Hockey Night In Canada

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

Here in Canada, there is a show hosted by someone named Don Cherry called Hockey Night In Canada. I don't watch it because obviously I have no reason to watch it, as I don't care for hockey. However, I have heard about some of the stuff Don Cherry has said and done, and I read on the Internet about what he has done. He is well known in Canada, however, he is well known for racist, militaristic, and xenophobic comments. He has also showed an interest in being a role model for children. Obviously, this is a big problem for someone who is interested in influencing children to have such a strong bias. Once, while on the subject of visors in hockey, he said "Most of the guys who wear them are European and French guys". Because of his several controversial comments, CBC even had to put a seven second delay on his show because it is live, and they needed to be prepared to prevent his outrageous comments from being aired. Don Cherry became frustrated at his co-host Ron MacLean because MacLean was neutral on the war, while Don Cherry supported it and disliked everyone who didn't. Don Cherry then continued to criticize the Canadian government because they didn't participate in the invasion of Iraq. I'm not saying I'm against anyone who has certain political views, however I'm against it when someone who is as influential in Canada as he is, especially among children, says such outrageous comments and hates anyones who disagrees with him.

Here's a video of Don Cherry riding on top of a military vehicle on the ice rink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JKwI24V ... r_embedded

Don't bother with the last couple minutes of the video, it's just hockey.

Here's a video of Don Cherry on Christmas, Jesus, wanting to smack people in the face, Native Americans, racism and job opportunities, and the military: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcerBrY8 ... xt_from=QL

Here's a video of Don Cherry talking about women who go to hockey games: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRm_K9Op ... re=related

In the song "Dear Coach's Corner" (Coach's Corner is another one of Don Cherry's shows) by Propagandhi, Chris Hannah (songwriter of Propagandhi) describes an event where he took his niece to a hockey game, and military troops rapelled into the rafters, all an event staged by Don Cherry to promote supporting the troops.

Don Cherry played and coached in the NHL. As you can see, Don Cherry has a strong bias, and it is unfair for a person who is interested in being a role model for children to be such a biased, intolerant person. I'm sure there are plenty more actions and sayings that Don Cherry has said and done that I have not listed or do not know about, and I'm sure he'll continue to make these comments.

[i_like_1981]

He sounds like your sort of stereotypical jock, always wanting to seem the tough guy, unsympathetic, rejecting anything that would be considered "unmanly" or even sensible. We don't have many people like that over here; thankfully we're not that big on our contact sports over here (with the possible exception of rugby but that is definitely behind soccer and cricket on the popularity scale). Well, if he wants to present himself that way, that is fine. It's good for people to have at least one defining characteristic as celebrities in order to make them even more noticeable (as if having their name splashed out on all the major papers whenever they so much as sit in a car wasn't enough already, but hell, you know how celebrities are, always wanting to be the big news!).

But this guy should certainly not claim himself as a role model for children. He promotes thuggish and biased behaviour that might make him a hit in the jock section but we don't want to have less-physically-minded children learning to think bad of themselves. He's definitely more of a bad influence than a good one. Having no mercy towards violence is certainly not evidence of a good role model. Hell, if he ever gave birth to an effeminate son I'm sure he would end up driving that poor kid to an early grave. We must be tolerant of each other's differences; not everyone has nerves of steel and the courage to say what they want and not care who they offend. If everyone grew up to be like this guy there would be no order in this world. The authorities wouldn't be able to cope. "Don Cherry" can be summed up in one word: jock. And what we do not want is everybody to be a jock. We need both physically and academically gifted people to keep the world going; an imbalance on either side will only create problems for the other.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

Okay, now I'm pissed. I found something on CBC from Spring 2004 about the Top Ten Greatest Canadians. http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/standings/
Don Cherry was considered the seventh best Canadian of all time. He came before our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and Alexander Graham Bell. Now that just makes me mad. How has he contributed to society in any way? And Wayne Gretsky, a hockey player (I think) came in tenth. It's sad that someone whose only achievements involve sports are considered some of the greatest Canadians of all time. If there weren't any Canadians better than them, I would have left this country. Our seventh greatest person from this country is considered to be some old man who wants to invade any country who is weaker than ours. I support our troops, it's good to have someone who is risking their lives to protect their country, but I do not support pro war propaganda that is voiced by some loudmouth ex-hockey player/coach. I'm almost ashamed to be a Canadian right now.

[i_like_1981]

Yeah, these people are just stupid. They'd hand out these "top national" prizes to anyone with big muscles and a loud mouth. Perhaps it's because he presents a strong, powerful, forceful image of the country and its people, but I don't see what's so courageous about attacking smaller, weaker countries. Seems slightly cowardly to me! If he likes war so much, perhaps he should be sent into one again. He's so determined to show everyone what a macho man he is, perhaps it's time these tendencies were verified or falsified by means of the real thing. Anyone who's that hungry for war has more than likely never been in one (but I never heard of this guy before you mentioned him, so he could be a veteran).

