Aug 28 2008
Douchebag of the Year: Bradford Campeau-Laurion
By: Sarah   
Thursday, 28 August 2008

Urban Dictionary definition of douchebag: someone who has surpassed the levels of jerk and asshole, however not yet reached fucker or motherfucker. Modern day example? You, Bradford Campeau-Laurion. We've all heard your story (you have made sure of that) and the opinions have been varied. My opinion? You can bite me.

Let me provide the disclaimer that I am a Yankee fan. I have been to about 300 games in the last six years and I live by that team. None of those facts has any influence on my opinion that you should choke on a dick.

Your story is that you decided to use the bathroom during the playing of God Bless America. When security asked you to wait until the song finished, as per stadium policy, you refused to comply, causing them to eject you from the stadium. You claim you had to use the bathroom urgently, which is why you refused to wait yet you told Deadspin in an interview that after being ejected you waited another 45 minutes to relieve yourself when you got home despite the numerous bars outside the stadium that could have accommodated you? Let that be the first of the many parts of your story that don't quite make sense.

You want to tell the world about your rights being violated and how you were victimized. Oh yeah, fuckface? What about the rights of the people who are serving in our military? Yankee Stadium plays that song after an observed moment of silence for our troops overseas. It's a tribute that lasts about 60 seconds and it means something to people who have family serving or have lost someone in the war. You can't hold your piss for a minute so the guy next to you can have his moment? Fuck you.

And what about the NYPD officers who asked you to wait, only to hear you say you don't care about God Bless America and aren't patriotic? Are you forgetting that it was those very officers who lost brothers in 9/11?

Yes, Campea-Laurion, everyone has rights and you have the right to not want to sing, or be patriotic. You can keep your hat on during the national anthem if you want to be rebellious. But have some respect for the people who take something from that moment; the moment that is dedicated to loved ones overseas and the courageous lives who have been lost. You don't have to agree with the war (I don't) and you don't have to like the song (It's actually pretty poorly written), but 60 seconds of respect is not too much to ask for.

Thanks to your public whining and willingness to email every news outlet in the country, your face is now the most recognizable on in New York. I hope someone punches it in.


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Captain Caveman  - Off-target   2008-08-28 11:41:33
Sarah, in eight years of going to military parades, balls, funerals, and various other ceremonies, I never once heard "God Bless America." It's nice of you to stick up for the troops, but I'm pretty sure they're fighting for freedom, not lock-step conformity.

But yeah, he's a douchebag.
Sarah  - Re: Off target   2008-08-28 12:10:05
It's not the song itself, it's what that moment at the stadium is reserved for. My brother is currently on his second tour and that part of the game always makes me reflective. It's not the song (it could have been Yankee Doodle Dandy for all I care), it's the disrespect that this guy showed for his fellow fans.
Christmas Ape  - Overreach   2008-08-28 12:15:17
It's not the place of stadium officials to mandate respect, to God or to country. Yeah, he should have been more respectful, but that's on him, not security.

The guy, as an atheist, took issue with the fact that the song invoked God, not country. The cliche is that there are no atheists in a foxhole, but you can actually find quite a few.

http://www.atheistfoxholes.org/
nadai  - overreach   2008-08-28 13:34:39
Ape,

I call bull shit. As someone who has supposedly gone to 8-10 Yankee games over the last 8 years as he claimed on DS, he is well aware of the policy. And if he doesn't like the stadium officials mandating respect to God or county, don't go to a Yankees game at Yankee stadium. It reminds me of the DS response to complaints of sexist or racist comments. If you don't like it, don't read the comments. If you don't like photos of half naked women on the KSK, don't read the site. If he doesn't like their policies, he shouldn't go to their stadium.
mathesond   2008-08-29 15:29:29
Interesting...but you have yet to explain why he (or anyone else) should be forced to sit/stand through the playing of the song.
Papi  - Seriously?!   2008-09-02 12:05:50
Sorry Sarah, but you're off the deep end here.

There is no way ANYBODY should be forced to sit through anything in a public setting. This bullshit song, the national anthem, anything. You gotta piss, you go piss. Nobody should be denied the right to use the freaking facilities when they need to just because you need to hear this goddamn song.

How exactly, is it offensive to use the restroom? Is his pissing really THAT intrusive to your 'moment'?!

I've got no problem with honoring/respecting the troops and those lost etc - that's not the issue. The issue is a man was denied his right to take a goddamn leak.

Last I checked, this was still a free country, despite what the republicans are doing to our personal freedoms, and it's his right to get up and take a leak when nature calls. For the cops to tell him he can't because he has to observe this friggin' song is asinine. Sounds like a story you'd hear about the SS during one of Hitler's speeches, not the 7th inning stretch.
Mike   2008-09-03 08:11:14
nadai - Weather I agree or disagree with this person's actions, the point is that the Yankees can't mandate you to stand by you seat during the song. You stating that if he didn't like the policy he shouldn't go to the game doesn't make sense. When you purchase a ticket to a Yankees game, does it state anywhere that you are required to stand in silence during the song? No. Any idea why? Because they can't force you to... The most they can legally do is make an announcement before the song asking everyone to stand or whatever. If someone disregards it, secuirty can ask if they can wait a minute before doing whatever, but if they decide not to, security has to let them go about their business. Do you have kids? Want to try to explain to a 3 year old why they have to wait for a song to end before going to the bathroom? I wouldn't want my kid to piss his pants, so damn straight I'd be taking him if he told me he couldn't hold it. Should we then be escorted out of the stadium?...
MCBias  - Bulls-eye   2008-09-06 21:48:30
I've disagreed with a fair amount of your
columns, but this is great. Part of being
a member of society is putting up with some
shared rituals that we don't agree with.
Sounds more to me like he deliberately
tried to get away with it and then cried
wolf when he was caught. And his crying
for media attention is further proof that
he is no victim.
ribeye   2008-09-16 19:32:59
as much as i hate the red sox, i want to donate money to this guy's legal fund. the yankees' policy and the poice enforcement of it reeks of unconstitutional illegality. and fuck that song, i'm sick of it!
Ryan  - Give me a break   2008-09-17 22:51:04
So the guy wanted to take a piss. What's the big deal? Nobody should be forced to stand in place regardless of what song is playing. Sure he could have handled it better without being so blunt about not caring about the song, but at the same time this isn't a communist state. Maybe you're the douche for thinking a guy has to hold his bladder for a song.
Sarah  - Actually, Ryan....   2008-09-17 22:54:24
Ryan, if you read the original story again, you'll see that not only did this guy not go at the stadium, or at any of the many bars outside of the stadium. He waited until he got to his girlfriend's house, 45 minutes away. Clearly this was not a matter of urgency for him.
ryan  - Actually Sarah....   2008-09-17 23:00:04
I did read the story. Doesn't mean that the cops acting like total dicks for a totally stupid rule is necessary. I'm not american, but i'm pretty sure there are no laws in the U.S. about places being allowed to force patriotism on someone that just wants to take a leak.

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