Paying homage

Don Cherry is old and senile and will soon have to retire from Coach’s Corner. In the past few weeks he’s dropped the f-bomb (although the CBC had it removed from public record), and attacked the “lefties” from out of nowhere as the picture of a killed RCMP officer is flashed on air. Hey, par for the course from the right-wing fruitcake, right?

My enthusiasm for his inevitable departure is tempered somewhat by the realization that the CBC is grooming Mike Milbury as his successor right before our eyes. Another former Boston Bruin, who parlayed a half-decent playing career and a disastrous managing career into a seat at the broadcasting table is sure to be the next Don.

During the hot stove on Saturday night, Al Strachan and Pierre Lebrun were outlining the logical limitations of Jim Balsillie’s bid to bring a franchise to Southern Ontario, just as StephD did in the comments section a few posts ago (I promise not to use the adjective “logical” to portray Strachan ever again). Then, at the 3:10 mark, McLean released the hound:

Some gems for those without YouTube access:

- Why are we giving this guy the time of day, the arrogant buffon?

- For crying out loud, you’ve got your money why not go to your Wednesday night club and tell the guys “I’m shooting for the moon here, I’m bringing a team to Southern Ontario”? Come on!

- Just because you have a few extra bucks doesn’t mean you can go to any country club and get in, it’s a clubhouse! Act like a decent human being.

- (people from Southern Ontario) just want a hockey team, they’re just jealous.

Ahem. So the man best known for jumping into the stands to beat a fan with his own shoe is now the go-to authority on hockey matters at Hockey Night In Canada? I’ll tell you what an arrogant buffoon is: selecting a lifetime goon (Chris Nilan) to the All-Star team because he’s a player on your team is arrogant buffoonery. Trading away the best up and coming goaltender (Roberto Luongo) only to pick another goalie in the draft is arrogant buffoonery. Successively trading Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Olli Jokkinen, Zygmund Palffy, Bryan Berard and Jason Spezza from a perpetually losing New York Islanders team is the epitome of being an arrogant buffoon. Heck, he was such an arrogant buffoon that he made the backup goalie look so good they eventually chose him as GM.

And what of this country club to which Jim Balsillie is trying to gain access? I’ve often read or heard people dismissively refer to the NHL as an “Old Boys Club”. Now we have confirmation. It is just flat out strange that the crux of Milbury’s argument is borrowed from those that denied people of colour country club memberships decades after the civil rights movement. Act like a decent human being, indeed!

Fear not Cherry fans, when the Don finally decides it’s over, Mad Mike will step right in and it will be as if no change was made. Ron McLean better make sure his shoes are fastened very tightly.