The most annoying type of racist white person is the type that pretends ignorance, not racism, is what they were guilty of. For example, a washcloth-reluctant person would have had to spend their entire Caucasian life living under a rock that also lives under a rock in order to not be aware of the historically racist association of Black people to monkeys.

Meet Jacob Panetta.

Panetta just got himself booted from his position as a defenseman for the Jacksonville Icemen of the East Coast Hockey League, which the Washinton Post described as “a hockey minor league two levels below the NHL.”

Panetta lost his spot on the team after he got caught taunting South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Jordan Subban, who is Black, with monkey gestures—behavior that got him suspended by the ECHL Sunday.

“The platform that is the Jacksonville Icemen is one that is more than just about hockey to us as a group,” Icemen CEO Andy Kauffman said in a statement. “It is about using this platform to spread not only our love for hockey but our love for the community and for each other. Though the investigation and review is ongoing at the league level, the Jacksonville Icemen will be releasing the player involved effective immediately. … On behalf of the entire Icemen organization, we apologize to anyone who was offended and look forward to beginning the process of healing together as one.”

pic.twitter.com/uEjbXqfsDO

— Jacksonville Icemen (@JaxIcemen) January 23, 2022

Panetta and Subban—who happens to be the brother of New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban, a three-time NHL all-star—collided when the game went into overtime. Subban said in a tweet that Panetta “was too much of a coward to fight me and as soon as I began to turn my back he started making monkey gestures at me so I punched him in the face multiple times and he turtled like the coward he is.”

They don’t call the east coast league the jungle because my brother and the other black players are the monkeys! Hey @jacobpanetta you shouldn’t be so quick delete your Twitter or your Instagram account you will probably be able to play again… that’s what history says but things pic.twitter.com/8zOJ9q47pk

— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) January 23, 2022

More like @JPanetta12 was too much of a coward to fight me and as soon as I began to turn my back he started making monkey gestures at me so I punched him in the face multiple times and he turtled like the coward he is. There fixed it https://t.co/JtPqpN9wwE

— Jordan Subban (@jordansubban) January 23, 2022

Subban punching his opponent in the face is presumably why Panetta can be seen with a Black eye (so Black he probably wanted to make monkey noises at it) in the “apology” video he posted regarding the incident.

@jordansubban racism has no place in this world and no place in the game we love. pic.twitter.com/0UVYJQVD1U

— Jacob Panetta (@JPanetta12) January 23, 2022

Of course, Panetta said he wasn’t making monkey gestures at all, but it was actually a “tough guy, bodybuilder-like gesture.”

“My actions towards Jordan were not because of race and were not intended as a racial gesture,” he added. “I see now from Jordan’s reaction that he and others certainly viewed it as a racial gesture and that my actions have caused a great deal of anger and upset to Jordan, his family and countless others. I want to express to everyone, and especially Jordan, that my actions were not racially motivated at all and I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering and anger that my actions have caused to him, his family and everyone who was hurt by this.”

That sure was a lot of words for an “I’m sorry you felt that way” apology, but whatever.

Honestly, I’m just not sure how Black people ever got associated with monkeys in the first place when thin lips, harry backs and awkward rhythm are all things that are more common in…well, y’all know where I’m going with this.

White people are just going to have to learn to stop monkeying around with Black folks. We ain’t having it and they will be held accountable if we can help it.

SEE ALSO:

Hockey’s Inclusion Message Comes Up Short As Racist Fans Taunt Black Player

NHL Hire Shines Spotlight On Race In Hockey

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