Hockey TV Expert Don Cherry Fired After Controversial Comment About Migrants - Sportsnet

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2019) Outspoken hockey television expert Don Cherry, who has been hosting the Hockey Night in Canada show for over 33 years, was fired by the Canadian sports network Sportsnet following his controversial appeal to migrants to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers, Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley said on Monday.

Remembrance Day, informally known as Poppy Day, is observed in the Commonwealth of Nations on November 11, with people wearing remembrance red flowers � poppies � to honor the memory of fallen soldiers. "You love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that," Cherry said on Saturday, adding that soldiers paid "the biggest price" for way of life that one can enjoy in Canada.

"Sports brings people together � it unites us, not divides us. Following further discussions with Don Cherry after Saturday night's broadcast, it has been decided it is the right time for him to immediately step down," Yabsley said in a statement.

Cherry's "divisive" remarks do not represent the broadcaster's values, he stressed.

However, he paid tribute to Cherry's role in the game over the past four decades, calling him "synonymous with hockey."

Cherry, 85, is known for his for his personality-packed straight-out comments, as well as flamboyant dressing style with fancy jackets and ties. In 2004, Cherry was named the all-time seventh-greatest Canadian in the relevant miniseries of the CBC broadcaster.