Don Cherry - ONE great CANADIAN -

[Dwayne From Minden]

http://www.cbc.ca/pcgi-bin/templates...s/cherry030325

To bad he is being censored by the cbc -

[Dwayne From Minden]

Coach's Corner controversy still alive
WebPosted Tue Mar 25 17:39:52 2003
CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The controversy surrounding Don Cherry's pro-American rant on the war in Iraq on last Saturday's Coach's Corner won't go away.


Ron MacLean and Don Cherry spar over Iraq on Coach's Corner Mar. 22.
According to CBC spokeswoman Ruth-Ellen Soles, "We have raised the matter with Ron (MacLean) and Don and the discussions will be continuing."

On Tuesday, CBC Sports executive director Nancy Lee had a closed-door meeting with several people involved in the issue, including MacLean and Hockey Night In Canada executive producer Joel Darling.

The reactions continued to pour in from viewers voicing their opinions on Cherry's comments on Coach's Corner. As of Tuesday evening, the CBC had received more than 2,000 e-mails and numerous phone calls.

Hockey discussion forums on the CBC web site, as well as other sites, continue to be inundated with talk about Iraq instead of hockey.


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The issue also became the subject of headlines in several major newspapers Tuesday, including the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.

The popular Coach's Corner segment began with Cherry commenting on Montreal Canadiens fans booing the American national anthem last Thursday before a game against the New York Islanders.

Cherry, wearing one of his signature flamboyant ties -- a sparkly one in the colours of the American flag -- did not initially want to get on the topic of war, but after MacLean told him that: "everybody wants to know what you think," Cherry reluctantly complied.

Cherry began his near-seven-minute tirade by apologizing to the U.S. on behalf of Canadians, saying that "years of pride went down the drain" with the Montreal fans' behaviour on Thursday.

The Coach's Corner tandem did not agree on the war in Iraq.

Cherry berated MacLean about being neutral on the subject, then slammed the Canadian government for its "lack of support to our American friends."

"I hate to see them go it alone. We have a country that comes to our rescue, and we're just riding their coattails," Cherry said.

MacLean was steadfast in his opinion that it was Canada's right not to fight.

"Why attack Iraq if they haven't attacked you?" MacLean said.

Cherry didn't want to discuss his on-air comments directly Monday, but said that when he left the CBC studio at the Air Canada Centre following Saturday's broadcast he could barely make his way down the hall because people were coming up to him and congratulating him for his words.

"I've never ever done anything where I've walked down the hall after and had people put their hand out to me to shake," Cherry said in Mississauga, Ont., after watching the IceDogs play the Ottawa 67's in Ontario Hockey League playoff action.

Cherry said NHLPA president Bob Goodenow and player agent Don Meehan were among those to extend their hand and tell him they were proud of what he said.

with files from Canadian Press