Ron McLean - is it time to retire?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

How much does he care? You forgot to ask.

I'm sorry, I was too excited and busy preparing the Graph!! Look at me! All a-flutter!

[SutterBrother]

I thought he should have stood by Don Cherry.

Don Cherry was wrong. But didn’t deserve to be fired without the opportunity to apologize IMO.

Ron only has a career due to Don. To not even attempt to defend him? No stand up guy does that.

Also, 20 years of “Edmonton is really building something special up there” is of course 1) B.S. and 2) has no place on tv on a Flames broadcast.

Ron does good charity work. But I don’t need to see or hear from him on a Flames game.

[WideReceiver]

Originally Posted by Locke

I'm sorry, I was too excited and busy preparing the Graph!! Look at me! All a-flutter!

Hahahaha!

Wait, I thought you wrote fluffer.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by saillias

Just Ron? I would rather Sportsnet go away entirely. For the past few years I've been streaming the local broadcasts of the opposing team whenever possible and 9 times out of 10 these American channels have a better product.

Never thought I'd be cheering on Amazon to take over from a Canadian company but Rogers has done the impossible

Yeah Rogers and sportsnet just don't seem to care. Worst thing the NHL did for the Canadian side is give them the sole contract. One part of me thinks they just don't care because most Canadians will watch hockey no matter what. Things just get worse rather then them trying to innovate to make it a better product. Only thing they really have worked on is how to get more money from ads.

Something as simple as the Bahl hit. Flames lose one of their top pairing Dmen and it doesn't get a mention. Pullock falls while skating and leaves the game and they mention it. Cousin injuries himself of a near blind side hit and they they go on and show clips from hits by Cook and Richards. It is just bizzare what they do and don't mention considering that they know what audience is watching.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

I thought he should have stood by Don Cherry.

Don Cherry was wrong. But didn’t deserve to be fired without the opportunity to apologize IMO.

Ron only has a career due to Don. To not even attempt to defend him? No stand up guy does that.

Also, 20 years of “Edmonton is really building something special up there” is of course 1) B.S. and 2) has no place on tv on a Flames broadcast.

Ron does good charity work. But I don’t need to see or hear from him on a Flames game.

Cherry has never apologized in the years since
He’s had every opportunity
The issue is he’s a bigot and has always been one

[Calgary]

Originally Posted by saillias

Just Ron? I would rather Sportsnet go away entirely. For the past few years I've been streaming the local broadcasts of the opposing team whenever possible and 9 times out of 10 these American channels have a better product.

Never thought I'd be cheering on Amazon to take over from a Canadian company but Rogers has done the impossible

Yep. Sportsnet is a clown show. The talking heads are unbearable. The best solution for me has been to watch the away feeds. Ron and Jennifer Botterill are no good.

[activeStick]

I think it's obvious that a big reason many here don't like Ron is because he's an unabashed Oilers fan and has gotten a bit extreme with his constant reminder to viewers of all things Oilers even when they're not remotely associated to the topic being discussed, so it makes sense. But it is strange to me the level of disdain that comes across from some of the posts for the guy.

One thing I have noticed more and more and last night during the post Vancouver game panel, it was obvious, is that there is pretty clear, strong chemistry between Elliotte, Bieksa and Hrudey during their unscripted conversations but when Ron jumps in or is pulled in, that chemistry breaks and the vibe is off. Maybe he's patiently waiting to go back to script whenever the other guys take things off script or maybe he's just not as close to them as they are to each other, but it's a bit weird and very obvious.

[Red_Baron]

The only time the sn panel is showing on a screen in my house is when we can't find the remote.
I'm not sure if the panelists are that obtuse, or if they have producers in their ear crafting their promotions. And at the end of the day, Ron actually makes the rest of the product that much worse.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I second Gene Principe

But he has to do it....always in the Hot Dog costume.

Contractual obligation.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I get the sense that even his co workers are cringed out by him now.
You can feel them rolling their eyes every time he goes off on one of his tangent tales.

[curves2000]

I grew up watching Ron and Don and still miss Coaches Corner, it was just different and now the segments are just not the same. Ron should have supported Don better but such is life, kinda sad in some ways.

Ron's folksy type stuff can get a little annoying and sometimes it's over the top for sure. I think what has happened to sports broadcasting is that there is a lack of real personalities on TV these days. Things are just really really corporate and buttoned down. I find some of his encyclopedia level knowledge unique.

He is in the final chapter of his career as full time host of HNIC, perhaps another broadcaster may have some unique use for him at some point too which could be nice.

Him and Don Cherry deserve to be in the Hall of Fame and it would be nice if they could go in together and bury the past.

