Dear Larry Johnson: We Hate You. Love, Kansas City Chiefs Fans

How to know when you’re unpopular: When the surgeon general offers you a cigarette. Another clue: When fans of your NFL team circulate a petition to stop you from playing. That’s gotta be a confidence booster for Larry Johnson, the subject of a petition by Chiefs fans who don’t want him breaking Priest Holmes’ career team rushing record.
So you’re at your locker suiting up, and suddenly a teabagger rally breaks out in the parking lot, with your picture on signs altered to look like Hitler. Nice.

Fans, it seems, are not so thrilled with Johnson’s numbers this season, which include 2.7 yards per carry and zero touchdowns. To put that in perspective, that’s the same scoring production as their mascot, K.C. Wolf. But the fans are even less thrilled with Johnson’s attitude.
That issue came to a head last week, when Johnson went on a Twitter tirade against head coach Todd Haley, and ended up getting suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team,” until Nov. 9. Included in his Twitter barrage was the immortal line: “My father played for the coach on “Remember the Titans.” Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn.” For good measure, Johnson then tossed some homophobic epithets toward a fan, also on Twitter. Then he called a reporter a “fag.” The whole party will end up costing him about $315,000 in fines and lost salary, so far. Johnson, through his agent, has apologized.
Too late, say many. Here’s the petition. Please, no shoving — everyone will get their turn.
There’s 11,602 signatures so far, including comments like:

Stop this jackass,…. Everyone else does — Matt Dutton

Bring back Robert Holmes, Priest Holmes, or hell dig up John Holmes and let him run it. I bet John Holmes could stiff-arm a guy with both hands on the ball. — Owen Groshart

Well, that was inappropriate.