He just comes across as hateful. Or is that just his schtick? Kind of embarrassing to watch either way.

I don't know why everybody jumps on Cherry. He is a great ambassador for the game. When he highlights a rookie player on Coach's Corner and mentions he first watched him play when he was 14 it means he was out at the arenas watching and encouraging kids playing hockey rather than sitting home being an armchair critic like so many of us. He does know the game and his repeated harping on no touch icing, ridiculous equipment, hitting from behind and just a general lack of respect from some players doesn't necessarily show the ravings of a senile old man but the myopic attitude of the N.H.L. It's good to see some of these issues have finally been addressed but how long did it take for the equipment issue to be dealt with? Cherry has been going on about it for years but he was only stating the obvious.
His support for the troops and other law enforcement personnel bring home the dedication and loss that we might otherwise miss hearing about in our own busy lives.
Fault him on his clothes, just don't necessarily fault him on his message.

First off...the man is a legend...period.

I know grooms that have waited until coaches corner was over before doing their entrance.

People have recorded his episodes and not the game that goes with it.

He speaks about the corners of the game that others refuse to...is he always right...of course not...but at least he'll give you his honest opinion.

I am so tired of the useless commentators/color guys that have invaded sports...you know the ones...they don't actually have opinions and they don't really know what's going on...in fact...an old Dylan song just came to mind..."something is happening, but you don't know what it is...do you...Mr. Jones?"

If the powers that be would have listened to him about a bunch of things...Sid would be playing.

He was the first to bring up that there were never as many concussions when they didn't wear armour like they do now.

He also brings up "no touch icing" all the time and has for years...how many players have torn up their legs/knees chasing pucks for icing...and I don't just mean in the NHL???

The list goes on and on...

Is he a boor...yeah...is he full of himself...yeah...so what...it's a case of if you don't like him...go get a pop from the fridge.

He also always brings to the table those that are the true heroes in our world and gave their lives for the cause.

One last thing...he will be in Winnipeg today...watch the ovation and tell me that the overwhelming majority isn't to keep him right where he belongs until he's ready to retire on his own terms.

I'm with dm-4u and others. Like him or not, he usually calls it like it is. I do think he admitted that he went a little over the top with the opening night rant, but I do believe he felt that others were using the 3 deaths over the summer to their own ends.

His knowledge of the game is far better than most of the talking heads out there. Sure he has old fashioned beliefs, but lets face it, the guy is like 77 now. Many people may not like what he says sometimes, but most of what he talks about regarding respect and codes of conduct on the ice is still true whether we like to believe it or not. He is and has been right about many things for a long time, instigator rule, not touch icing, dangerous body armor, and half a dozen other things. It's just sad that it's taking so long for the powers that be to change. Who ever said that everyone has to like what someone says all the time? I believe he taps into a lot of peoples core beliefs that many may not always openly express due to political correctness. As others have pointed out, look at how he is received by hockey fans where ever he goes. It doesn't seem like most people treat him like an out of date dinosaur.

On a side note regarding fighting in hockey. I personally don't have a problem with fighting in the game. However, I find it rather hypocritical and disingenuous for the NHL to claim they are concerned about the effect of head shots and concussions while at the same time allowing two players to then stand there and rain down blows on each others faces and heads. I don't really think you can have it both ways. If the incidental hit the Leafs McArther made on a Wings player is a 3 game suspension, how is punching a player in the head any less damaging and dangerous?

Up until this season I've enjoyed and been been amused by Coach's Corner. But he screwed up on Thursday and today during the Jets game he was simply making stuff up to back his viewpoint that the league has realized its gone too far on suspensions with headshots and will be easing back. No one saw Phaneuf's hit on Da Costa as a headshot - not the other HNIC analysts, not the league, not Da Costa, and not even his coach who called it a clean hit. Yet here comes Cherry, trumpeting how the league has seen the light because Phaneuf wasn't suspended for his "headshot". I like his passion, I like his rants, but both should be based on reality.

Never ever ever been able to stand him on Coaches Corner or in similar 'talk/opinion' type interviews or situations (although I do respect what he does for charities etc).

I've thought for years he should be dumped, unfortunately I don't think he'll ever be gone. Deserved controversy or not it's still all free publicity so of course the CBC loves that.
He's made his pseudo-apology (as he always does when these situations come up every year or so), and the powers that be will keep him there to do it all again next time.

I think he has missed the boat on the concussion issue. In the old days you would get some smelling salts, miss a shift and then jump back on the ice. Now guys are out for months as they recognize the seriousness of the injury - look at Crosby. They have to do as much as possible to get rid of these hits. Sure they can be exciting but not at the risk of having people seriously ill later in life and/or dying prematurely, never mind being out for months at a time like Sid the Kid.

When he first came on HNIC 30 yrs ago, he was a breath of fresh air. But for the last number of years, I find his comments to be repetitious and doesn't really add any value to the broadcasts. Time to move on.

