Don Cherry Fired by SN - Poll Added

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

These points are both true and valid, but they do not apply to this case. I think that's the issue here.

This is where I am on this case. PC outrage is definitely a problem, and definitely yields some bad results.
This isn't an example of outrage culture. If people were exaggerating or putting words in Cherry's mouth to make him look worse, or were quick to gloss over any opportunity for clarity or apology, it could be.

That's not what happened. Don made remembrance day an us vs the immigrants issue on national tv, and people are rightly criticizing it, and his employers rightfully can't stand behind his viewpoint. He didn't apologize, even further stated that he meant what he said. This is pretty cut and dry -- said a stupid thing that got people justifiably mad, and his employer clearly couldn't side with him.

[Torture]

So let me get this straight.

Large corporation fires someone because their views don't line up with their brand.
Conservatives: THE LEFT! OUTRAGE CULTURE! FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

WTF? Do I live in the upside down? This is a corporation doing what it thinks it needs to do to protect its profits. Isn't that Capitalism and the free market which Conservatives are supposed to love? Companies can hire and fire pretty much* whomever they want, they aren't beholden to the public.


*I work in HR, I am aware there are cases when workers are protected but that doesn't apply here and most of the time you can fire pretty much anyone you want, even if you don't have a reason, it just comes down to how much you pay.

[madmike]

At the end of the day this isn’t about politics. It’s a business decision. Keeping Cherry would have hurt the Sportsnet brand, the sponsor brand (Bud), the CBC brand and the Rogers brand. They were going to lose business if they kept him. Cutting ties was a pretty easy decision for them.

[GirlySports]

Again, I can be fired for wearing sneakers.
I signed up for this.

[afc wimbledon]

It is probably pertinent to also point out Don Cherry, and every other TV personality of his level, are not 'employees' they are 'contractors' their company is contracted to provide them for a specific purpose, a contract that can be terminated at any time for any reason.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

You miss understand.

I don't think Don is relevant.

I don't think Don's opinions are relevant.

His opinion is akin to the meme "old guy yelling at clouds".

I am an immigrant and a vet.

I really don't give his comment any validation.

He should have been gone years ago for many other ridiculous xenophobic comments he has made.

Today HNIC is better.

Totally fair, but the guy was voted the 7th Greatest Canadian in a nationwide poll and held a 30+ year segment within a cornerstone cultural program on the most wide reaching network in Canadian media.

Personally, I agree with you, but Don Cherry is substantially relevant in Canada, so his comments have to be given measurable validation whether we like it or not. He's simply not relevant in the same way Abe Simpson is to The Simpsons' universe.

I'm glad his thoughtless comments didn't negatively affect you, but unfortunately we can't dismiss the guy's sociocultural influence.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Dienasty

So to assume "you people" being immigrants are all visible minorities, wouldn't that be a racist?

How do you think he's classifying "you people"? Is he walking around and waiting for them to talk to detect an accent? Is he asking them for their birth certificates to see where they were born? No, everyone knows how he is classifying "you people."

[Textcritic]

I am listening to Scott Rintoul right now, and they just played a clip from an interview with Don Cherry that was on Toronto radio KISS 92.5 this AM. It continues to be frustrating that certain media outlets refuse to accurately report—and draw attention to—what was most problematic in Cherry's rant.

The interviewer—much like the writer of the National Post article, and like Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington—set his focus on Cherry's mention of "you people," and not where it should be on "you people THAT COME HERE."

Reporters continue to ignore the real issue, and it provides an (albeit weak) avenue for Cherry to maintain that he is a victim of being misunderstood. So long as people refuse to call him out for the real problem, then the entire exercise of his dismissal was ultimately futile.

*EDIT* Also of note is that in the interview Cherry also insisted twice that he meant EVERY WORD of what he said. He meant to single out immigrants. Stop side-stepping this unambiguous fact.

[Burner]

so if you wore a poppy the rant doesnt apply to you....

if you didnt - why didnt you?

[JohnnyB]

Cherry has said things for years about Russians and Europeans that were bigoted, and for years has kind of had these things dismissed because he was such an iconic figure in Canadian hockey culture. He has also been almost incoherent for years now, but again has kept his role because he has been an iconic figure in Canadian hockey culture. To be frank, he has been enabled for decades by not having the bigoted comments result in his role being reduced. What is to be expected when someone who has been enabled for decades becomes increasingly incoherent with age but is still given a national platform to speak his mind?

To someone who has been enabled for years, it probably feels unfair to have people suddenly be upset, and maybe it is, but the guy is an anachronism.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Burner

so if you wore a poppy the rant doesnt apply to you....

if you didnt - why didnt you?

Because in Canada people have the freedom to do as they wish.

