The bombastic Canadian hockey commentator Don Cherry has faced criticism and calls to resign after scolding newcomers to Canada who don’t wear poppies on Remembrance Day.
Speaking on his Coach’s Corner show on CBC, Cherry, 85, launched into a rant about how “no one wears the poppy” in Toronto ahead of Remembrance Day, which is celebrated every 11 November.
Since 1921, the poppy has been Canada’s official symbol of remembrance worn for two weeks before 11 November.
“You people love – that come here, whatever it is – you love our way of life, love our milk and honey,” he said. “At least you could pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price.”
Cherry, who was sporting a red flower himself, went on to praise the “good Canadians” who abide by the tradition.
Political correctness has long been at the forefront of the national policy in Canada – where a prime minister caught wearing blackface on several occasions was still re-elected last month – so people unsurprisingly flocked to social media to call for Cherry’s head.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said Cherry was “off base” to school immigrants, while many others called the hockey pundit out for “racism” or “prejudice.”
We're all acting like if Don Cherry just knew a few more facts, he'd immediately apologize and....be an entirely different person?
The National Hockey League said the comments were “offensive and contrary to the values we believe in.”
A number of Canadians, however, made the case that Cherry was delivering a message of patriotism and was entitled to have and express an opinion.
Sportsnet, the broadcaster employing Cherry, issued an apology and said they “have spoken with Don about the severity of this issue.”
Cherry set off a major scandal in 2004 after speaking out against hockey players who wear visors because they allegedly have less respect for player safety; he specifically targeted “Europeans and French guys” in that rant, which prompted criticism from the French Canadian community and an investigation by the Official Languages Commissioner.
During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan, Cherry lamented that French Canadians “don’t like the Canadian flag. You know it’s funny, they don’t want the Canadian flag but they want our money.”
It’s not clear whether the hockey pundit was disciplined this time, but it looks like he will stay on the show. He has not commented on the backlash so far.