1 of 1- BowmanvilleBob
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Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Wherein Ron McLean tells Postmedia that Don Cherry’s “Poppygate” comments, which got him canned from HNIC, were part of a deliberate strategy to allow him to leave Coach’s Corner on his terms, rather than due to his health problems.
Judge for yourself.
Last edited by BowmanvilleBob (July 11, 2025 5:18 pm)
- betaylored
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Interesting article. If this revelation about Don's exit gets discussed on the sports radio shows, I'd like to hear what OverDrive's team of Hayes, O Dog and Noodles on TSN will make of it. Spin is spin.
😏💄🐖
The 2025-2026 hockey season sure feels like it's light years away.
Last edited by betaylored (July 11, 2025 5:14 pm)
- Hansa
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
I can't say I really care but
1) on the one hand this could be self-serving speculation by Maclean
2) on the other, if it was a deliberate exit strategy (or subconscious self-sabotage) would Cherry admit it?
3) either way Maclean should have said nothing or just generally said the way Cherry departed was regrettable
- Radio Bob
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Who the hell cares? Grapes is so irrelevant.
- newsguy1
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
What a bizarre account.
So a guy who is getting too infirm to do his job decides it is more honorable to be kicked out for being an odious racist and bigot than to retire with grace and no doubt kind tributes.
What utter rot.
Cherry's words that led to his ouster were the thoughts of a tiny minded ignoramus.
But also because of ill health.
No doubt he suffers from brain problems from old age.
But he always was a bigot anyway, it's just that being a well known hockey pundit gave him a cloak of protection for many years.
As for poor Don MacLean, he's a well liked and well meaning guy, but not exactly a deep thinker.
- BowmanvilleBob
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
It now appears that McLean is backing down from his original statements -
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Thread Starter- Binson Echorec
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Tempest, meet teacup.
- mace
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
In general terms. those on the right political spectrum love Don Cherry. The left, not so much.
- Dial Twister
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mace wrote:
In general terms. those on the right political spectrum love Don Cherry. The left, not so much.
I wonder why?
- Walter
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Ron MacLean is, and always was, a sniveller, and a worm. At his age, and his fat salary, it won't be long until his growing unpopularity gets him the boot, too.
- torontostan
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Ron is probably sick and tired of getting overshadowed by a senile man who had questionable hockey insights in his later years, was openly racist yet is spoken about like he's Terry Fox or something. Just about anyone who knows their place in that kind of position chooses to retire around 65, Don had nothing left to say but kept babbling and soured Ron's remaining years on the way out.... can't wait for the day he croaks and we don't have to hear about him anymore
- Jody Thornton
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Ron is probably sick and tired of getting overshadowed by a senile man who had questionable hockey insights in his later years, was openly racist yet is spoken about like he's Terry Fox or something. Just about anyone who knows their place in that kind of position chooses to retire around 65, Don had nothing left to say but kept babbling and soured Ron's remaining years on the way out.... can't wait for the day he croaks and we don't have to hear about him anymore
I personally think that most anyone (not all, but most) that shits on Ron McClean, PROBABLY thinks more like Don Cherry, and so their opinion is questionable anyway. And Ron was right to look after his own a--, and not let Don Cherry take him up the creek with him. Distancing himself from Don Cherry should have been seen as smart.
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
- mic'em
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Ron is probably sick and tired of getting overshadowed by a senile man who had questionable hockey insights in his later years, was openly racist yet is spoken about like he's Terry Fox or something. Just about anyone who knows their place in that kind of position chooses to retire around 65, Don had nothing left to say but kept babbling and soured Ron's remaining years on the way out.... can't wait for the day he croaks and we don't have to hear about him anymore
Too bad Cherry is too old for you to say this to his face.
- Jody Thornton
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Too bad Cherry is too old for you to say this to his face.
But who says he wouldn't? You overstate the piddly amount of respect that Don Cherry deserves. Almost Trumpian in scope.
Last edited by Jody Thornton (Yesterday 9:45 am)
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
- 67GreenRambler
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Telling viewers who are new to Canada to learn and respect the history of our shared remembrance of those who died in battle is racist. We can all agree on that.
- Jody Thornton
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Telling viewers who are new to Canada to learn and respect the history of our shared remembrance of those who died in battle is racist. We can all agree on that.
No, he made an assumption (or mass declaration) that "you people" need to wear a poppy. Some cultures remember in different and meaningful ways, besides just wearing a poppy. For me to meaningfully remember, I don't need to be "seen" remembering. I'm not trying to impress anyone by wearing a poppy. Some remember in their own hearts, and in a much more meaningful way. I think in some ways, many people just want to portray an image of themselves, so they'll be seen in a favourable way.
Aside from that, just because Don may have observed people of colour not wearing a poppy, does NOT mean that all people of colour do not wear poppies or observe Remembrance Day. The racism comes from the generalization. I fully expect you'll call BS on that.
I think a lot of you have Coach's Corner memories that are so lengthy and strong, that you just want to keep that going in a way that says, "Oh There's our boy Don!!!" OR "Yah!!! You tell 'em Don"!!! Many hate wokeness and political correctness SO MUCH, that you want to see some loudmouth like Cherry tell 'em where it's at.
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
- torontostan
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
Telling viewers who are new to Canada to learn and respect the history of our shared remembrance of those who died in battle is racist. We can all agree on that.
Let's not only exaggerate, but also gloss over everything else he's said over the years.....
-"Female reporters should not be in hockey dressing rooms"
-"Natives have an inferiority complex"
-plenty of slander to the Quebecois saying they should have to speak English in Ontario
-"you women are going to get mad at me... when you come to the game, keep your eyes on the puck. It's always a woman yapping away"
-and of course, "you people" as if all multi-generation Canadians wear poppies (they don't) and all newcomers don't (some do)
-and so on....
Pretty interesting guy to direct your morale compass towards!
Even still, he had no intelligent hockey insights in his last years on air.. just babbling about how things used to be. People like him because they associate him with a simpler (and whiter) time in their lives, and they long for that more than they actually appreciated his role as a hockey analyst. He was not looked to by any hockey insider or player for insights on the modern game.
- Chrisphen
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Re: Don Cherry and Poppygate - an exit strategy?
I dunno. Listening to the recent Don Cherry podcast - it sounds like the waning days of a confused and clueless James Doohan being pimped out to Star Trek conventions.
Exploitation.