Things are starting to reach the boiling point around the world of hockey where fighting is concerned.Chris Nilan is one of the hockey heroes from my youth. To this day, my brothers and I still repeat Dick Irvin's call from back in the '80's in that whiny voice "...Chris Nilan on a breakaway. Scores!"
I didn't see it but more than a few people came up to me the day following the Habs' 2-0 loss to the Leafs this past Thursday night talking less about the game and more about Don Cherry's rant on "Coach's Corner."
Good for TSN to air a response from those former tough guys accused by Cherry as being cowards and hypocrites. Chris Nilan was one of my favourite players growing up and it hurt me to learn of his problems with drugs and alcohol. I would never doubt this man's character and the guy has millions of fans across Quebec who would go to battle for him like he did for the Habs in the 1980's. "Knuckles" Nilan -- you're my hero bro. Way to shake your demons and hope you're on a better road now, once and for all.
You know when I was a kid I liked Don Cherry for a variety of reasons. First, I loved the fact that he hated the Habs because I knew they always got the better of him and his beloved Bruins -- especially in 1979 with the famous "too many men on the ice" call from game 7 in that year's semi-finals. Second, he brought an air of honest and frank commentary to CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada" that I found very amusing.
But it's not funny anymore. And it hasn't been for years. It's disgusting as a matter of fact.
I find it sad that "Hockey Night in Canada" -- once the gold standard in hockey broadcasting, commentary and coverage, is now just a shadow of its former self. But this didn't happen overnight. It's been on a slow decline for years. From not broadcasting the Habs and providing a Leafs-centric bias, to losing A+ play-by-play men (like Chris Cuthbert) and the iconic "Hockey Song," "Hockey Night in Canada" is now and has been for quite some time a joke and an embarrassment to fans like me across our great hockey-mad country.
I'm sorry, but if Don Cherry was a carton of milk, not only would he be way over his expiration date -- he'd be a curdled lump of mold. And you know, he doesn't look that far off from that in those sickening suits of his.
Don Cherry: why don't you drop the gloves some time and scrap it out instead of sitting behind that small little desk of yours with your lackey Ron MacLean there to cover your endless miscues??
I'm not going to go into what he discussed, rather end with this message to the CBC: your hockey telecast is a joke; you should be ashamed to have such a moronic, bigoted and homophobic commentator on your flagship show who hangs on to whatever he can of an era that's dead and buried; and you should not be surprised that more and more of us turn away from hockey on Saturday nights to do other things with our time.
"Hockey Night in Canada"... you suck!
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I wasn't surprised by the Habs' loss to the Leafs the other night and I wouldn't be surprised that they lose in Winnipeg tomorrow night, who'll be amped up to the max for that game. But not to worry, we'll get our mojos going. It was sad they didn't score, but you know -- who cares!? These are the kind of games that are good to get out of the way early...
Too bad for Chris Campoli, hopefully he'll come back strong and soon but in the meantime the Habs continue to work out the kinks for the blue line. You know P.K. will come back strong and with the signing of Joe Callahan and Emelin itching to play, we should be alright.
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Habs Fan in LeafLand Greg Chambers sent me a link to the animated version of "The Hockey Sweater" produced by the NFB (also a former shadow of itself, but that's another discussion) and I found this other great hockey short from the early days of the Quebec Nordiques in the WHA. Love those jerseys! When they're back in the NHL, I seriously recommend something like that for the team. Enjoy!!!
http://www.nfb.ca/film/just_another_job/
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