Sportsnet Don Cherry, a Hockey Institution in Canada, Is Fired After Divisive Comments

[Fenway]

Don Cherry fired.

1. You can talk about Don's Comments/his firing.

2. You can talk about the reaction to the comments.

3. You can think he's racist, a patriot, whatever. If you FLAME the posters who have the opposite opinion as you, you will be tossed from the thread

4. If you can't handle discussing the comments without launching into broader political issues that aren't DIRECTLY related to this instance, you will also be thrown out.​

Click to read more...

 

[Say Hey Kid]

I don't mind his firing. He's been saying stuff like this for 40 years. Why fire him now?

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Didn't say it was did I?

the central argument of Cherry's rant was that everyone should have to wear the poppy instead of letting people choose to do so as an expression of their own values.

To support his opinion and call it "truth" is to not respect the free speech of the people he's attacking.

 

[Banded Peak]

Maybe Don shouldn't have used Remembrance Day to further his agenda.

What was his agenda? That people should wear a poppy? We hear the ignorance surrounding assimilation and immigration every single day but its today, politics should be competely irrelevant. I dont care about Cherrys comments today or Sportsnets response, which if they actually cared that much, they would've fired him yesterday. I do however care about my two great uncles buried among the white crosses in Belgium, my great grandfather who crossed paths with the victims of fascism and watched children eat out of garbage cans when he took part in the liberation of Holland and my grandfather who wore the Maple Leaf in Korea. Today was not the time or the place. Sportsnet should have shown the respect for the troops and their families and put this on hold until tomorrow.

Sportsnet took a bad situation and made it much worse. Imo.

 

[Kegs]

I always liked don cherry. This comment I didn’t like. I don’t hate him for it. His opinions are his opinions. But lots of Canadians didn’t like the comments. So sport net had no choice. It was a business move. I don’t think he should be saying stuff like this during a hockey commentary show.

 

[Fenway]

I was in Montreal last week and wanted to buy a poppy and could not find one and finally got one at Centre Bell.

For decades they were sold by older veterans but sadly most of them have passed on.

This is my 2 cents - the issue is more generational than having to do with newcomers to Canada.

 

[Zillah]

Then I repeat ...

 

[Fenway]

From the NY Times


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/sports/don-cherry.html

Don Cherry, the colorfully dressed fixture of “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcasts, was fired on Monday after on-air comments that were widely viewed as a racist attack on the patriotism of immigrants.

“Following further discussions with Don Cherry after Saturday night’s broadcast, it has been decided it is the right time for him to immediately step down,” said Bart Yabsley, the president of the cable channel Sportsnet, which produces the Saturday night N.H.L. games that make up “Hockey Night in Canada.”

In rambling remarks on Saturday night, Cherry criticized what he believed to be the insufficient patriotism of Canadians who weren’t wearing small plastic poppies in honor of military personnel who died during World War I. The poppy is a prominent symbol of Remembrance Day, observed on Monday in countries with historic ties to the United Kingdom.

Cherry complained that in downtown Toronto “nobody wears a poppy,” a contrast with “small cities.” Then, apparently addressing nonwhite Canadians, who make up just over half of Toronto’s population, he added that: “you people love — that come here, whatever it is — you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price.”

Cherry, 85, who is as well known for his flamboyant dress as for his inflammatory opinions, appeared in his “Coach’s Corner” segment wearing a Royal Canadian Legion blazer, even though he is not a veteran. In its lapel was a poppy, sold as a fund-raiser by chapters of the veterans’ group.

A former head coach of the Boston Bruins, Cherry had long hosted the six- to seven-minute segment on “Hockey Night in Canada.” He is an unabashed right-wing conservative with the on-air persona of someone holding forth in a bar, and has repeatedly offended wide swaths of Canadians with his opinions on hockey and other issues.

 

[cat400]

I was in Montreal last week and wanted to buy a poppy and could not find one and finally got one at Centre Bell.

For decades they were sold by older veterans but sadly most of them have passed on.

This is my 2 cents - the issue is more generational than having to do with newcomers to Canada.

I saw a veteran selling them on a street corner about a block from the hotel where the Bruins stayed.

 

[cat400]

From the NY Times


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/sports/don-cherry.html

Don Cherry, the colorfully dressed fixture of “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcasts, was fired on Monday after on-air comments that were widely viewed as a racist attack on the patriotism of immigrants.

“Following further discussions with Don Cherry after Saturday night’s broadcast, it has been decided it is the right time for him to immediately step down,” said Bart Yabsley, the president of the cable channel Sportsnet, which produces the Saturday night N.H.L. games that make up “Hockey Night in Canada.”

In rambling remarks on Saturday night, Cherry criticized what he believed to be the insufficient patriotism of Canadians who weren’t wearing small plastic poppies in honor of military personnel who died during World War I. The poppy is a prominent symbol of Remembrance Day, observed on Monday in countries with historic ties to the United Kingdom.

