How Don Cherry changed hockey’s culture; weekend audiences
December 20, 2009 · 16 Comments
Let’s start by giving credit to Don Cherry for pursuing goals that would make hockey safer for children and professionals.
He’s been right to advocate no-touch icing. And his campaign against hitting from behind was commendable.
It’s also worth saying that the Don Cherry whom people know personally is a good person. He loves the game. There’s nothing phony about his positions. He is a true believer and he’s extraordinarily popular.
So, when Toronto neurosurgeon Charles Tator called out Cherry for being a “negative influence” on the game, it was hardly surprising that a large share of the Canadian media would rush to Cherry’s defense.
The Hockey Night In Canada commentator got in his own licks yesterday by loudly dismissing Tator as a misinformed publicity seeker.
Earlier in the week, Cherry’s supporters went on the offensive. This editorial in the Barrie Examiner, north of Toronto, under the headline, “Cherry promotes a tough, clean brand of hockey,” was typical of many of the opinion pieces. Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo Sports argued that “Charlie Tator” had used Cherry as a pawn to publicize his crusade against head injuries.
But, before we organize a lynching, let’s focus on reality. A “tough, clean brand of hockey” referred to by the newspaper cannot include fighting, because fighting is against the rules. A foul isn’t clean. Arguing, as Wyshynski does, that Cherry’s complaining about a lack of respect among today’s players places him solidly on the side of the angels is pretty weak.
Over three decades, Cherry has promoted two things. He has promoted hitting and he has promoted fighting. Every once in a while he will air a clip and pay his respects to somebody who has made a skilled hockey play, but not very often.
The consistent subtext to everything he says is: No matter how talented you are, you’re less than a real hockey player if you’re not willing to drop the gloves or deliver a big hit. And it helps a lot if you’re a Canadian.
Has he “changed the culture” of hockey, as Tator asserted? He has played a significant role in changing the culture of hockey. He is by far the most influential commentator in Canada. Hockey Night is the most watched sports telecast in the country. Generations of kids, future hockey players, have grown up listening to his message.
Today, the NHL workplace is far more dangerous than it was even 20 years ago. There are more cheap shots and many more fights.
When the biggest, meanest hits of a particular week are glorified, the impressionable will strive for even bigger and meaner hits, and maybe, just maybe, they will include hits to the head.
Tator, an expert on brain injuries, was attending a seminar on concussions when he made his comments about Cherry. He also stated, hopefully, that if Cherry “took a strong stand against hits to the head, it would help.” The good doctor probably shouldn’t hold his breath. Cherry wouldn’t even take his calls last week.
And just to underline his position, Cherry aired a clip on Saturday after he denounced Tator. It was the one in which David Koci, whom Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau described as a no-talent thug, delivered a hit along the boards to Mike Green. It was a classic cheap-shot. It was from behind. Green had his back turned. He didn’t see the Colorado forward coming.
Who was to blame for this incident? According to Cherry, it was Green, the victim, because it was his responsibility to be aware that Koci was on the ice.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous to do stuff like that,” Cherry said.
Cherry didn’t mean it was ridiculous for Koci to run Green into the boards. Oh, no. It was ridiculous that Green (a) was not aware Koci was on the ice (b) had his back turned and (c) apparently did not have eyes in the back of his head.
A sharp contrast to this lunacy was a segment on TSN’s Friday night NHL game. The subject was Reggie Fleming, the deceased former NHL fighter who was found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease that causes behavioral abnormalities and dementia.
Fleming was the first hockey player known to have been tested for the disease, which was also found in several former NFL players. TSN did its own research and discovered that Fleming fought far fewer times during his era than today’s pugilists. He was always close to being the busiest fighter in the NHL in the 1960s, tossing them four or five times a season. But today’s leading fighters will drop his gloves more than 20 times.
You will continue to hear the argument that fighting doesn’t cause serious head injuries, although explaining that to the parents of Don Sanderson would be difficult. He was the amateur player who died from a head injury suffered during fight last season.
Ultimately, perhaps, the final word on workplace safety, specifically head injuries, won’t belong to commentators or even the NHL. TSN’s Bob McKenzie said during the Friday night show, “Whether the NHL likes it or not, it’s going to be dragged kicking and screaming into an era of legislation because this is becoming an athletic pandemic.
“What’s going to happen with (U.S.) Congress being involved, medical authorities being involved, it’s going to go beyond the game of hockey. It’s going to become societal, and, when that happens, people in hockey are going to lose a little control about how the rules are governed. It’s going to become illegal. Within five years, you are not going to be allowed to hit anybody in the head.”
Weekend audiences
Hockey
CBC Hockey Night In Canada pre-game: 900,000 viewers.
Hockey Night Game 1, Boston-Toronto, Minnesota-Ottawa, Montreal-New York Islanders, 1.876 million.
Hockey Night Game 2, Washington-Edmonton, 729,000.
