Paul Bissonnette Interview

Pick Up Women On Twitter Like An NHL Player

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When we were provided with the list of NHL stars who would be attending this summer’s BioSteel training camp, one name immediately leapt off the page. Was it 60-goal scorer Steven Stamkos? Nope. Defending Norris Trophy-winner P.K. Subban? Nuh-uh. Notorious bad boy Tyler Seguin? Def not. Instead, the player we wanted to speak to most was Phoenix Coyotes fourth line plug, Paul Bissonnette.

Over the course of five seasons, the Ontario native has only netted five goals. But he's still managed to become one of the most popular players in the league. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because you probably know him as BizNasty, or @BizNasty2point0, to be precise. That’s right, folks. Thanks to his outspoken personality and his offbeat sense of humor, Paul Bissonnette has amassed over 450,000 Twitter followers en route to becoming one of the game’s biggest stars. And unlike most of his milquetoast colleagues, he gives one hell of an interview. Here’s Bissonnette on staying in shape, the concussion epidemic in pro sports, and what it takes to be the man on Twitter.

Daniel Barna (DB): What's your No. 1 rule for staying in shape?

Paul Bissonnette (PB): I just eat healthy. I’m not a big junk eater. I don’t know if it’s genetics or luck of the draw, but I don’t have a sweet tooth per se, and even at the end of the year, when I’m not training, I’ll booze — but I’ll always be eating healthy.

DB: Is nutrition more important than training?

PB: I would say it’s just as important. I can drink a case of beer and you wouldn’t even think, ‘Holy f*ck, this guy’s wasted.” You’d be like “Oh yeah, he’s feeling good.” So that’s a bit of an issue. When I go out, f*ck, I’ll crush 20 drinks, and I don’t really feel it then, but boozing is so bad for your body. That’s one thing I probably have to cut down on.

DB: If you found yourself on death row, what would be your last meal?

PB: A good filet. I’m pretty simple. I like steak. Obviously you have to have dessert. Maybe a lobster mashed potato with it, as well.

DB: Your recent Twitter feud with Matt Hogue was highly publicized. What does it take for you to actually respond to someone that chirps you on Twitter?

PB: If they’re creative and it’s funny, I’ll retweet it and laugh. I’m the first guy to make fun of myself. I’ve started following people because they’ve insulted me in a very original way and it was funny. But this guy Matt Hogue, it started out with him wanting a retweet, and I looked at his picture and he looked like a slimeball, so I didn’t do it. And it’s been months and months, every time I’ll make a comment or joke around he’ll say something, and it just got more and more malicious. Then he brought my mom into it and I just kind of snapped.

I insulted him and he bragged about getting a retweet, and I told him to get the lotion out and go jerk off, congratulations. Then I insulted his Scott Disick-wannabe look, and then he called me a scumbag and that’s what set me off. So somebody sent me a link to an article from the Pittsburgh news, and said ‘I think this is the guy.’ And I was like, ‘This f*cking guy.’ These are the type of guys that troll you online. Then he did a couple of interviews afterward where he said, “I don’t know why he picked on me; there’s other people who insult him all the time. I was like, ‘Buddy are you f*cking dumb? I insult people who insult me all the time.” So to play victim after insulting my mom, I mean, what a loser.

DB: What are the keys to winning a Twitter feud?

PB: I think I have the advantage all the time, for the simple fact that I’m doing something I love and you insult me for it. I’m making a healthy living doing something I love and you insult me for it. It’s work, and I know I’m not a star player, I’m a role guy, but at the end of the day you’re following me. You’re following my life. Sometimes, it’s just guys looking for a retweet, but others, it’s guys who never made it, and they’re just so pissed off and have nothing going on in their life.

DB: Can Twitter be used as a legitimate way to pick up a woman?

PB: Of course. I think it’s kind of sad how easy it is now with girls. Any sort of fame you have, girls will sleep with you because of it. I wouldn’t say I’m an overly attractive guy, I’m just an average-looking guy, but yeah, I’ve engaged with girls simply because of Twitter. It’s nuts. It’s like, ‘Come over to the hotel,’ and they show up.

DB: Do they have to send you photos first?

PB: Usually you go through their pictures to see if they’re real. It’s easy to spot if they’re phony or not. Then I usually ask for the Instagram. If they say they don’t have an Instagram, then they’re probably not getting the nod, because what attractive girl isn’t shallow enough to have Instagram?