[Burner]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Because in Canada people have the freedom to do as they wish.

true

but then its also fair to say you dont value what others have done to bring Canada to where it is today and I call that disrespectful

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Burner

true

but then its also fair to say you dont value what others have done to bring Canada to where it is today and I call that disrespectful

What better way to show you value the freedoms in Canada than by exercising those freedoms.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I am listening to Scott Rintoul right now, and they just played a clip from an interview with Don Cherry that are on SN590 this AM. It continues to be frustrating that certain media outlets refuse to accurately report—and draw attention to—what was most problematic in Cherry's rant.

The interviewer—much like the writer of the National Post article, and like Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington—set his focus on Cherry's mention of "you people," and not where it should be on "you people THAT COME HERE."

Reporters continue to ignore the real issue, and it provides an (albeit weak) avenue for Cherry to maintain that he is a victim of being misunderstood. So long as people refuse to call him out for the real problem, then the entire exercise of his dismissal was ultimately futile.

Danielle Smith did the same thing. To me there is no way to possibly mistake that he was talking about immigrants,,,,"you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey". Leaving these bits out and focusing only on "you people" gives him a pretty easy pass that Smith's listeners gobbled up. 100% of callers seemed to think he was targeting all Canadians and that he was not specifically targeting immigrants. And if he was targeting immigrants it was the Irish.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He's an 85 year old, outspoken man that was given a nationwide platform for decades because a lot of Canadians liked his brash takes. If he's always been a raging xenophobe what was the difference two weeks ago before these comments? Why was he allowed to be on the air all these decades being a raging xenophobe as you say? This is what happens when you give a person like this a big stage and really HNIC and RSN should be held accountable as this was a ticking time bomb as Cherry has been offending people for years and it was just a matter of when he was going to offend a larger portion of the population. They milk the guy for viewership and then cast him aside and wipe their hands clean like they had nothing to do with it.

To be clear I am no Don Cherry fan. The one plus of RSN getting the NHL rights at the time to me was that they had the opportunity to finally put Cherry and MacLean out to pasture. But in the name or ratings RSN kept them around. It's just sad that so many people are piling on an 85 year old man like this. How many people here have heard their grandparents say something that has probably not been politically correct but we just pretend we didn't hear it and accept it because we say to ourselves they grew up in a different era? He's an 85 year old man that has been milked for TV ratings and shouldn't have been on TV in the first place. I don't mind agreeing with him being let go but some of the comments here have been in pretty bad taste IMO.

nothing changed in the past 2 weeks. I believe SN have looked for an opportunity to can him for a while and he giftwrapped it for them.

But yeah, I do think he's always been a raging xenophobe. Look, Iim 'm not going to pretend I fully understand Cherrys impact on Canada as a whole and I'm not going to take away anything from that. I'm just offering an outside perspective, and yeah, that whole "good old Canadian boys vs soft Euros" was a good example ot xenophobic BS.

Maybe people are going to say "he's 85 and he is what he is". Fine, but then maybe it's time to not give him that kind of platform anymore. He's been given an ultra long leash for a long time just because he's Don Cherry ... anybody else would have been let go much earlier for much less.

Again, not taking anything from him. Being active in the community, supporting veterans and troops, supporting emeegency services ... all fine and dandy, he just shouldn't be given that kind of TV platform anymore. I've always (granted, from afar) viewed Canada as a diverse and progressive country. I can't think of a TV personality more at odds with that than Don Cherry.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Burner

true

but then its also fair to say you dont value what others have done to bring Canada to where it is today and I call that disrespectful

No. It's not.

Because my values and their expression are not always on public display for everyone to see. One's appearance should not be used as a measure for her or his values and virtue.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Burner

true

but then its also fair to say you dont value what others have done to bring Canada to where it is today and I call that disrespectful

Sure. And if you like, call out everyone who didn't wear a poppy. Don't restrict your criticism to "those people".

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No. It's not.

Because my values and their expression are not always on public display for everyone to see. One's appearance should not be used as a measure for her or his values and virtue.

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Sure. And if you like, call out everyone who didn't wear a poppy. Don't restrict your criticism to "those people".

Two opinions on this, in order, that are better than Cherrys.

[Igottago]

I will also add that I'm pretty happy about the way the Flames' Peters and Monahan responded to this in the media. Very well considered remarks and made it pretty clear what the organization and the sport is all about. I think this is a pretty clear case for all but Cherry and his few supporters who just don't get it.

[ST20]

Originally Posted by Burner

true

but then its also fair to say you dont value what others have done to bring Canada to where it is today and I call that disrespectful

Value has nothing to do with it. Do you make public displays to your mom or spouse every valentines day or Christmas?

1. People can still donate without wearing a poppy
2. If it's about the donation do you donate every time you are asked at the grocery store? Sport Check? To 50/50 at a flames game? When someone comes to your door?

If you do donate every time. Wow you are amazing. If not, how do you hate under privileged kids? Kids with cancer? Women with cancer? Girl scouts? God? Education? Firemen? Police? and on and on. You must be a disrespectful person.