 14, 2017
On Wednesday, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich started up the #JulienSmearCampaign hashtag on Twitter. The hashtag parodies the way that Boston's local sports media has shown a tendency in the past to rip former players and coaches after they are fired or shipped out of town in any way, often for people who didn't really deserve it.
Claude hated it every time Ron Poster played Rush on the TD Garden organ. #JulienSmearCampaign
— Toucher and Rich (@Toucherandrich) February 15, 2017
A guy like Julien, who was often gracious with the media and didn't have any kind of baggage, would be a prime target for a made-up smear campaign. Here's a sampling of what came out on Twitter:
Claude never tried the Jumbo Home Cooked Meatball or the Healthy Wrap. #JulienSmearCampaign
— Toucher and Rich (@Toucherandrich) February 15, 2017
@Toucherandrich Claude loves Goodell #JulienSmearCampaign
— Ryan Currie (@ryecurrie) February 15, 2017
@FredToucher @Toucherandrich Claude really enjoys 'Carpool Karaoke.' #JulienSmearCampaign
— Mark (@MarkPiselli13) February 15, 2017
@Toucherandrich @FredToucher Claude started the wave at TD Garden #JulienSmearCampaign
— Tony Moran (@T_Mo312) February 15, 2017
@Toucherandrich Claude doesn't like Saugus Wings #JulienSmearCampaign
— Klown One (@Klown1) February 15, 2017
Claude has every episode of Kevin Can Wait on his DVR #JulienSmearCampaign @Toucherandrich
— Ryan Chiavetta (@ryanchiavetta) February 15, 2017
Claude Julien says Ron ISN'T dead. #JulienSmearCampaign
— Mike Lockhart (@Lockhart81) February 15, 2017
Claude always brings more than 12 items in a 12 item or less lane at the market #JulienSmearCampaign @Toucherandrich
— Eduardo (@ERivera33) February 15, 2017
@Toucherandrich Claude's beach house is way more than a couple minutes form the beach #JulienSmearCampaign pic.twitter.com/v0jabJIgNd
— Chris Kuzyk (@_KOOZ_) February 15, 2017
@Toucherandrich Julien never cleans the snow off the top of his car. #juliensmearcampaign
— Jay Beatty (@beatty_jay) February 15, 2017
Sounds about right.