Rogers Plays The Last Post For Don Cherry's Career

If you had “Don Cherry fired at 85 for insensitive remarks” in the pool looks like you’re a winner. You have to hand it to Cherry. Only the bombastic star of Coach’s Corner could give the cause of the War Dead a bad name.

Usually his hyperbole was excused away. This time it was enough to cost him his job at Rogers.

Cue Saturday night’s Hockey Night In Canada. Cherry had exchanged his usual floral table cloths for a blazer with a military crest to recall Remembrance Day. Much to the chagrin of his bosses at Rogers, host Ron Maclean then allowed the 85-year-old to wander off the hockey reservation to ponder the greater orb.  

Warming to the theme of Remembrance Day— seems a safe topic— Cherry decided to expound on the Diversity dynamic so beloved by Justin Trudeau. He came not to praise diversity, he came to bury it as he addressed newcomers to Canada on the subject of wearing poppies.

“You people... love our way of life, love our milk and honey. At least you could pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada.” 

Well, yes. And no. If Canadians like Canada— and all its benefits— it might be nice if everyone took one day a year to remember those who made a sacrifice that virtually no one today is willing to make for the country. 

But there are ways to say it. And there are ways to say it. As is his wont, Cherry managed to mangle a perfectly benign message— while MacLean played yappy little hound Chester to Don’s Spike. Instead of a reassuring reminder of the legacy all Canadians share, Cherry turned it into Us vs. Them. For a guy whose closest military service was playing for Eddie Shore in the minors it was rich.

None of which should be a surprise. Cherry had been down this highway many times in the past. Whether it was CBC or his now-former employer Rogers, the bosses shrugged in resignation as he talked about the Other in hockey. “Don is being Don”, they’d say. “Whatcha’ gonna’ do?” For a while they put a seven-second delay on him. Till Free Speech advocates raised a ruckus.

But, outside the political hassle, Cherry had been good for business. Not good. Great. His segment minted money for CBC and now for Rogers.

However, the political winds have shifted. Your confirmation that this time might be different came from MacLean, who, after decades of playing the dummy hand on Cherry, found himself being held accountable for his acquiescence. “Don Cherry made remarks which were hurtful, discriminatory were flat-out wrong,” said MacLean on Sunday. “I wish I had handled myself differently. It was a divisive moment and I am truly upset with myself for allowing it.”

“I owe you an apology too. That is the the big thing that I want to emphasize. I sat there, did not catch it and did not respond.”

His bosses at Rogers, too, put on the hair shirt over the comments. “They do not represent our values and what we stand for as a network. We have spoken with Don about the severity of the issue and we sincerely apologize for these divisive remarks.” 

CBC, which no longer has editorial control over Cherry after years of letting him speak his mind, courageously referred all comment to Rogers. Which is like the villagers absolving themselves of blame when Frankenstein goes on to attack a neighbouring village. 

The NHL, which has indulged Cherry for years, lashed him with a wet noodle over insensitivity, values etc.

Cherry, meanwhile, was silent till Rogers announcement on Remembrance Day made it clear he was done. Then he was defiant with Toronto Sun reporter Joe Warmington, citing his long loyalty to the military.

But everyone recognized this was serious business in the days of progressive shaming. Cherry may have given Sportsnet as easy out. As we’ve mentioned in recent columns, Rogers is cash strapped by the onerous NHL deal it signed with the NHL for its national TV/ digital rights. They’ve been dumping high-profile talent all over the board to reduce their exposure to the $5.2 B deal. Behind the scenes, other big names took a mandated haircut to stay with HNIC/ Rogers. 

The largest outstanding talent contract still on the books was Cherry, whose compensation reportedly topped a million dollars annually. Through all the previous storms (many which I covered as a sports media columnist) his employers were able to rationalize the PR disasters with the fact that Cherry brought in more than he cost. 

But with the election over and Trudeau’s Diversity Inc having been vindicated— at least in Eastern Canada— the time was perfect for giving Cherry the boot. No Bob Cole Retirement Tour— setting a sunset date for early 2020 and getting him to fade into the Kingston sunset. (Expect them to parachute Gary Bettman’s pal Brian Burke into the Crusty Old Guy role on HNIC.)

There will be as blowback— not as severe as it might have been a decade ago— as Rogers is portrayed as a heartless corporate devil etc. But even Cherry’s best fans will admit that he’s lost his fastball. Most weeks Coach’s Corner was a pucked-up version of Statler and Waldorf with Cherry bloviating while MacLean nods obediently. The schtick was old and tired.

When I heard of the news of Cherry’s dismissal (I almost never watch HNIC live and only occasionally catch it on replay) I wondered how all this might have been different if Dave Hodge hasn’t flipped his pencil  and been fired by HNIC— allowing MacLean to take over.

The prickly Hodge would likely never have played the organ grinder’s monkey in exchange for a piece of the lucrative Cherry ® industry. A few stern showdowns with Hodge before Cherry became untouchable might have curbed his worst instincts.

Or CBC executives could have given a damn 30 years ago. Just saying.

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the publisher of his website (http://www.notthepublicbroadcaster.com). He’s also a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, he is also a best-selling author whose new book Cap In Hand: How Salary Caps Are Killing Pro Sports And Why The Free Market Could Save Them is now available on brucedowbigginbooks.ca.