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

...I don't know who they should replace him with. I know David Amber is being groomed for the job, but I haven't really enjoyed him much either, even though I really thought I would. I am having a difficult time imagining who should sit in that chair, and I can't really think of any. There are many personalities that are well spoken and that I do enjoy listening to, but they would make for better panelists than host. I can't really think of someone who would make a great host. I am sure there are many that would, at least if they are given some rope, but I can't think of any.


I think for too long, he simply detracts from HNIC instead of adding to it.

If James Duthie becomes available I'd support him hosting HNIC. Much better host who understands his role, doesn't suffer from that annoying need to display his hockey knowledge through sick references from the last millenium.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Red_Baron

The only time the sn panel is showing on a screen in my house is when we can't find the remote.
I'm not sure if the panelists are that obtuse, or if they have producers in their ear crafting their promotions. And at the end of the day, Ron actually makes the rest of the product that much worse.

With a proper host you could get good stuff out of Bieksa and Botteril. Not so sure about Hrudey. At least they've hived off Freidman into a segment where talks about what he knows, not on ice stuff.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Bring Steve Armitage out of retirement!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I grew up watching Ron and Don and still miss Coaches Corner, it was just different and now the segments are just not the same. Ron should have supported Don better but such is life, kinda sad in some ways.

Ron's folksy type stuff can get a little annoying and sometimes it's over the top for sure. I think what has happened to sports broadcasting is that there is a lack of real personalities on TV these days. Things are just really really corporate and buttoned down. I find some of his encyclopedia level knowledge unique.

He is in the final chapter of his career as full time host of HNIC, perhaps another broadcaster may have some unique use for him at some point too which could be nice.

Him and Don Cherry deserve to be in the Hall of Fame and it would be nice if they could go in together and bury the past.

Don Cherry is like...your Grandpa.

He loves Canada, loves hockey and supports the Military and has hard views on a lot of things and you usually think:

"Yeah Gramps! You tell them!"

And then he says that very racist thing and starts going off on a tangent and...

"I swear....I dont know that guy!"

But hey, Peter got away with lying a few times when it really counted and they made him a Saint and the rock upon which their Church was built so...morality is malleable.

Nobody could have saved Cherry. Ron's actions were reprehensible but understandable. I get it. He didn't want to go down with the ship that Cherry shot a hole in. There are some that believe that how people treat you at your lowest point defines them, and thats fine.

Regardless of any of that however, his time is done. The game has passed him by and its beyond time he is put out to pasture. Let him keep doing Homeland Hockey or whatever and limit him to that.

But for your premiere product? You gotta move on from him and find someone else.

I'm no fancy 'Big City TV Producer' or nuthin' but I'd reboot Coach's Corner. Get Bruce Boudreau in there! My 'Crazy Mind' says to pair him with Daryl Sutter but thats just for the lulz, its not realistic. Maybe an ex-Ref? That could be fun to watch?

I mean, we learned this from Don Cherry...the 'Canadian Icon' thing is cringey and has a term limit and Ron's passed his a long, long time ago.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

There are two schools of thought:
1. That he betrayed his long time friend to protect his own ass. From what I understand they no longer speak to each other or anything.
2. That he should have intervened more forcefully when Cherry was going off about immigrants. As host he failed in his duties to keep that segment on track.

I think both are true.

How exactly did he betray cherry if he didn’t speak up against him?

I also think it’s tough to criticize Ron for not saying anything in the heat of the moment. The CBC protected cherry numerous times when he said offensive things. And in the moment I think it’s a lot to expect Ron to sidetrack a segment by getting into that kind of discussion. Otherwise things could’ve gotten a lot worse. It makes more sense to condemn the comments later when he’s had time to digest and analyze.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Those that think he betrayed him feel that way because of what he said on the days following and that he didn’t go to bat for him
It’s not how I feel

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Those that think he betrayed him feel that way because of what he said on the days following and that he didn’t go to bat for him
It’s not how I feel

And thats fine. I think anyone would be hard-pressed to feel otherwise.

Cherry said some pretty revolting stuff, I wouldn't be the guy next to him saying....hell...what do you say? To defend that?

I think I'd be tempted to pull the mic off and just walk away. I dont think Cherry was defendable.

Thats not my issue, I just really dont like Ron anymore based on his current content and I think its time to move along.

[habernac]

People who still campaign for Cherry are the same losers yelling “thy Son’s!” during the national anthem.

[activeStick]

Was the Don Cherry firing one of the first times a public figure was fired and cancelled after sharing their personal views on a public medium? Feels so long ago now.