Cherry complained that in downtown Toronto “nobody wears a poppy,” a contrast with “small cities.” Then, apparently addressing nonwhite Canadians, who make up just over half of Toronto’s population, he added that: “you people love — that come here, whatever it is — you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price.”

Cherry, 85, who is as well known for his flamboyant dress as for his inflammatory opinions, appeared in his “Coach’s Corner” segment wearing a Royal Canadian Legion blazer, even though he is not a veteran. In its lapel was a poppy, sold as a fund-raiser by chapters of the veterans’ group.

A former head coach of the Boston Bruins, Cherry had long hosted the six- to seven-minute segment on “Hockey Night in Canada.” He is an unabashed right-wing conservative with the on-air persona of someone holding forth in a bar, and has repeatedly offended wide swaths of Canadians with his opinions on hockey and other issues.

Our members - The Royal Canadian Legion

"We also welcome into our membership those without military affiliation who support Canada’s Veterans. Legion members, whether they have served or not, help Veterans and their families, promote Remembrance, support Legion programs, and volunteer their time to provide essential services within their communities. Without Legion volunteers, the tremendous programs and services the Legion provides to our Veterans and their families would disappear."

 

[aguineapig]

He was colorful, quotable, dressed to the nines and had Blue. His teams were bigger and badder than the Cup winning teams, and had Bobby stayed healthy they would have won multiple Cups. Bobby and Park were a lethal PP combo, it was majestic if only for a handful of games. Eleven 20 goal scorers in 78. These were the best Bruin clubs to never win a Cup I ever saw. But along the way Grapes ego grew bigger than the team he had molded, and Harry held the hatchet high and Grapes and Blue were dispatched. From there I always felt he needed the limelight more than ever what with the loud clothes and opinions. He lived for the controversy, a Hockey shock jock. But he made Ricky Middleton into the player he became and always revered and honored Bobby and that side of him will always be just alright with me.

 

[Fenway]

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/don-cher...ople-rant-on-hockey-night-in-canada-1.4679550

The firing of Cherry comes hours after the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), the agency that deals with viewer and listener complaints across Canada, put a statement on their website saying their “technical processing capacities have been exceeded.”

"The CBSC has received a large number of very similar complaints concerning ‘Coach’s Corner’ broadcast on CBC (Sportsnet) on Nov. 9, 2019," the statement said.

"While the CBSC will be dealing with this broadcast under its normal process, it is not able to accept any further complaints."

The Royal Canadian Legion took to social media Monday afternoon to all Cherry's opinion "hurtful, divisive and in no way condoned by the Legion."

"We know many new Canadians understand and welcome the tradition of the red poppy and will continue to educate all citizens about the significance of this powerful symbol," the Legion said in a tweet.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

get him on nesn. id love to see him and jaffe between periods

 

[Bruinfanatic]

Don Cherry promotes Canada's Veterans day tradition and is fired on Veterans day for trying to bring people into the tradition! At least he had the backbone to stand his ground and not apologize for his belief in honoring his countrymen who fell in battle. Have already cancelled my SportsNet channels .

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Don Cherry promotes Canada's Veterans day tradition and is fired on Veterans day for trying to bring people into the tradition! At least he had the backbone to stand his ground and not apologize for his belief in honoring his countrymen who fell in battle. Have already cancelled my SportsNet channels .

I get this. And I know his heart is in the right place. I will always be a fan and will forever be thankful for the things he’s taught me about the game. I appreciate the sport more because of him.

But there is a positive way to promote these values that doesn’t demonize a large faction of his fellow Canadians. This is a line he’s been toeing for decades now and we’re finally in a place where perhaps his stance hasn’t changed, but what people will accept has.

And it’s kinda about time.

 

[Fenway]

Good riddance, Don Cherry, your ouster was long overdue | The Star

Cherry is perfectly free to spew as he wishes. But he can’t do it from the HNIC pulpit, on the public airwaves, as an outsized broadcasting personality with a huge audience. I’m no fan of “cancel culture’’ and pious big-footing but enough is enough.

(Cherry did not return my phone message on Monday.)

He’s never apologized in his life, made a virtue of that obstinacy. I wouldn’t expect him to offer a “sorry’’ now, in the moment of his fall.

So we go forward, hopefully taking with us all that’s good about Canada in 2019, leaving behind all that’s not. Coach’s Corner will surely survive. (Brian Burke come on down!)

And good riddance, Cherry.

 

[lopey]

Don time was up before this latest episode. CBC should of retired him before this season. He no longer spoke for the majority of hockey fans

 

[easton117]

Kinda funny in a way we Canadians can be. We just elected a guy who can’t remember how many times he wore blackface. No one even talks about it now.

Cherry this week was enough to get fired.

