Don Cherry is done
- Thread starter Fun For All
- Start date
It is way overdue for Ron MacLean to be shown the door. He has admitted to telling an outright falsehood about Don Cherry.
How can HNIC give a prime position to someone who has no integrity.
MacLean is so past his best before date.
https://www.thestar.com/sports/opin... had orchestrated,MacLean said in the article.
How can HNIC give a prime position to someone who has no integrity.
MacLean is so past his best before date.
https://www.thestar.com/sports/opin... had orchestrated,MacLean said in the article.
''Fans watched Cherry and MacLean as a package deal for years. They didn’t always agree with them, but they trusted the dynamic. MacLean was the steady hand, Cherry was the firebrand. When it unravelled, it wasn’t just about politics or poppies. It was about loyalty and integrity, the kind of unspoken code that comes with sitting next to someone on national TV every Saturday night for nearly four decades.'''
MacLean continues to show his true colors...How he still has a job is beyond me.
Who cares what people who couldnt think for themselves (then or now) thought at the time.
Let's get back to 1995. I loved the guy until the early 90's, but I grew up and started to actually listen and analyze what he said, rather than being entertained by his schtick. His shtick was still strong at the time, he was still bringing his A game in that regard. But his hockey mindset was already behind what was happening or was going to happen. A good entertainer in 1995 - sure. A top hockey mind - no.
His ridiculous view on European ability at that time and his total lack of comprehension of what good defence actually was - defence is not just hitting or being tough like he would claim. The game was rapidly moving into systems at that point and Cherry couldn't adjust to that mindset. Europeans, in particular forwards, were in general far superior defensive players within systems than good old Canadian boys who didn't grow up with that style. His view on the impact of enforcers at the time (which we would be quickly getting phased out within 10 years), his praising of dirty play and hits (which would be getting phased out over the next 10-15 years), his lambasting protective equipment (which would be phased in within 10-15 years after that) were all soon to be, or already out of date.
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What complicated system did the Panthers play as they were pounding the Oilers into the ice?
Who were the two most successful coaches and teams immediately after 1995... my actual reference date, instead of referencing something 30 years later.
Scotty Bowman and the Detroit Red Wings.
Jacques Lemaire and the New Jersey Devils.
Then you had Ken Hitchcok and the Stars
High tactical coaches, heavily reliant on European players for that time, and systems. (The other really successful team in that era was the Avalanche who were a little less so in that regard).
As for Paul Maurice he is one of the most demanding coaches when it comes to adherence to in zone coverage within his defensive system. They have indeed added a physical and violent approach via roster building which has not been seen for a while. It has worked well for them, and they may get copied.
But the fact that you think its all about hitting and violence, and ignoring the multi- champions since 1995 which had little to do with that type of play as a dominant aspect (Red Wings, Devils, Pens, Lightning, Hawks, Avalanche), shows you are still stuck in Cherry thought while the NHL moved on.
Note, not once have I got into his politics. Cherry was Grade A in terms of entertainment in 1995- so in that realm he was still very relevant in 1995. So the ratings were good.
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I'd also add that there will always be a room in hockey for tough play and violence combined with skill - the Panthers..
My issue with Cherry by 1995, and for the rest of his career, was his endless praise and glorification of goon culture in most of his segments. These goons had far less influence on hockey than he believed, which is why they lessened greatly in the 2000's, and post 2005 strike became a small fraction of what they were. There still is some from time to time but they are limited. Management and hockey minds moved on, Don Cherry never did.
His ratings and coaches corner were still exceptional when he was shown the door many years after 1995. Go figure..
You can have your left wing lock and neutral zone trap hockey and European style hockey for that matter. Give me the 70's Habs, Islanders or 80's oilers any day of the week.
I didn't say that style of hockey from 1995 to say 2010 was my favourite era. It wasn't. I'll take the 80's before that.
Did you watch the 70's and 80's games when they were on during the COVID break some years back. I know for many, the hockey was nowhere near as good as they had remembered from their youth. Perhaps you viewed it favourably, but I know for many, while nostalgic it was a bit disappointing. A lot of clutch, grab, sticking, hooking and chippiness, slow paced hockey far less speed and skill (relative to today) and some flopping goalies who were hindered by lack of equipment which led to many goals There was certainly some high level of skill by some players, but the pace was really slow.
