FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND
Given my long-time involvement in the worlds of hockey and radio and television, it’s incredible that I’ve never met Don Cherry. We’ve been in the same room a few times, and even though we have dozens of mutual acquaintances we’ve never been introduced. I guess they always assumed that we knew each other.
It’s about thirty years since I’ve enjoyed watching Coach’s Corner because it was around that time that the segment became a sideshow with very little legitimate hockey analysis. Cherry had run out of interesting career anecdotes, revealed himself to be a narrow-minded troglodyte, and morphed into a bombastic caricature. His popularity clearly has everything to do with that bombast rather than his behind-the-bench NHL achievements. Cherry is 62nd in career wins as an NHL coach, right there with Pierre Page and Mike Yeo. He trails the all-time leader, Scotty Bowman, by 994 wins. To put that in perspective, Cherry would had to have rung up over twelve undefeated seasons to catch Bowman.
Cherry did have a long and distinguished minor league career as a player. NHL records indicate that he played one game with the Bruins, against the Canadiens in Montreal in the mid 50s. However, I was told a long time ago by two very reliable people who were at the Forum that night that he didn’t get on the ice during the game.
MY OVERALL TAKE ON THIS MESS
I think that Cherry sincerely believes what he said and, therefore, had every right to say it; that’s the essence of free speech. However, as I noted recently in one of my Thought For Today jottings on Facebook and Twitter, the exercise of free speech carries with it the burden of having to deal with ensuing consequences. Although I do not think what Cherry said was a firing offence, that he refused to publicly apologize when asked to do so by his employer was. This is a perfect example of failing to appropriately deal with consequences resulting from the exercise of free speech.
SPORTSNET’S ROLE
After the bloodletting at the network earlier in the year (the cost-cutting ditching of Bob McCown, Nick Kypreos, John Shannon, Doug MacLean, et al), a couple of my media-savvy friends observed that Sportsnet probably would have liked to jettison Cherry’s contract as well, but didn’t dare because of Coach’s Corner’s immense popularity. Coincidentally, as I was writing this section earlier in the week I received emails from them suggesting that the network was no doubt delighted that Cherry had given them this opportunity to get rid of him. I’m sure they were. Sportsnet killed two bird’s with one stone: getting rid of a thorn in their side without having to pay off the balance of his contract.
RON MACLEAN HAS A LOT TO ANSWER FOR
I do know Ron MacLean. I think he’s a a hard-working, well-informed, extremely competent broadcaster. But his handling of this situation will definitely not be among his career highlights. I was surprised when MacLean remained silent, nodding in seeming agreement, during Cherry’s nasty rant, and then giving a thumbs-up. (Yes, I admit I was watching Coach’s Corner last Saturday night.)
About twenty-four hours later, as he introduced Sportsnet’s Sunday night show Hometown Hockey, MacLean publicly apologized. In his apology he said that he didn’t “catch” what Cherry was saying. So maybe his mind was wandering (I know mine often did during Cherry’s histrionics); however, it was never my responsibility to be the rational, moderating presence on the show. But it was MacLean’s, and he fell down badly on the job. Then, as the saying goes, he threw Cherry under the bus during his apology.
Furthermore, for some years now there’s been a persistent rumour that on at least two occasions Cherry’s intervention saved MacLean’s job when they both worked for the CBC. If true, this should prey heavily on MacLean’s conscience. Ron MacLean better hope that he never has a weekend that makes this last one look good.