Listening to Don Cherry on CBC makes me cringe. It like listening to a racist or misogynist rant from a cranky old uncle that everyone either patronizes or ignores. You just can't take anything he says seriously. But the entertainment value is already beyond its shelf life. CBC needs to seriously consider moving their highly popular yet irrelevant icon off the air.
Don Cherry speaks for no on other than Don Cherry. He was never much of hockey player or coach. He found his niche on air more as a sideshow then a serious contributor to the game of hockey. The game has evolved tremendously in the past 30 years both good and bad. Yet Cherry totally lives in the past. The evolution has only increased at a more rapid rate in the past 10 years. Everyone recognizes that more needs to be done to protect players' health both while playing the game and post-retirement. Both current and former players are concerned about these issues.
Don Cherry's answer is eliminate the instigator penalty. You see more fighting will reduce head injuries, reduce brain damage later in life, and reduce addiction to alcohol and pain killers. More fighting will help players overcome mental health problems like depression and assist retired players transition into new careers. More fighting will make the game more affordable for families with children playing hockey, will help struggling NHL franchises and bring more NHL teams to Canada. Heck maybe more fighting will get the Toronto Maple Leafs into the Stanley Cup Finals?
This is hockey Don Cherry pines away for. A game that only exists in the past.
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