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

I don't believe he's a veteran, I think all he's ever done was play a couple games in the NHL and then coach in the NHL, and then host some loudmouth show about the NHL. And I think I once heard a story about him getting drunk and stealing his parents car and crashing it when he was a teenager. But I might be thinking of someone else, I'll check. I find it ironic how he's so supportive of the troops and talks about how they are heros and they deserve to be treated better than normal citizens, however he would gladly send them into a suicide mission because he loves war so much.

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

Today, after gym class, I was telling my friends about how Don Cherry is an ignorant moron, when some jock who I've known since grade seven and who has been a jerk to me since I've known went up to me and says "You're retarded. Don Cherry is awesome you faggot". I said "No, if anything, Don Cherry is retarded, and so are you for supporting him". He asked me how Don Cherry is retarded and I told him about the xenophobic, racist, militaristic actions/comments he has made. He said "Who cares if he's a racist?". What the hell? These kids are so brainwashed that racism doesn't matter to them, and it's okay to idolize a racist and not care about his racist comments. I'm sure if someone said something bad about Copernicus, Galileo, Archimedes, or Einstein, they wouldn't care. But if it's some guy involved with sports, he's the greatest person alive according to them. I asked him if he thought that Don Cherry was a greater Canadian than Alexander Graham Bell or Sir John A. Macdonald, and he said yes. In the midst of this conversation, I was threatened by him several times with violence. I told him to fight me, however he wouldn't actually fight me, only challenge me to fight. I was angered by his ignorance, so I told him to screw off and take some Ritalin. Perhaps making a comment about Ritalin was a bit too much, but I believe it's true that they need some way to control their obnoxiousness, anger, and other problems with their brain.

[i_like_1981]

Today, after gym class, I was telling my friends about how Don Cherry is an ignorant moron, when some jock who I've known since grade seven and who has been a jerk to me since I've known went up to me and says "You're retarded. Don Cherry is awesome you faggot". I said "No, if anything, Don Cherry is retarded, and so are you for supporting him". He asked me how Don Cherry is retarded and I told him about the xenophobic, racist, militaristic actions/comments he has made. He said "Who cares if he's a racist?". What the hell? These kids are so brainwashed that racism doesn't matter to them, and it's okay to idolize a racist and not care about his racist comments. I'm sure if someone said something bad about Copernicus, Galileo, Archimedes, or Einstein, they wouldn't care. But if it's some guy involved with sports, he's the greatest person alive according to them. I asked him if he thought that Don Cherry was a greater Canadian than Alexander Graham Bell or Sir John A. Macdonald, and he said yes. In the midst of this conversation, I was threatened by him several times with violence. I told him to fight me, however he wouldn't actually fight me, only challenge me to fight. I was angered by his ignorance, so I told him to screw off and take some Ritalin. Perhaps making a comment about Ritalin was a bit too much, but I believe it's true that they need some way to control their obnoxiousness, anger, and other problems with their brain.

That guy sounds a moron. He's taking offence at something said about a person he's never even met in his life? Well, these jocks do have solidarity but they really need to stop placing their sports heroes on such a pedestal when they don't even know them personally. I bet he thought "Oh Cherry would be proud of me for doing this." Yes, this is the sort of person who regards this Don Cherry as a role model - an arrogant, abusive bully who has absolutely no respect for academic or scientific achievement and who is just aggressive and brutal towards those unlike him! I respect you for standing up to this guy. Though I would have defended my points when I was back at high school, when violent threats entered the debate I would more than likely have stood down. Yes, that's correct. I really don't handle well when it comes to physical brutality (or anything physical for that matter). I would lash out when physically attacked but usually it would prove to be of no avail, as bullies generally either attack a target smaller and physically weaker than them, or in groups where they have the advantages of number and combined strength. Thankfully they did not scare me into respecting the sports gods whom they held so dear. No, that was never going to happen with me. I played the game in the safest way I knew possible - didn't go round picking fights but didn't stray from what I truly felt about sports mania. Whenever the latest football scores or news became the conversation topic I clammed up rather quick. Best not to go dabbling in things that you don't know too well - they can harm you.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

Yes, this is the sort of person who regards this Don Cherry as a role model - an arrogant, abusive bully who has absolutely no respect for academic or scientific achievement and who is just aggressive and brutal towards those unlike him!

Probably, I bet his parents who are also likely sports fans just watched his show and said "This guy looks like a good role model, let's just let Don Cherry do the parenting through the TV". While I do hate the ignorant jocks who like to pick on others, there parents are almost fully to blame. I'm sure some of them could have been smart people if their parents raised them properly. But instead, they raised them to be freaks about competition and turned them into what they are.

[The Quiet One]

I'm not much of a hockey fan myself. I only watch college hockey and cheer for my local college team. But I can't condone Don Cherry's behavior, even though I'd never heard of him until this thread. Fans need to pay attention to their favorite athletes, and speak up when they do something wrong.

[i_like_1981]

I'm not much of a hockey fan myself. I only watch college hockey and cheer for my local college team. But I can't condone Don Cherry's behavior, even though I'd never heard of him until this thread. Fans need to pay attention to their favorite athletes, and speak up when they do something wrong.

