Answer: One day. Question: How long will it take Don Cherry to stir up controversy?
Well, that didn't take long. In case you missed it, last night on Coach's Corner Mr. Don Cherry jumped into the debate about the role of fighting in hockey in the wake of the recent deaths of Wade Belak, Ri
ck Rypien, and Derek Boogaard. A number of former enforcers shared their thoughts on the difficulties faced by NHL enforcers, including Stu Grimson in this article. Needless to say, it ruffled some feathers when Don Cherry singled out Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan, and Jim Thomson and referred to them as "pukes", "turncoats", and "hypocrites". Chris Nilan was on NHL Home Ice today to respond to the comments made by Don Cherry. He also posted an official reply on his website.
After the hockey world lost the lives of three young men this offseason, it seemed inevitable that the role of fighting in hockey and the toll it took on those young men would at least be examined and discussed. During the offseason I wrote, "This is going to be a battle for which a compromise will be very elusive. The 'traditionalist' camp led by folks such as Don Cherry will argue that fighting is part of the fabric of hockey and that it helps players police themselves from cheap shots against the skilled players who can't defend themselves." However, it seems Don Cherry isn't even willing to even consider a healthy debate on the issue. It's a shame that someone as high profile as Mr. Cherry would be so dismissive of the comments made by former players who lived the lives of NHL enforcers. I understand that he wants to defend fighting, but his refusal to even engage in a discussion is disheartening since he is arguably the most influential hockey commentator in North America. At the very least, he is certainly in the most visible time slot due to the popularity of Hockey Night in Canada. If Don Cherry's goal was to stir up controversy, he accomplished that mission. However, in doing so, he angered a lot of people, including fans and former players. Was it worth it?
Cherry is frequently compared to the old, drunk uncle sitting in the La-z-boy and
spouting nonsense. In fact, on the radio today, Stu Grimson said, "It's hard to get too jazzed about this because I think Don's mutterings are kind of akin to that of an old uncle that nobody takes seriously anymore. I'm not going ot get too fired up about it." The difference is that Don Cherry has a massive international audience that DOES listen to him. Grimson said he wouldn't get fired up about it, but guess what he did today? He started an account on Twitter. His first tweet: "don cherry: show me an article where i say (1) fighting should be banned or (2) the role of enforcer causes a life of addiction."
At some point, CBC is going to have to take a serious look at how long they can continue to air his antics. Keep in mind, that this is coming from a Don Cherry fan. I have purchased so many Rock'em Sock'em Hockey videos that I still have many on VHS. I still tune in on Saturday night to hear Cherry's comments, but I'm just not sure if he or his comments are good for the game anymore. However, unlike Cherry, I'm willing to discuss it.
Well, that didn't take long. In case you missed it, last night on Coach's Corner Mr. Don Cherry jumped into the debate about the role of fighting in hockey in the wake of the recent deaths of Wade Belak, Ri
ck Rypien, and Derek Boogaard. A number of former enforcers shared their thoughts on the difficulties faced by NHL enforcers, including Stu Grimson in this article. Needless to say, it ruffled some feathers when Don Cherry singled out Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan, and Jim Thomson and referred to them as "pukes", "turncoats", and "hypocrites". Chris Nilan was on NHL Home Ice today to respond to the comments made by Don Cherry. He also posted an official reply on his website.After the hockey world lost the lives of three young men this offseason, it seemed inevitable that the role of fighting in hockey and the toll it took on those young men would at least be examined and discussed. During the offseason I wrote, "This is going to be a battle for which a compromise will be very elusive. The 'traditionalist' camp led by folks such as Don Cherry will argue that fighting is part of the fabric of hockey and that it helps players police themselves from cheap shots against the skilled players who can't defend themselves." However, it seems Don Cherry isn't even willing to even consider a healthy debate on the issue. It's a shame that someone as high profile as Mr. Cherry would be so dismissive of the comments made by former players who lived the lives of NHL enforcers. I understand that he wants to defend fighting, but his refusal to even engage in a discussion is disheartening since he is arguably the most influential hockey commentator in North America. At the very least, he is certainly in the most visible time slot due to the popularity of Hockey Night in Canada. If Don Cherry's goal was to stir up controversy, he accomplished that mission. However, in doing so, he angered a lot of people, including fans and former players. Was it worth it?
Cherry is frequently compared to the old, drunk uncle sitting in the La-z-boy and
spouting nonsense. In fact, on the radio today, Stu Grimson said, "It's hard to get too jazzed about this because I think Don's mutterings are kind of akin to that of an old uncle that nobody takes seriously anymore. I'm not going ot get too fired up about it." The difference is that Don Cherry has a massive international audience that DOES listen to him. Grimson said he wouldn't get fired up about it, but guess what he did today? He started an account on Twitter. His first tweet: "don cherry: show me an article where i say (1) fighting should be banned or (2) the role of enforcer causes a life of addiction."At some point, CBC is going to have to take a serious look at how long they can continue to air his antics. Keep in mind, that this is coming from a Don Cherry fan. I have purchased so many Rock'em Sock'em Hockey videos that I still have many on VHS. I still tune in on Saturday night to hear Cherry's comments, but I'm just not sure if he or his comments are good for the game anymore. However, unlike Cherry, I'm willing to discuss it.
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