The goods on Grapes

Don Cherry has gotten away with promoting violence in hockey for too long when he should be leading the charge to stop hits to the head, says a renowned neurosurgeon who came out swinging just a day after calling the Canadian hockey icon a "negative influence" on the game.

"We've been too gentle with him over the years. We've allowed him to change the culture of hockey," Dr. Charles Tator told said Sunday after returning from Regina, where he told a conference on concussions that the rock 'em, sock 'em type of hockey Cherry, left, preaches – and markets wildly popular videos of – only adds to the injury problem.

But not everyone agrees Cherry's off-ice antics contribute to on-ice dangers, and even Tator gives Cherry credit for helping out with a campaign years ago to prevent neck injuries.

Hockey Night In Canada executive producer Sherali Najak, in a statement released Sunday, described Cherry as a "leader in teaching tough, smart hockey" who "promotes respect amongst players at every level."

"Everyone who has watched Don over the years knows this," Najak added, "and any indication otherwise is misguided and a short-sighted misrepresentation of the facts."

What do you think?

Comments

[Ed2]

When I hear Don Cherry vent vile and disgusting rhetoric, such as that of Howard stern, then I will complain.

Don Cherry is entertaining and popular. I do not hang on his every word but his comments can transfer over to everyday life and is thought provoking.

And I say this as a non-hockey fan.

Howard Stern thinks it was clever to call an airline reservation desk while on-air right after a fatal crash and ask; "What time is your next flight into a bridge." Funny that no one complained.

Yet Don Cherry takes the heat for entertaining in a thought provoking way and is crucified.

In closing, even a most trusted source of entertainment or information should not be followed down to the last word. Use your own mind and judgement in the end.

Thank you.

[Ted M]

When are people going to wake up and realize that Don Cherry is to hockey what Howard Cossell was to boxing" all talk and no action"'They both could tell great stories (B.S. and otherwise),qoute a lot of facts and tell a lot of entertaining stories but as far as performing in their respective fields (boxing or coaching) a GREAT BIG ZILCH.

[Ricko]

Interesting point Ed2.

The NHL is becoming more like the WWF every year.

[Don Campbell]

Don Cherry is merely a reflection of us. He makes the Rock-em Sock-em videos, and we buy them.

If you want to deal with hits to the head in hockey, you need hit the heads that run hockey, and not listen to the talking heads that comment on it.

And if that doesn't work, then do what I do: stop watching and supporting a beautiful game that is turning into nothing more than a WWF cage match.

[Ed2]

Before dumping on Don Cherry, how about a comparison to WWF or MMA and their examples to the public?

[Ed2]

In my view as a person who never got involved with hockey; it is the players who can control this as they are on the ice as a personal experience and know the ins and out's of the game from an actual physical point of view.

Do unto others as you would have done to you. Cheap hits, injury filled fights, rough play, goon mentality players as opposed to talented participants can be controlled by the players themselves.

Mr. Cherry is a classic example of a feisty no-nonsense senior who will never be viewed as feeble and inept and I hope he stays that way. Promoting a good stiff game is different than promoting criminal behavior. It’s hard to avoid his comments in the media and to me he has always promoted safety first and classic sportsmanship.

"Oh world; where is the next Wayne Gretzky. Send him along now in our hour of need."

[Peter Michael]

Dr. Tator wanted 15 minutes of fame and the only way he was able to get it was by using Don Cherry's name. The good doctor's time is up.

[Tom Robertson]

I heard comments this afternoon on a local talk radio program where Mr. Cherry talks about being in a fight during his playing days and was hit so hard he had no idea where he was. He was wearing it as a badge of courage that he carried on despite the obvious signs of concussion. I hope all hockey doctors are as concerned about the players health like the ones who brought up this issue. A doctor on a teams payroll has more loyalty to the team than the player.

[Dave]

This nerosturgeon needs to ask for all the episodes of coaches corner and be forced to watch them all then retract his idiot comments and go back to being a surgeon.

There are sooo many times that Don Cherry has shown that plastic shoulder and elbow pads are the cause of many of todays head injuries it's nuts.

Factor in the leagues useless instigator rule and the new "primadonna" playstyle they wish to tote off as hockey and you get what we got. A dysfunctional lawyer driven game of greed.

Put grapes in charge of the league get the yankee doodle good ole boys club out and get back to playing *@&#ing hockey.

Game on....

[Ed]

Why don't doctors in general mind their own business and solve some real issues in their field instead of pandering to drug companies and hyping non cures that do nothing but make money for their friends. Its about time we hold their feet to the fire and ask some important questions like, why are we treating so many health problems with methods from 70 yrs ago. I find it embarrassing to todays medical community that so many of these problems were treated by doctors from an era when they had nothing more than a 2x4, a bunsen burner and a dream. All the technology and money we pour into this industry and most of todays doctors would rather cure baldness than diabetes, shame on the lot of you.

[Mike Russell]

This doctors comments are absolute nonsense. Hockey is and always has been a tough physical sport. To put the blame on one man who has dedicated his life to the sport and knows better than anyone how the game should be played is ridiculous.

The game as it is played today is no more violent or physical than it was 50 years ago. The difference now is that the basic skills needed to play the game are not being taught properly.

Back when I played and coached, players were taught to keep their heads up and be aware of whats going on around them. You didn't have guys going into the corners with their heads down because they knew they were going to get hammered if they did. We didn't have guys skating up ice looking over their shoulders for a pass.

The problem now is not the players, but rather the rules. The players feel protected by the rules, therefore they don't expect to get hit with their heads down or their backs to the play. Get rid of the hitting from behind rules. Make the players become aware of their surroundings and alert to the dangers of putting themselves in vulnerable positions.

The worst thing they ever did was to put face masks on kids. It makes them feel invincable. Make them a little more vulnerable and the injuries will be reduced. They will protect themselves if they have to. Th onus should be put back on the individual to protect themself rather than relying on someone else to do it for them.

[Bob fenton]

Nonsense, it is his jackets that make the bead influence on Hockey in Canada.

Bob Fenton

[Jamie]

I'd put the blame on the mental parents screaming from the stands at the coaches, ref's & kids.

[Stormin Norm]

Don Cherry is all that is wrong with pro hockey. Save your time and money and go watch kids play, or watch international hockey, which is played the way the game is meant to be played, with speed, finesse and skills not brute force.

[bob]

to say that injuries are the result of Don is the same as saying the current war is the result of Canadian politics. Don Cherry loves the sport and wants it played tough but he would be the first to punish a hit to injure faster then anyone. People who need to get their point across will look for the easiest person to blame to get their point across. Don loves the sport but he also loves tough but safe playing and the thought that he promotes only violence shows the ignorance of the article writer