Today's poll question; should Don Cherry be sued for calling some former hockey fighters "pukes and turncoats"? Normally I'm among the first to defend Cherry when he creates a pinko bike riding media controversy, but Don went too far with the latest rant. Players who have played the game have every right to express their opinions about possible negative side effects, and doing so does not make them pukes. They earned the right to have their opinions. Now the 3 players who were at the source of Cherry's tantrum are threatening a lawsuit for defamation, and there is a decent chance that they could win. While I believe Cherry overreacted to what the players said about fighting in hockey, I'm not sure we want to live in a society where calling someone a puke is worthy of a lawsuit. That's too litigious.
Don went too far, but not so far as to warrant a lawsuit. Do you agree or disagree?
That great line out of the movie The Warriors "Wimps and Faggots" comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of undecided. While I understand that Cherry has the right to his opinion and expressing it is his sole job, I get sick of this moronic loud mouth shooting off his yap just ecause he can.
ReplyDeleteHe deserves to be sued but I don't want it to happen because there is enough of that lawyer-driven bullshit around already.
What I'd love to see is one of fighting players he called a "puke" come on his show uninvited and say "So Don! I hear you're calling me a puke!!?" Then feed the old loud mouthed fucker one right in the yap.
If Cherry loves fighting so much I can only think that he wouldn't mind being on the recieving end.
For all of his ranting about the pinko bike riding media Cherry is a part of it and he's just as bad.
ReplyDeleteHe gets paid to spew out a bunch of idiot hot air crap to fill time on TV. After a while, like all media dicks, he starts to think that simply because *HE'S* saying it the words must be golden nuggets.
I dont mind fighting in hockey and I hate lawsuits (and lawyers) but if he DOES get sued he'll deserve it.
Screw you Cherry. You're a loud-mouthed buffoon. STFU and retire - NOW.
Well, there's two distinct questions here. Should someone whom Cherry calls a puke be able to sue him for it? The short answer is, sure, why not? Suing is a rich man's hobby, but hockey players are rich, and so is Cherry. If they want to get their jollies by issuing a writ, it's not going to do Cherry serious harm to defend it, and the spending is good for the legal profession and thus for the economy.
ReplyDeleteThe other question, should they be able to sue successfully? Well, that's really for a civil jury to decide, but the idea that someone who engages in public spectacle for a living should be compensated if he's criticized for his performance is a pretty unhealthy one. Does anyone seriously think that any hockey player is going to lose his job, or suffer a salary cut, because Cherry calls him a puke? If anything, his value rises if Cherry mentions him at all, in any terms. A hockey player is paid to be a celebrity, and celebrity is measured by media mentions. There's no basis for what we normally recognize as defamation, where what is said against you actually affects your ability to do business and function in the community.
someone mad at being called names, sounds like a case for the "Human Rights" commission
ReplyDeleteA lawsuit is goofy. Cherry is just another dumb CBC knob. It's time for him to retire.
ReplyDeleteNilan et al shouldn't bother to sue,the only winners would be the lawyers,and the taxpayers would undoubtedly be on the hook for Cherry's legal bill.
ReplyDeleteThey should just respond in kind, "Cherry's a half senile old goat who's biggest claim to fame is LOSING the Stanley Cup due to HIS F*** up as Coach of the Bruins.Maybe if he'd WON the Cup, we'd take him seriously".
But,to sue,seems SO wimpy for a trio of former "tough guys".
Don Cherry is a great Canadian, Politically incorrect, by todays standards? Yes, but what I believe Cherry was expressing was how some people were trying to manufacture a link between fighting and suicide or other off ice problems all do to fighting. That leap is of course bullshit, there is no study or proof of any kind that says it's true, and Cherry was calling out some ex fighters for going along with the politically correct crowd and their agenda to ban fighting in hockey. They are hypocrites! The hyper sensitivity from the ban fighting crowd is to be expected, along with their propensity to shut down anyone who doesn't agree with their agenda. If the pussy brigade wants to ban grown men from fighting in professional hockey and feel the nanny state needs to protect them, then don't use ridiculous manufactured excuses to do it. Be honest and say that fighting in hockey damages you're delicate politically correct sensibilities, and save the bullshit for some other politically correct agenda. At least Cherry is honest.
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