NHL on TSN, Friday, Toronto-Buffalo, 862,ooo; Washington-Vancouver, 880,000.
Regional hockey, Rogers Sportsnet: Nashville-Calgary, Saturday, 214,000; St. Louis-Vancouver, Sunday, 418,000.
Football
NFL regional, CTV, Sunday, 820,000
Sunday Night Football, TSN, Minnesota-Carolina, 510,000.
Basketball
New Orleans-Toronto, CBC, Sunday, 255,000.
Soccer
Manchester City-Sunderland, Saturday, Sportsnet, 113,000.
Alpine Skiing
GMC Series, Saturday, CBC, women’s downhill, 63,000; men’s downhill, 217,000; Sunday, CBC, men’s giant slalom (Quebec-West only), 117,000.
Bobsleigh/skeleton
World Cup, Saturday, CBC, 191,000.
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I don't get The Cartoon Network.
Don Cherry is a buffoon whose influence, mercifully, is tempered by his incoherence and his efforts to dress like a Saskatoon pimp.
Don is in the entertainment, not the hockey, business. If he had the influence on the game people think he does, he'd been in a management position with a professional team, not on TV (although the TV gig is, I am sure, more lucrative). When he got involved in running a junior A franchise, predictably the results weren't that great. The problem with the game and the inherent violence etc results from a very simple proposition: too many teams and not enough good players. The talent level in pro hockey is spread far too thinly, and when the rules allow the player with the most marginal ability to use the physical aspects of the game to prevent the most talented player from performing, this is the result. The good doctor used Don Cherry's name because he knew it would get him publicity. not because he thought it would actually do anything to reduce head injuries. As a final thought, lets not forget that south of the border, it is the "UFC" aspect of the game that attracts many fans, not necessarily the skilled players. I know to be fair this is a bit of a generalization, but it is a factor.
The only reason I watch coaches corner is to see what he's wearing now. I like physical hockey but I'm not so fond of fighting and head shots… In fact, I prefer a game' in which no penalty's are called because they're not needed. A game with no hits from behind, no fight-stoppages, no hooks, cross checks, high sticks, baseball inspired swings at the cage after you got scored on… Just 60 minutes of up and down action… That is the greatest hockey you'll ever see. Go ahead, call me a pansie, or a wuss or whatever, but don't forget to call me right
"You will continue to hear the argument that fighting doesn’t cause serious head injuries"
It's amazing that in this day and age, there's still people who can defend that position. Have none of them seen Ali in the last 30 years? Case closed right there.
William, perhaps you can answer this: for years I've heard that CBC would never get rid of Don because of all the viewers he brings, but I've never seen any in-broadcast numbers to back up that claim. I think the CBC would willingly cite them if they existed. So do you have any numbers that show one way or the other if coach's corner is watched as much as the actual game or at least that the drop in the 1st intermission is less than the drop in the 2nd intermission? Frankly, I think they could replace him with someone like Bob Mckenzie and not lose more than a few percent and that would be only temporary.
Mike, there are numbers. Just because you haven't heard of them doesn't mean they don't exist lol.
Here's the stat: Hockey Night in Canada's viewership actually INCREASES during the 1st intermission when Cherry's Coach's Corner airs and then DECREASES back down from the 2nd period onwards. That means more people TUNE IN when Cherry is speaking than to watch the actual game.
I'm sure they exist, but they're never quoted as proof that Cherry is actually that big of a deal to HNIC and not the other way around.
Do you actually have numbers to back that up or are you just repeating the same thing I've heard for years?
Mike…I guarantee you that viewership spikes during Coaches Corner…much like when there is a hockey fight on the ice.
Houston..Cherry should also be credited for instilling a sense of patriotism in Canada, and routinely shows young players how to conduct themselves with class and respect on the ice.
Ugh. We Canadians display our patriotism through two things these days: hockey and beer commercials. Some might like that, but I think it's sad. We should not be looking to an old oaf like Don Cherry as the guy who instills us with a sense of patriotism, IMO.
ECC….hockey does indeed unite our country whether you appreciate it or not. Cherry's should be commended for his pride. His honouring of those young men and women who have given thier lives so that we can even participate on a blog like this is commendable. He proudly wears the country's colours, and maple leaf regularly, and promotes our interests almost to a fault. I can only hope my children can be as proud of our country as he is.
Numbers and a source are so much better than "Murph on the internet said so".
Don Cherry is a complete bore, just like the CBC and it's circa 1979 broadcasts. It embarrasses me. TSN, Sportsnet, NBC and yes even Versus do a way better job.
HNIC's incredible viewership is not dependent on Don Cherry. It's always been so, going back to the days of Foster and Bill Hewitt, Ward Cornell, Jack Dennett and the Hot Stove League. So forget that as a reason to keep this dinosaur on the air. Cherry DOES promote fighting and fighting, as Houston points out, is penalized. Nuff said. The only surprise here is that CBC backs this dodo.