Don Cherry finds himself off-side with the public, and his employer
I already knew what was coming before the final notes of ‘Flame of Victory’ had faded into silence.
In fact, wanting to hear Canada’s most controversial sports personality go off was the sole reason why I took a break from paper-writing, and tuned in to the last five minutes of the first period of the Flyers-Leafs game. There are few things that are predictable on Coach’s Corner: Don butchering the names of players – he called the goalie of the Rangers “Lundstrum;” the “Hold it. Don’t show it yet, don’t show it – Kids! What do I always say…”, followed invariably by some advice about covering the points or celebrating stoically like a good Ontario boy as opposed to those “classless Europeans!” And, of course, the endless complaints about not having enough time. However, apart from that, you never know what you’re going to get in the five-to-six minutes a week that Don is on the air.
Despite the general unpredictability, the usual episode before Remembrance Day has followed roughly the same pattern for the past few years. There are three key staples: the double-breasted Legion jacket, the video from France, and ripping on those poppy-less people from “Tranna.”
None of that was new.
But what was new and different this time was, whereas in previous poppy tirades “Canada’s grandpa” had been careful to only rip on people in Toronto, in general, this time he let loose, going on a thinly-veiled tirade against “those people.” A tirade that would anger many, and ultimately, cost him his job.
The moment those now notorious words came out of his mouth, I knew he was done. Unlike before, the language this time was pointed, intentional. He knew what he was doing – what he was saying. The spiteful dropping of ‘Mississauga,’ the juxtaposition between ‘urban’ Canada and small towns was clear. Sure, there are Canadians, but there are real Canadians and real Canadians, wear poppies, are grateful and loyal to Canada. Ostensibly, real Canadians are also not from multicultural areas. The “you people” removed any doubt. Taken as a one-off, he might’ve gotten away with it, but taken in totality with other comments made over the past couple of years, there was little room for doubt as to the true meaning.
There are several reasons why people may not wear a poppy, each of them equally valid. Perhaps they fall off too easily. Or perhaps you didn’t have any cash on hand to make a donation in exchange for a poppy. But to equate the absence of a poppy with an absence of respect for the troops or to Canada, is plain wrong and an insult. The people who fought for freedom to wear the poppy also fought so that you don’t have to. No one should have to undergo a test to prove how Canadian they are.
One of the benefits of the recent commemoration of the First World War was the influx of funding into uncovering previously untold stories and bringing them into the spotlight. For the first time, a fuller picture of the sheer scope and diversity of the people involved in the war was on display.
They were called world wars for a reason.
Canadians of all backgrounds have family members who fought and died for the freedoms we collectively enjoy today, including many newcomers. To insinuate otherwise is not just wrong, it’s factually inaccurate.
So, where does that leave us with Don?
Having watched Coach’s Corner through the years, it’s amusing to see that, despite his brand as a brash, loud-mouth, calling it as he sees it kind of guy. Don is complex. A walking contradiction. A stickler for tradition. A man who dressed outlandishly. He’s a guy who loved fighting and toughness, but got on peoples’ cases for celebrating too enthusiastically because it could hurt your opponent’s feelings. He’s a staunch advocate for player safety, but also hates excessive equipment. And, most ironically, as a man who often preached strict conformity, lost his coaching career, precisely for refusing to fall in line.
Years ago, Don was named one of the top 10 Canadians of all time! A decade later, the CBC released not one, but two feature-length docudramas on his life.
He is a national icon.
He is also a jingoist and likely a xenophobe.
Rogers, burdened by their ill-advised, record-breaking $5.2 billion/12-year contract for exclusive league rights have made deep cuts – and not just to peripheral staff. Personalities who seemed like they would stay forever, have recently been dropping like flies.
A few this summer: John Shannon, Bob McCown, Doug MacLean, and Nick Kypreos.
The one person who remained was Don. Like a painful headache he remained. Always there. Always in the back, leering — threatening. Defiant. Away from Coach’s Corner, he was known to brag repeatedly of how so many of his former bosses who swore he’d be gone, had failed to outlast him. There were rumours in the Sun this past summer that he was finally being let go, but the man himself definitely went to set the public straight – he was going nowhere and, until Saturday night, it seemed he would occupy the chair beside Ron Maclean until his memory gave up or he died — whichever came first.
He seemed invincible.
But on Saturday night, November 9th – two days before Remembrance Day, he finally went too far.
In many ways, his firing signals the end of an era – like the “rock ‘em, sock ‘em” style he so dearly loved, the game had outgrown him.
The heads at Rogers unceremoniously cut Bob Cole when it became readily apparent that, sadly, the voice of so many Leafs playoff runs in the 90s and early 2000s could no longer call games effectively. The fact that he lost his job on Remembrance Day for going on a rant about poppies is an irony that only Don Cherry could pull off.
Do I think he should’ve been fired?
Personally, no. A suspension, I think, possibly for a few weeks, could have made the same point. One, because I think it’s crazy to take Don Cherry seriously about anything, including hockey; and two, given his age and prominence, the time may come when Cherry’s critics wish he was only spouting his more unpalatable views on Coach’s Corner. Now untethered, he may feel the freedom to say even worse.
The game, and the country has moved on.
And that’s all I have to say about that!