If Anne Murray was convicted next week of human trafficking I honestly can’t say whether that would hurt or help her Christmas record sales

 

[Fenway]

Don time was up before this latest episode. CBC should of retired him before this season. He no longer spoke for the majority of hockey fans

CBC has been taking heat about Cherry BUT they have had no editorial control over Cherry since 2014 as Sportsnet does.

Sportsnet is owned by Rogers

Rogers sells cell phones and cable along with providing content such as Sportsnet. They can not afford a boycott of their consumer products.

The same thing happened in this country to Bob Costas when he went ballistic about gun control on SNF. Comcast yanked him from being a high profile host of everything NBC Sports covered and today he just does baseball on MLB Net. Comcast like Rogers sells cable, cellphones and programming.

 

[PlayMakers]

I get this. And I know his heart is in the right place. I will always be a fan and will forever be thankful for the things he’s taught me about the game. I appreciate the sport more because of him.

But there is a positive way to promote these values that doesn’t demonize a large faction of his fellow Canadians. This is a line he’s been toeing for decades now and we’re finally in a place where perhaps his stance hasn’t changed, but what people will accept has.

And it’s kinda about time.

Well that was really well said.

 

[missingchicklet]

Cherry had lost some of his mojo in recent years, but I still enjoyed his takes and his personality. It is refreshing to have someone on the air who does not parrot the same tired crap everyone else is saying. I disagree with him on some hockey stuff and quite a bit of his political stuff, but that does not mean I do not appreciate him a great deal. I have seen a couple of firings in my local media market over the past 10 months over petty crap in which the parent company overreacted and got rid of good long-term media personalities due to oversensitiveness on a political level. At some point a free society needs to be able to cope with differences of opinion and quit being so doggone sensitive to every little statement. Cherry is what he is. I think the majority of his viewers recognize he is from a different generation and mindset. It's pathetic that he was let go today over his comments. It's even more pathetic how oversensitive our society has become.

Vanilla politically-correct tripe being delivered by vapid tv personalities is uninteresting to me. Long live Grapes!

 

[Pia8988]

I question how many people that complained watched his content or the games in general and will watch now that he's gone.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

I dont have a huge problem with whatever racist stuff he said over the years {and there was way more than just this}

maybe i should be more upset about it... but im not. he was a lone voice at times in a sea of political correctness and even outright reverse racism. he was a defender of traditional values in our country that I personally find important to maintain.

it wasnt like he was ever calling for arms against anyone... he was just telling people with outsider views to get with the program... leave their views at the door when entering what we have here that is special to us...

that said... and I do think we should have open doors and welcome people from underpriveledged areas or where they live in danger... we do have a great thing here and it would be selfish not to share... that said... I just didnt find cherry interesting for many years now... as far as his views on hockey go

im left feeling like I wish he had retired 15 years ago when he was pretty much a god... if he had retired and only spoken out on the truely important issues the past 15 years I feel he could still be a real voice of power in this country

instead he became a joke... my local morning show here in Edmonton uses his sound bites as laughter folder when they are trying to make fun. sadly I cant remember a single time in the past 15 years where I thought 'I cant wait to see what don cherry has to say about this tonight or that tonight'

I dont really feel he has effectively spoken about politics in many years either. I tend to have the same politics he has so I dont often disagree with what he says... I just dont feel he says it effectively.

and all that said... I still dont for one minute believe he was fired for his political comments. sure, thats the convienent excuse... but sports net has fired or let go all their long serving experienced opinionated expensive hockey people this year. theres a clear cut cost cutting going on. im sure they were just itching to get rid of cherry for some time now. he was a tricky guy to fire thanks to his being an institution that was bigger than the show... so jumping on this excuse of racism was a godsend to the company.

I may not have been a huge fan of people like bob mccown, and nick kyprisov, and now the last few years of don cherry... but sports net is effectively shedding a truck load of salary getting rid of these people and replacing them with interchangeable faces we couldnt and wouldnt ever care about.

I was such a huge fan of the network and most the stuff it was doing a couple years ago... and now today, I barely bring myself to turning it on more than half an hour each day.

don cherry should have left on his own terms long ago... I dont think what he did this week was any worst than I saw him do 100 times before... im sad to see him go in this manner, but I wont miss him from what he has become. I already missed him from what he was

 

[Smitty93]

CBC has been taking heat about Cherry BUT they have had no editorial control over Cherry since 2014 as Sportsnet does.

Sportsnet is owned by Rogers

Rogers sells cell phones and cable along with providing content such as Sportsnet. They can not afford a boycott of their consumer products.

The same thing happened in this country to Bob Costas when he went ballistic about gun control on SNF. Comcast yanked him from being a high profile host of everything NBC Sports covered and today he just does baseball on MLB Net. Comcast like Rogers sells cable, cellphones and programming.

"Republicans buy sneakers too" i.e. Don't piss off your customer base.

 

[N o o d l e s]

Should have stuck to criticizing Russians because apparently nobody cares about that