[Split98]

^ That comment from Ron stuck with me too - and part of me wonders how much more "2019 crap" Cherry was going to take.

Don has been doing this a while, and Don was definitely going to step over the line again and again. Sportsnet had made it very clear to everyone watching, nevermind everyone involved that they wanted to move on from Coach's Corner. What he said definitely needed to be clarified, and the original message definitely needed to be apologized for. He's not used to that - and I am pretty damn happy we live in a world now where that's the expectation.

As funny as it was, Don has always been an "old school hockey" influence and he held that stance staunchly. I don't know where he stands on certain things now, but Europeans, visors and multiple other pieces of equipment and styles of play drew his ire over the decades. Terry Ryan's story above is a great one, and it helps you understand how crappy this parting of ways is for a lot of people. But the reality is, some of the division he's encouraging kids to work on might very well have started from his own mouth. He stuck by opinions despite every effort to educate him, and that was part of the entertainment - but it by no means surprises me that it eventually touched on things off the ice that isn't so funny anymore.

There has definitely been an extreme period where anything you said cost you your job but in this exact context... I think it was more 'final straw' than anything else. It would have been best if this just ended when Sportsnet originally tried. Give a huge send-off and happy memories.


Edit: And the poll is a perfect 50/50 (224/224) rn which is amazing.

I think this debate is a big part of what reminds me of how much I love this frikken' country. In contrast to what's going on with our southern friends, nearly 500 Flames fans are at a dead split on whether or not a hockey icon's comments on immigrants respecting our vets was racist or not. Not... "is this level of racism ok?"