Saturday Night Hockey Massacre

"During the broadcast, he [Don Cherry] made divisive remarks that do not represent our [Rogers, Sportsnet] values or what we stand for."
"Don is synonymous with hockey and has played an integral role in growing the game over the past 40 years."
"We would like to thank Don for his contributions to hockey and sports broadcasting in Canada."
"[After] further discussions with Don Cherry after Saturday night's broadcast, it has been decided it is the right time for him to immediately step down." 
Sportsnet

Don Cherry, pictured with Evander Kane, left, and Nazem Kadri, right, before their NHL careers, lost his job with Sportsnet on Monday for his remarks about immigrants not wearing poppies. (Claus Andersen/Getty Images/File)

Certain segments of any population seem to find it endearing when a popular, increasingly cranky man of advanced years has a platform to publicly address issues that rankle him personally, speaking with the authority of age, experience and more than a tad of irritable irrationality, leavened with his own brand of rude and rough expression. A man of such public popularity that despite his lack of concern for how others might perceive his statements of questionable civil value, feels he has the authority through that popularity to speak as he does while believing he is employably 'untouchable'.

His huge and loyal following, accustomed to his rants, finding humour and a candid expression of their own blighted biases in a venue that is respected, overnight found reason for fury at the sudden dismissal of someone they like and whose statements they support. Citing, after all, freedom of expression. And although Canada likes to think of itself as a bastion of support for that freedom under its laws of social civility, employing a battering ram of criticism against the firewall of political correctness ensures an eruption of sanctimonious condemnation.

Don Cherry, the sports expert and raconteur, long a fixture on Coach's Corner, a televised Hockey Night in Canada show, whose featured appearance in Victorian-era-constructed dress suits, a quirky manner and authoritarian pronouncements enraptured viewers who would often tune in more to catch any potentially outrageous comments than to watch the game even in this National Hockey League-obsessed country. Over the years, his outbursts verging on insults and badgering commentary have all been overlooked in view of his iconic status as a hockey great -- commentator if not player.

But he committed the cardinal sin of embarrassing the Sportsnet network in a display of vexed anti-immigrant spouting off. Actually, it is his inimitable manner more than what he actually said that must have enraged enough viewers to respond in condemnation of his unchecked commentary on this occasion. His personal opinion, that of a crotchety old man, arrogant in the belief that nothing he would ever say would threaten his appearances as a regular on Coach's Corner, incited him to spout when he should have thought carefully first. That is definitely not his style, however.

Not about his wording necessarily, but the vehemence of his emotions in castigating immigrants for failing to sufficiently respect the Canadian military, Canadian veterans and the solemnity of November 11st as Remembrance Day, honouring Canada's fallen soldiers during both World Wars and the Canadian military's interventions in other Allied conflicts through the years from Korea to Somalia, Afghanistan to Syria. And the wearing of the poppy, reminiscent of the Flanders Field poem by John McCrae is the symbol of Canadian respect and remembrance.

"You people love -- that come here, whatever it is -- you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey. At least you could pay a couple of bucks for a poppy. These guys paid for your way of life the life you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price", he stated somewhat incoherently as is his off-the-cuff style on Saturday evening. And then the backlash on social media demanding his job, if not his head. "Offensive" stated the NHL and the Royal Canadian Legion slammed the statements as contrary to the Legion's Articles of Faith.

"You know, I was talking to a veteran. I said 'I'm not going to run the poppy thing anymore because what's the sense? I live in Mississauga, nobody wears -- very few people wear a poppy. Downtown Toronto, forget it! Downtown Toronto, nobody wears a poppy'" he explained before launching into his disgust with immigrants' lack of respect for Canadian veterans who gave their all so that we could live in freedom. "It's deserved (his firing). It's deserved because of what he did. When you act inappropriately, there should be consequences and that was the consequence", stated Bhupinder Singh Hundal, senior CBC producer where over 30 years Don Cherry had spouted his opinions.

Well, that's a peculiar comment, considering that on a number of occasions the prime minister of this country of Canada saw nothing amiss in spoofing people of colour, painting his face and appendages thinking it downright cool to prank about, amusing himself and presumably others present at the various events when he donned blackface and had a rip roaring time of it. The condemnation his disrespect of Blacks and East Indians indicated, lasted all of two days and he wasn't fired. His lame explanation that he was merely a product of his environment and upbringing was held to be acceptable.

So Don Cherry, on the other hand was fired. "No problem", he said. Refuting the wording of the official statement to the effect that he had seen fit after consideration to retire, he affirmed the firing. "I know what I said and I meant it. Everybody in Canada should wear a poppy to honour our fallen soldiers." At age 85, he can hardly be expected to shuffle his feet, adjust his bowtie and beg forgiveness, saying he is a product of the age he was brought up in. He said what he felt, and there are no regrets, and good for him.

A veritable tempest in a teapot. During the Saturday Coach's Corner exchange his conversational partner Ron MacLean smiled throughout Mr. Cherry's narrative. In one photograph of the event, Mr. MacLean can be seen thumbs-up as in agreement. Ostensibly, it was only after the public response rocked the equanimity of yet another commentary by Don Cherry that the explosive Sportsnet consternation was evidenced. And when Mr. MacLean apologized the following night classifying Mr. Cherry's statements as hurtful and discriminatory, "flat-out wrong", the die was cast. Unnecessarily, given the circumstances.