Should Don Cherry get into the Hockey Hall of Fame ?

[Hoopo]

Regardless of your opinion on the firing, I can't see a convincing case against him getting in. He'll get in and he'll deserve it for a lifetime of being one of the most visible promoters of the game (hard not to be with those suits on!)

[Auston'sWilly]

I sure hope the people who voted "no" will explain why. I can't speak for the others, but I promise I will not be critical of your reasoning. I am just really curious how almost 10% (albeit larger sample needed) could justify a no.

[doulos]

Easy yes for me.

[forumname]

I don't know much about the categories of getting in or anything, but this guy is/was hockey for decades. If the goal of the HoF is to be a representative history of the game, he has to be in there.

[ericdaoust]

I sure hope the people who voted "no" will explain why. I can't speak for the others, but I promise I will not be critical of your reasoning. I am just really curious how almost 10% (albeit larger sample needed) could justify a no.

Maybe they're trolling you and it worked?

Also, make sure you keep your promises!

[The Comish]

I can definitely see Cherry in the HHOF (media category). Iconic for many decades. Polarizing, by that I mean, people either loved him or hated him, not too many people who follow hockey were on the fence with their opinion of Don Cherry.

[Grapes]

HHOF definitely in the media category . I know I was always interested in what he had to say on Coach’s Corner .
Very passionate individual . Always spoke what he believed . I didn’t always agree with what he had to say . What he said was usually a topic for discussion and debate among hockey fans . I liked him for taking a stance regardless of the topic . Anyone can read a script and be a “yes” man .

[agentzero]

Easy yes. No brainer. Lord what the internet can make of one comment...

[CascadeFilly]

Easy yes. No brainer. Lord what the internet can make of one comment...

Pretty much this for me.

[Ernie Scar]

There's no question he should be in. Any reasonable person can see that. The issue is ultimately whether the Hall will bend to the will of the social media enraged masses and overlook Don for fear of backlash. It's a real goddamn shame this is even a question, but that's the society we now live in.

An aside, but I do find it interesting how many media outlets chose to run the Cherry Video starting with the "you people" segment, ignoring the run up to his comments as if they didn't exist. Context is everything. It's clear that at worst he misspoke - the willingness of people to see the worst and pile on to the "he's a racist!" mantra without even appreciating that context or even considering that he perhaps misspoke is, sadly, not surprising.

He deserved much, much better - the Rex Murphy piece in the Post was bang on for those who haven't read it.

[lobo1969]

There's no question he should be in. Any reasonable person can see that. The issue is ultimately whether the Hall will bend to the will of the social media enraged masses and overlook Don for fear of backlash. It's a real goddamn shame this is even a question, but that's the society we now live in.

An aside, but I do find it interesting how many media outlets chose to run the Cherry Video starting with the "you people" segment, ignoring the run up to his comments as if they didn't exist. Context is everything. It's clear that at worst he misspoke - the willingness of people to see the worst and pile on to the "he's a racist!" mantra without even appreciating that context or even considering that he perhaps misspoke is, sadly, not surprising.

He deserved much, much better - the Rex Murphy piece in the Post was bang on for those who haven't read it.

Rex Murphy is inflicted with the same out of touch with reality "old man yelling at clouds" infliction that Cherry has that comes with old age. Both are long since irrelevant and most of society can see them for what they really are.

BTW let's not try to take any moral high ground here with a handle like Ernie Scar, one of the hallmarks of 1980s racism coming out of the prairies.

[rangersfury]

I'm curious to know if the Broadcast/Media guys tend to get in after they retire or if there are generally active HHOFers still in the media or broadcast booth?

[Auston'sWilly]

There's no question he should be in. Any reasonable person can see that. The issue is ultimately whether the Hall will bend to the will of the social media enraged masses and overlook Don for fear of backlash. It's a real goddamn shame this is even a question, but that's the society we now live in.

An aside, but I do find it interesting how many media outlets chose to run the Cherry Video starting with the "you people" segment, ignoring the run up to his comments as if they didn't exist. Context is everything. It's clear that at worst he misspoke - the willingness of people to see the worst and pile on to the "he's a racist!" mantra without even appreciating that context or even considering that he perhaps misspoke is, sadly, not surprising.

He deserved much, much better - the Rex Murphy piece in the Post was bang on for those who haven't read it.

Well said, Ernie Scar, and welcome to the forum. Rex Murphy's piece was definitely bang on. Cheers.

[doulos]

There's no question he should be in. Any reasonable person can see that. The issue is ultimately whether the Hall will bend to the will of the social media enraged masses and overlook Don for fear of backlash. It's a real goddamn shame this is even a question, but that's the society we now live in.

An aside, but I do find it interesting how many media outlets chose to run the Cherry Video starting with the "you people" segment, ignoring the run up to his comments as if they didn't exist. Context is everything. It's clear that at worst he misspoke - the willingness of people to see the worst and pile on to the "he's a racist!" mantra without even appreciating that context or even considering that he perhaps misspoke is, sadly, not surprising.

He deserved much, much better - the Rex Murphy piece in the Post was bang on for those who haven't read it.

There is another thread on this already started that you might want to wade into. Otherwise this one is just going to get just as infested as the others.

[Swels Stewart]

I sure hope the people who voted "no" will explain why. I can't speak for the others, but I promise I will not be critical of your reasoning. I am just really curious how almost 10% (albeit larger sample needed) could justify a no.

I voted no, but to be honest, I was also surprised he wasn't in yet. For me, he's just wasn't enough of a journalist or broadcaster for inclusions in the media category. He didn't write columns or do play-by-play day in and day out, he just spoke for 5 minutes on Saturday nights. I understand, though, that many (most) here will feel that his long-term presence and popularity should be enough (it is after all, a hall of FAME).

I also have difficulty putting someone in as a builder who seemed, often, to be working against much of the forward progress of the game (particularly in regards to Europeans and "tough" hockey/concussions) . I get that he promoted elements of the game (women's hockey in particular), but so much of his approach was about keeping hockey where it had been when he was a player. I guess that a lot of you feel that he helped bring new fans to the sport, I'm not sure that I agree that was the case, but maybe he did. Even watching him as a kid 25+ years ago he seemed like a throw-back sideshow that was always just part of HNIC. I get that many fans cared about his opinions and that he did set a fair bit of the (hockey fan) public discussion about the sport over the years.

I certainly don't think he would be the least deserving inclusion ever, it seems like every long-term owner gets in a a builder eventually, and I don't even think he's necessarily undeserving. But if you are asking if I think he should, the answer is no (although I also think a lot of the players and builders currently in shouldn't be in either). But I completely understand why people think he should be.