Grapes has CBC cornered - They'd like to fire Don Cherry for his pro American stance (Canada)

The Toronto Sun ^ | April 3, 2003 | Steve Simmons

[IvanT]

This is how Don Cherry probably wants it to end. With a big fight and a great big goodbye.

The kind of public firing that would make him even larger than he is right now -- if that is, in fact, possible.

He just won't say that for attribution. He has said far too much already.

The uncomfortable relationship between Cherry and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is more combustible now than ever before. The major difference being that Cherry has never hid from what he is or what he says -- no matter how offensive it might be -- while the CBC plays the duplicitous role of grabbing ratings and claiming outrage.

Cherry is, in fact, a home-grown monster. The CBC created him, fed him, developed him, encouraged him, and participated with a certain trepidation as he became the most watched man on Canadian television.

And now he has become Don Cherry, broadcasting martyr. The last of the loud voices and loud collars. More powerful than the network. Some nights, you have to watch Coach's Corner for the very same reasons you couldn't take your eyes off Peter Finch in the classic movie Network.

He was mad as hell and he was not going to take it. But Cherry is not mad -- just out of control, pushing, forever pushing. He is, and always has been, in the Don Cherry business, which has been good business. And it isn't his fault. Once upon a time, the CBC or Hockey Night in Canada could have done something about it, but it's not unlike disciplining kids -- you have to do it early or you can't do it at all.

And on a network desperate for ratings -- people are watching hockey and almost nothing else on CBC -- Cherry represents everything CBC is not supposed to be and it isn't strong enough or creative enough to stand up to him. He speaks his mind and they cringe in their board rooms and then he speaks his mind again.

Had almost any other broadcaster in this or any other country gone on a radio show and ripped his network, his bosses, his country, and anyone else he could think of -- the way Cherry did on The Jim Rome Show the other day -- he would be spending today trying to explain his demise and unemployment.

There are rules for those who broadcast, just not for Cherry. And when you pay no attention to the standards of your profession, when you cross the line and no one has the stones to do or say anything, you establish your own rules and they allow you to do so.

The Cherry Rules: I say what I want to say, when I want to say it and no one is going to silence me ... I won't quit, they'll have to fire me to shut me up.

And so far, CBC has resisted doing anything of the kind.

You can say all that when you're Don Effing Cherry and you have an adoring public that will scrap harder for your independence than they would for anything of real importance.

It used to be just Cherry battling the CBC and his few critics, but now it's even more complicated. It has become a two-headed monster.

Ron MacLean is right beside him, bolder than ever. The CBC brass had the perfect opportunity to put the clamps on Cherry when contract negotiations broke off with MacLean last fall. They could have said bye bye, but in the Cherry vernacular, they turtled when it came to MacLean.

This was their chance to put in some semblance of control to the Coach's Corner segments on Hockey Night In Canada. The kind of simple controls that exist for almost every other broadcaster in this country. They lost that negotiation, just as they've lost the kind of responsibility they define themselves by in almost every other venue.

Make no mistake, the CBC executives, more than ever before, are legitimately disturbed by Cherry's antics. They just don't know what to do about it. They want to fire him, but no matter how they react now, keeping him, firing him, pre-taping Coach's Corner, Cherry wins.

He doesn't want to retire from HNIC. He wants to go out on a shield in a blaze of glory. On his terms. Always on his terms.

[IvanT]

CBC - Liberal propaganda television network. What a bunch of thugs. Don Cherry has more influence on Canadian popular opinion than anybody. I've always loved the guy, Canadians love and respect him. I'm glad he spoke up and said what he did. God bless ya Don. Met him at Don Cherry's Grapevine (his bar) when my girlfriend worked for him. One of the greatest guys ever. He sat and had lunch with a family that were visiting his bar just out of the blue.

[IvanT]

Bump

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

Once upon a time, I was sitting behind the visiting team and Cherry threw a water bottle at a fan and then started coming over the glass after the fan. The water bottle landed in my lap. I looked up and saw Cherry pulling himself up to come over and squired him in the face with water. It shocked him back into reality and he got down and went back to coaching. But a mean looking defensemam gave me the evil eye.

A few years later, I found myself in a Washington elevator with Cherry, Phil Esposito [wearing a full length mink coat] and Harry Sinden. A friend of mine says, "Hey Don, remember when that guy squirted you in the face with water? That's him," pointing to me. Cherry said "yeah, I remember!" and the three of them stared meanly at me. Then Cherry smiled and patted me on the back.

Don Cherry, a great Canadian.

[headsonpikes]

Don Cherry is every latte-sipping lefty's worst nightmare.

That goes double for CBC-employed latte-sipping lefties.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk...I love watching Canadian hypocrites twist slowly in the wind.

[buccaneer81]

I met Don Cherry at a restaurant in Boston in 1975. He was a revered figure in Boston. I still have his autograph from that encounter. Even as a boy of 12, I recognized a great man.

[WaveThatFlag]

Too bad Fox Sports no longer carries the NHL. They'd pick pick up Grapes in a heartbeat.

[IvanT]

Great story!

Grapes: A great Canadian.

I have his autobiography in hardcover which is difficult to find. God bless him, his and his dog blue autographed it!

Wouldn't sell it for anything.

[buccaneer81]

Great story! That could be a Bud Light ad on Fox SportsNet.

[IvanT]

Nyuk nyuk nyuk...I love watching Canadian hypocrites twist slowly in the wind.

I hope they'll be twisting in the wind when they see Nathan Phillips square on the news tommorrow. The only downfall is I hope the SARS fear doesn't hinder people from coming out.....that and the fact that they decided to hold in on a Friday afternoon when everyone's working. I took a vacation day though, I needed the rest.... ;)

[borkrules]

What did he say on the Rome show?

[j_tull]

ripped his network, his bosses, his country, and anyone else he could think of -- the way Cherry did on The Jim Rome Show the other day

What'd he say?

[MediaMole]

Time for: Don Cherry, voice of the New York Rangers.

[HamiltonJay]

Keep in mind the most watched canadian television show in Canada draws about the same number of viewers as the last regular season game of the XFL.

[IvanT]

Keep in mind the most watched canadian television show in Canada draws about the same number of viewers as the last regular season game of the XFL.

???? XFL got viewers in the millions?

[IvanT]

Time for: Don Cherry, voice of the New York Rangers.

Sorry mate, you can't have him - he's the voice of god's team - The Toronto Maple Leafs! ;)

[mitchbert]

Actually, Ivan, holding it at noon makes sense as we can draw on the people on lunch in the Financial District. Ted Woloshyn from CFRB is the MC and Paul and Carol Mott are broadcasting live from the scene. The only thing that could hamper turnout in my opinion is the weather...they're calling for freezing rain. I took the day off, too. Much looking forward to it.

[IvanT]

Right on. I'm going down with a couple friends, my one good friend - the Ukrainian, is insisting on burning the French flag......as much as I would take great pleasure in watching him do it, along with the Quebec flag, I'm going to stop him - I've made sure I'm the one going to the flag store today so he can't get his hands on one.

[HamiltonJay]

yep, about 2.3 or so Million.. about the same as O'reilly nightly I believe... and the average max for any TV show in Canada.

[legman]

Too bad Fox Sports no longer carries the NHL. They'd pick pick up Grapes in a heartbeat.

Maybe Murdock should buy CBC and turn it into a real network.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I agree, we can't divergent opinions on CBC can we?