Hello The Quiet One. I've been reading your posts on this forum. You sound like a decent, intelligent and civilised character. Yes, I don't think Don Cherry deserves to be classed as a role model with all this aggressive and threatening behaviour he is displaying all the time. The fact he has stated he wants children to look up to him as a role model highlights a sense of arrogance and excessive self-importance. "Oh they're gonna be like me, cos if they won't then they're all fags and don't deserve to live!" He will probably only be satisfied when we live in a world full of bigoted, violent people who are abusive towards the smaller and weaker and who have no respect for anything other than this sort of behaviour. He can keep doing it if he wants to, nobody's going to stop him - they like to see the odd thug on TV. It makes the country look stronger with all this militaristic caper. But he seriously needs to re-evaluate his personality before he expresses a wish to be a "role model". However, there are some people who feel inspired by him and who he has become a role model to. HugeFanOfBadReligion has already pointed out what one of his followers is like in this thread. I think it explains itself.

You say "Fans need to pay attention to their favorite athletes and speak up when they do something wrong". Yes, many fans will be let down by their favorite celebrities from time to time and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't stick by them if their hero was to murder somebody or commit some sort of horrible act towards another human being. I'm sure Don Cherry's fans won't mind his odd extreme comment or excessive display of militaristic obsession but if he were to murder somebody else the reaction would be far more negative. Don Cherry probably knows his limits. He knows what his fans want to see - they want to see a tough guy. That's what they like. But nobody likes a murderer. I think he knows not to push the envelope too far. Still, I don't like him. And seeing as how he's never actually fought in a war I don't think he should be the one to rant about how glorious and spectacular it is. Those who did fight in wars would certainly not be saying the same.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

Yeah, Don Cherry knows when to draw the line, however that line isn't placed based on what is best for everyone, just what will get him the most attention. Sure, he's gotten an 8 second delay during his live broadcasts at times so CBC could censor anything that would be offensive, but he's never gone through hardship because of his ignorant comments. Even most people who disagree with Don Cherry overlook his comments just because he's a Canadian icon to them and involved with sports. In fact, once, my Dad (who isn't really an athletic person, however he watches major hockey games such as the Olympics) told me that I should watch his show. I asked him why I would watch his show, he knows I'm not interested in sports, but he said it's Canadian history (it's sad that most people wouldn't care about any part of history but they consider a television host part of history). He said that he watched his show when he was younger, and I asked if he was still ignorant, and my Dad said "Yes, but that doesn't matter because it's not about that". This is what I hate about Canadian culture, even someone who isn't a big sports fanatic like my Dad will still overlook his ignorant comments even if they don't agree with him.

And I just realized that you just reached 500 posts in your last post. Congratulations i_like_1981!

[Indurrago]

I'm not much of a hockey fan myself. I only watch college hockey and cheer for my local college team. But I can't condone Don Cherry's behavior, even though I'd never heard of him until this thread. Fans need to pay attention to their favorite athletes, and speak up when they do something wrong.

Lol, I always thought it was ridiculous that people are socially expected to cheer on for the local teams like their campus's. Forgive me for not having the heart to cheer on people I will never care to know.

[The Quiet One]

Lol, I always thought it was ridiculous that people are socially expected to cheer on for the local teams like their campus's. Forgive me for not having the heart to cheer on people I will never care to know.

Not a problem, Indurrago. I wasn't socially expected to, honestly. I was shown the sports by my parents, and it was up to me if I wanted to support them or not. I wasn't being pushed to, I myself just liked what I saw, and felt that because it was my local team, it was an additional bonus because when they did well, it made the area look good too. (Of course, I've also come to see that if they do negative actions, they'll reflect negatively on the community as well, and I will quickly be the first to come down on wrongdoers on my favorite teams.)

[i_like_1981]

And I just realized that you just reached 500 posts in your last post. Congratulations i_like_1981!

Thanks! I do like posting on this board, you know. I guess I'm addicted. Well, I suppose there are far worse things one can be addicted to. I guess I just have a big mouth when it comes to whining at sports! But I won't be on for too long tonight - the next episode of my current top program, Ashes to Ashes, is on in 15 minutes and I certainly don't want to miss it. Nonetheless, it is good to have reached half a thousand now. And I have attained a new rank I see - "SportsSuck.org Maniac". Very good, very good! As for a custom rank... no, I don't ask for one just yet - better to earn your high rank rather than just begging the admin to grant your wishes. Need to work for your place in the world, don't you? Anyways, thanks, HugeFanOfBadReligion. You're now past 100 posts... we've found some pretty good new members recently!

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

I do like posting on this board, you know. I guess I'm addicted. Well, I suppose there are far worse things one can be addicted to.

It's definitely better to be addicted to talking and debating about something you like/don't like than to be addicted to a sport or chaotically cheering for someone who you don't even know personally. It's also definitely better than being addicted to trolling and hacking like those assholes on 4chan.