I'm certainly no fan of the trap and lock that permeated and dominated hockey especially in the 1990's up to 2010 (lets call it Devils hockey because they were the best at it) That era wasn't the greatest for entertainment or the game. Systems over took skill. It was his outright dismissal of most european players as liabilities or not winners, or his glorification of some players that was bothersome Whether they were playing a style that wasn't the best for entertainment or not.
At least we have now reached the point in the game where the speed and skill have continued to increase to neuter the effectiveness of certain systems. I think right now hockey from an entertaining perspective is far above what it was in 2005 for example. There has been a shift to either playing "styles" today instead of "systems" or hybrids, which has helped the game from where it was in the late 90's and 2000's. Hockey is much more entertaining in 2025 than 2005. Without having to overpraise the contributions of goons or a fight on nearly every Cherry segment.
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Regarding the exceptionalism it was the same stuff / formula on about half the episodes I would see (Not all, but a lot of them)
In the first intermission show some tight, and Don Cherry slobber over the player especially if it was a goon or borderline goon.
At the end of a game, show some fight from some game, and Don Cherry say that was the reason they won. I guess the other team lost because of the fight.
Not exactly the most riveting stuff. Not to say the inside hockey stuff they have now is that great either.
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I like Kevin Bieksa. He speaks my kind of language...Hrudey is very likeable...Jennifer Botterill? well I don't think she understand the nuances of mens pro hockey. she definitely wouldn't be a Cherry fan I don't believe. Cheryl Pounder on the other show is pretty good though.
I dislike the lacrosse goalies today...Similarly I dislike the sticks that they're using. I'd like see them go back to wood sticks and reduce of the size of goalie equipment. I would hate to stand in front of the net today with the speed of the shots coming. I'd also like to see an increase in the size of the playing surfaces. Give them more room. I know none of this is going to happen.
Yes I've watched some of the older games recently...I'll tell what I liked..No advertising on the boards or sweaters..None of this after you score a goal where they have skate by your bench and fist bump all of your teammates...The game is slower but easier to follow...The players individually are more easily identifiable...Dynasty's were built and defended...No visors, I know they're needed now for insurance and protection. The players weren't dressed like gladiators.
Getting back to Don...Howie Meeker was an analyst. He would break down plays with a certain precision..Now the players from what I know used to call him Howie perfect derogatorily. I loved his segments. Especially his tutorials pre taped during the intermissions. You actually learned something. Cherry was more of a nuts and bolts guy..I'm going to guess thats where he learned his craft in the AHL riding the buses, it was beat em in the alley hockey. So I see where he comes from. Tom Watt would call it dinosaur hockey in the early 90's..From a selling point of view to those minor markets across the states in the 70's..80's and 90's it sure was a hot ticket though. Side note here..The minor pro teams in Ottawa used to play the teams from the Ottawa Valley at the Auditorium on Argyle street Ottawa. Were talking 40's and 50's here. The teams from Pembroke often had two or three brothers playing on them...The sheer amount of fighting was insane. The teams hated each other with intensity...This is the hockey Cherry and men from his generation grew up watching...The thing that most forget about Don is all the work and time he donated for charity. He very rarely ever missed an opportunity to give back..He has a loyalty to the game and never forgets his roots. His bits always showcased the military, police or first responders to some degree.
At his height he was I'll say it bigger than the game. He had Rock Star status...McLean teed him up perfectly every broadcast...And then came the milk and honey speech and just like that woosh it's all gone....He'd said far worse but Madame Defarge had been knitting for a while by then. He was on year to year contracts in those days..They could have just let do his year and ride off into the sunset. But the caved to a fringe very vocal minority most of who had very little interest in hockey...That is what smarts.
We may not have agreed with all of the stuff Don Cherry said but...... most of us can agree with the fact that Ron is a snake. Lol
Ron chose perceived self preservation over principle and friendship. If he had stuck with Don and both got canned they could have started up a podcast together and still made oodles of $$. I don't know how he looks at himself in the mirror to be quite honest. Then again I think that about many leftist so called do gooders.
N
nufc416
It is a known fact that placing any flag on the floor is disrespectful. The Americans knew it and didn’t anyway. Don Cherry is a true Canadian… period.. Ron “The Weasel” McLean is a spineless disgrace
But he did defended Dale Hunter's cheap shot on Pierre Turgeon that ended his playoffs and said it was partially Turgeons fault for celebrating after scoring a goal. I think Don's mistake was being too political and too biased with his hockey opinions. If Hunter was European and Turgeon was Anglo Canadian Don's opinion would've been a lot different.
