Stepped down or pushed?

Don Cherry fired by Sportsnet over 'you people' rant

Sportsnet Twitter statement:

TheConsultant wrote:

I find it absolutely scintillating that the "freedom" fought for is also the "freedom" NOT to wear a poppy. And the "freedom" NOT to be bullied and chastised for not wearing one. "Freedom" works BOTH ways. All those demanding he apologize and/or get punished encapsulates my original point. Shame on you.

Cherry is hockey's Trump. But I'm also not keen on firing anyone. I'm more disturbed that crap like that makes it to the airwaves. He's been a fixture for how long despite his ethnocentric rants? Network execs have been perfectly fine with him to this point - do they not bear responsibility? 

The dominant voices on commercial talk radio and online shared via social media are opinions, memes and guttural impulses on opposite, relatively extreme sides. There's a lack of meaningful, constructive, thoughtful discussion and analysis of either side. I'm not supporting a mushy middle. But with all the shouting, name-calling and intolerance from very loud fringes it's damn near impossible to have constructive consideration about - say - what a model immigration or refugee policy might actually look like, or what can we do so people don't end up forced to flee their homelands.

This is hardly a uniquely Canadian problem. Europe is a mess, so is the US, both much more so than Canada. Talk radio here (and much more so in the US) is highly toxic - it's all ideologically-driven opinion, no substance. Voices like Don Cherry just add to the noise. Hockey is really not an appropriate venue for political discourse.

I hereby sentence Don Cherry to mandatory forced labour as a commentator with the Punjabi version of HNIC on OMNI - now there's a model immigration and refugee policy component! And broadcasters need to clean up their act and get serious.
 

Last edited by Saul (November 11, 2019 5:03 pm)

wouldn't it have been a classy move if sportsnet/rogers made a statement explaining how this day is about "remembrance of those who gave their life for this country"? as a result, the company has chosen to officially address the saturday night/coaches corner issue tomorrow, so as not to take away from this solemn day.
we appreciate your understanding and support.

...or something like that?

 

Last edited by the original hank (November 12, 2019 12:17 am)

The Joe Warmington aspect seems odd to me. Warmington was also the one who thought Rogers wasn't going to renew Cherry's contract a few months back. He supposedly had sources that Rogers wanted to give Cherry the door. Whenever I hear Joe on the radio, he seems to have a big chip on his shoulder about a lot of things.

Cherry last night on the radio seemed calm, reasonable and almost relieved that coach's corner was done. I didn't sense any bitterness at all, so it will be interesting to see if Rogers needs to pay him anything else or if this is done,  He said he was disappointed with Ron Maclean, but he said Ron is a friend and he didn't feel that Maclean through him under the bus.  

As of Tuesday noonish, blogTO is reporting that people are cancelling their Rogers and Sportsnet subscriptions in support of Don Cherry with #BoycottRogers #BoycottSportsnet and other hashtags calling for Don's return trending on Twitter. Slacktavism maybe, but people are taking photos of their cancelled cable accounts, so there could be more to this than a couple of frustrated Coach's Corner fans.

betaylored wrote:

people are cancelling their Rogers and Sportsnet subscriptions in support of Don Cherry
people are taking photos of their cancelled cable accounts

C'mon, that's not an overreaction at all. Why stop there? They should take this to the ultimate terminal conclusion: Head up to the Bewdley Commune, get initiated, don the ceremonial tinfoil gown and drink the Sacred Nectar. Within a painful ten minutes, they'll be dispatched to The Great Beyond: a place devoid of a pulse.
 

betaylored wrote:

As of Tuesday noonish, blogTO is reporting that people are cancelling their Rogers and Sportsnet subscriptions in support of Don Cherry with #BoycottRogers #BoycottSportsnet and other hashtags calling for Don's return trending on Twitter. Slacktavism maybe, but people are taking photos of their cancelled cable accounts, so there could be more to this than a couple of frustrated Coach's Corner fans.

Gee I like Don Cherry, but not enough to cancel my Sports package or Rogers cable.