Is Don Cherry Still Relevant?

[Oilers Propagandist]

i think it depends on your point of view. to take a totally neutral example, late night ratings went down when NBC chose leno to replace carson, instead of letterman. but starting in year two, they came back up and stayed there for fifteen years.

in the HNIC case, prioritizing points of view that on average resonate more with younger people, vs being terrified of alienating a point of view that tends to resonate more with old people probably makes longterm sense, ratings wise.

I agree with you, he’s 86 and I honestly believe no one that age should be on tv. They should be living the rest of their life relaxing. Demographics are changing, ideologies it is what it is. But he’s a homer, not racist. Equating racism to him is garbage imo.

 

[Huokaus]

As an international fan that didn't grow up watching him, I don't really get the obsession with him. I guess there's a longer-lasting soft spot for him in the hearts of the fans that watched him when he was more relevant and/or sane, but I've only ever seen him as a joke. Someone called him charismatic in this thread - sure, he's colorful and good at taking attention, but for me having charisma means not being able or not even wanting to take your eyes(/ears) off a person. For me, Cherry is the opposite - I cringe so hard at him that I have to close whatever clip of him I'm watching.

 

[bandwagonesque]

I haven't thought of him once since he was cancelled, now that you mention it. And I probably won't again for a long time.

 

[tmurfin]

So, how many fans who “vowed” to boycott Sportsnet have kept up the good fight?

 

[Bouboumaster]

No and good riddance. What a disgrace he was.

 

[elitepete]

Nope completely irrelevant.

 

[elitepete]

So, how many fans who “vowed” to boycott Sportsnet have kept up the good fight?

I'm guessing very few. A lot of them probably didn't give a shit about hockey that much anyways, their "boycott" was just politically charged because of what Cherry stands for.

 

[Kaner9]

I always keep tabs on guys who dress like flashy pimps and I guess everyone else does too

 

[elitepete]

Bieksa seems to be bringing some of the entertainment value that Cherry brought to HNIC. Guy is funny as hell and still kinda advocates for some of the old school physical brand of hockey, but without the ignorant comments that Cherry would spew.

Might just be because I'm a Canucks fan and he was a fan favourite, but even Flames and Oilers fans that hated him as a player have said the same.

 

[Rowlet]

Terrible take. It's right there in the name for you too. Cancel does not mean "right to consume other product" it means it was abolished and your right to consume it is gone entirely. It's not gone because people decided to consume other products and it got phased out.

It's gone because enough people have let CBC know that they don't want Don Cherry on the air anymore for it to be worth CBC's time to can the old man. That's literally the free market.

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

Bieksa seems to be bringing some of the entertainment value that Cherry brought to HNIC. Guy is funny as hell and still kinda advocates for some of the old school physical brand of hockey, but without the ignorant comments that Cherry would spew.

Might just be because I'm a Canucks fan and he was a fan favourite, but even Flames and Oilers fans that hated him as a player have said the same.

100% agree on Bieksa... I mean Bieska, I f***ing hated him as a player but he’s already one of the best HNIC has.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Cherry got smoked by a corporation because the easily triggered social media mobs performed an on line execution because of his supposedly mean spirited comments and yet these same folks posting here are equally as insensitive or in some cases worse.
Just read some of these posts about Cherry or other “old” people and you soon see the amazing hypocrisy.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

I honestly haven't thought of him in like an year until I saw this thread I guess, and I'm in Ontario. So I'd say, nooooooo.

 

[Goose]

Well this generated a lot of responses quickly, maybe not relevant, but he’s certainly not forgotten.

 

[Terry Yake]

Cherry got smoked by a corporation because the easily triggered social media mobs performed an on line execution because of his supposedly mean spirited comments and yet these same folks posting here are equally as insensitive or in some cases worse.
Just read some of these posts about Cherry or other “old” people and you soon see the amazing hypocrisy.

he had a history of saying incredibly stupid things

the comment that got him fired was just the "cherry" on top

 

[Eyeseeing]

he had a history of saying incredibly stupid things

the comment that got him fired was just the "cherry" on top

And everyone else is so perfect.
None of his critics ever say anything derogatory/stupid or have controversial or differences of opinion.
It’s a perfect world I suppose.
He had to go.

 

[Merya]

Don Cherry was never relevant. He's was a show, turned to clown, turned into tragedy.

 

[Windy River]

I dont think hes been relevant for sometime. He probably needed to retire 5-10 years before he got fired. That being said, I dont like the way society is these days where people are even afraid to talk (its not good). Whether you like him or not, hes a canadian icon. I would of liked to see him leave on better terms than he did.

Yeah that is a good point. I really don't like his attitude or stance on most things in general, whether it be hockey or really anything at all he talks about. He's deeply opinionated and clearly fails to consider or even really attempt to understand alternate viewpoints. He doesn't even present an image I'd really like to be associated with my country.. but despite all that he was on air for decades and did indeed drop occasional tidbits of hockey wisdom. We the viewers deserved some sort of farewell (and yes anyone is welcome to not watch), rather than the quick boot out the door. I know he went out saying something stupid; but that's pretty much what he was paid for anyways. The networks left looking more like the losers here...

 

[RedMenace]

Just remember: Relevance is given, not always earned.

He's only as relevant as you think he is.

 

[Jyrki]

And everyone else is so perfect.
None of his critics ever say anything derogatory/stupid or have controversial or differences of opinion.
It’s a perfect world I suppose.
He had to go.

Most of Cherry's shtick was being ignominious and casually racist. It was part of his identity as a broadcaster.

 

[Bondurant]

I still want a custom Oliver Lawsum-Tossum jersey.

 

[Michoulicious]

Just idly curious. When he was let go (I can’t even remember what it was over now), I thought he might end up biting Sportsnet in the arse a bit by hanging around on another channel, staying relevant, taking pot shots at his old network etc., but other than hearing about a podcast of some sorts, he seems to have completely disappeared from the hockey world.

Am I wrong on this? Is he still relevant, is he still shaping opinion somewhere, or is he really just off the scene now?

Is he still alive?

 

[Shocker]

I actually had completely forgotten about him before seeing this post.

 

[JianYang]

Just idly curious. When he was let go (I can’t even remember what it was over now), I thought he might end up biting Sportsnet in the arse a bit by hanging around on another channel, staying relevant, taking pot shots at his old network etc., but other than hearing about a podcast of some sorts, he seems to have completely disappeared from the hockey world.

Am I wrong on this? Is he still relevant, is he still shaping opinion somewhere, or is he really just off the scene now?

He's not been relevant since he lost his hnic gig. He's got a podcast now but I don't think its got much of a following.

 

[Rowlet]

And everyone else is so perfect.
None of his critics ever say anything derogatory/stupid or have controversial or differences of opinion.
It’s a perfect world I suppose.
He had to go.

Everyone else isn't paid to be on tv. He's held to a higher standard because he represents the station and the NHL.