Thank goodness we can watch les canadiens on RDS. Rarely watch CBC and when I do I flip when Don Cherry is on.

People have been trying to get rid of Don for decades. Won't happen. People love him.

The CBC pays him to be Don Cherry, as long as he brings in the numbers, he's doing his job.

He has the right to free speech, wanting him fired because you disagree with his comments goes against the freedoms that people fought for in this county.

He has the right to free speech, wanting him fired because you disagree with his comments goes against the freedoms that people fought for in this county.

Please don't tell me that you're using a "people died so Cherry could do Coach's Corner" argument. It's pretty offensive if you are. It's also deeply ironic coming from someone who said about Pierre McGuire:

Another year. Dear TSN I'm losing my hearing listening to this person yell in my ears with silly nonsense.

Please fire him.

and

Once again, please fire McGuire.

There's absolutely nothing wrong for wanting Cherry to be replaced if you think someone else could put on a better show.

This forum doesn't have 'likes' (and it shouldn't!), but if it did, I would give one to NeilN :)

He has the right to free speech

And who's denying him the right to free speech? Show me where there is a human rights violation. Free speech doesn't mean you're immune from responsibilities of the dumb things you say. And it's ironic that you're using that kind of defense for someone who is attacking the free speech of others.

I wouldn't mind at all if they sacked Cherry. Won't miss him.

Over the summer the media tried to find a connection between the deaths of 3 NHL players and the role of the enforcer in hockey, with some saying that fighting should be banned in hockey. Don Cherry's comments on Thursday were in response to this so-called connection. He also stated that several suicides occurred when he was involved in the NHL, and none of them were enforcers.

Even Ty Domi mentioned after Wade Belak's funeral that the role of the enforcer has nothing to do with these 3 tragic deaths. Yes Don Cherry is wrong sometimes, but all he is doing is following the 3 rules of being an expert on TV: Always say always, always say never, and never say maybe. If you want to be considered an expert on TV you cannot appear wishy-washy.

One way to limit the number of concussions is to get rid of the hard plastic shoulder pads and elbow pads. Players need to go back to the equipment that Wayne Gretzky used his whole career.

all he is doing is following the 3 rules of being an expert on TV: Always say always, always say never, and never say maybe. If you want to be considered an expert on TV you cannot appear wishy-washy.

Don Cherry is hardly an expert on anything. As someone earlier said, he is a shock commentator, and his words should be considered nothing but entertainment value. He is the Howard Stern of hockey.

He is the Howard Stern of hockey.

I wouldn't go that far as he currently has valid points on no-touch icing and player equipment. And he's right that players left Gretzky alone because Semenko was his bodyguard. But as the years pass, his presentation has become more about style and less about substance.

CHERRY MAY FACE 'FURTHER RECOURSE' FROM FORMER NHL PLAYERS


http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=377851



Cherry's critical comments about the former players on the Oct. 6 edition of 'Coach's Corner' on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada may result in legal action from the trio.

On Tuesday, a law firm issued a statement on behalf of Grimson, Nilan, and Thomson in which they called the comments "damaging and inflammatory" and said that the trio was considering, 'further recourse.

"During CBC's broadcast of Coach's Corner on October 6, 2011, Don Cherry inserted himself into a prominent debate involving the recent tragic deaths of three (3) NHL players, drug addiction, alcohol abuse and mental illness," the statement read. "In doing so, Mr. Cherry targeted the above-named individuals, some of whom have suffered from such diseases, as a result of views they previously expressed.

103 votes with 54.5% of decided voters saying get rid of Cherry. Pretty close but higher for the dump cherry than I expected.

Don Cherry is nothing more than a folkloric icon. He is probably one of the top 10 ways Canadians differentiate themselves from Americans (not me by the way). Don't expect the CBC to let him go with the numbers he is bringing.

He is entertainment, folks. If the guys you see talking on TV about hockey really knew what they are talking about, they would be working for teams as coaches, GMs or scouts.

Take it for what it is: entertainment. And as much as I disagree with Cherry, I'd sooner loose Mike Milbury but that's for another thread.

GO PJ Stock and Hrudey!

I'm pretty confident this incident is the beginning of the end for Cherry. He's been that crazy uncle that people tolerated for quite a while, but tolerance is up. Now he's the headache that won't go away for CBC, with slander lawsuits being threatened and constant bad PR.

But the big problem? If I'm GM, do I really want my logo splashed right before a segment where we see Cherry complaining that we don't see career ending dirty hits anymore? With the public increasingly turning against headshots, sponsors are not going to want to be associated with a guy who is strongly in favor of severe brain injury (and makes money by selling DVDs of it).

THAT is what will do him in. CBC will continue to hide behind their "we don't agree" statements forever unless the sponsors pull out, but once they do and Cherry is no longer a big money maker he'll be gone. There's no lack of quality pundits to put in that segment.