Rogers has not and may not renew the contract of Don Cherry, potentially ending Coach’s Corner after 37-years, per Steve Simmons.
If this is the end, I for one am going to miss our eccentric suit wearing, Canada/Ontario loving, out of touch old man. pic.twitter.com/KxTiAycrve
— Complete Hockey News (@CompleteHkyNews) July 7, 2019
What a difference three years makes.
It looks like Don has been told he won’t be back on HNIC. ROGERS has been hemorrhaging money after acquiring the NHL broadcast and digital rights several years ago. New management at ROGERS is on the stick and clearly willing to part ways with their biggest price tags in favor of fiscal responsibility.
I like it.
ROGERS is a big ship and it takes a while for big ships to do a 180. Firing McCowan, Maclean and Cherry probably represent 3-4 million in salary. Traditionally radio/TV would fire 30 people making 100k, or 100 people making 30k or 200 making 15k.
Getting rid of big tickets in media sounds an alarm company-wide most companies try to avoid in favour of ‘quiet efficiencies.’
Don Cherry is $1,000,000 and the return on investment isn’t there anymore.
When companies downsize they look for two streams of employees to fire:
- Big salaries with lopsided returns, OR
- High maintenance employee’s who don’t play well with others.
With our bloggers, I like to do something called ‘People Math’.
If you demand more than everyone, talk shit about others or mail it in, you’re not moving in the same direction as the machine.
The juice has to be worth the squeeze, in the hallways and in your content. If that person doesn’t pull their weight that means they want to be somewhere else or they need help. 1+1 always equals 2 in this space.
Most media companies today don’t go after big salaries that represent their brand until they have to.
Now they have to and that’s smart business whether you like Don Cherry or not.
I admit I will miss watching Ron Maclean slowly lose the will to live whenever Don Cherry says something even your racist grandma wouldn't dare to say at Christmas dinner. pic.twitter.com/VNkJ8P0McY
— Allison Temple (@allitemplebooks) July 7, 2019
Despite their 30 plus year history, Ron and Don aren’t best friends. They’re partners based on history. Victims of old fucking eyeballs that refuse to accept anything new.
We don’t live in that world anymore, thankfully.
If you’re a young aspiring broadcaster, do everything. Start a blog and a podcast. Start three podcast’s and learn to become invaluable in your space. Learn the benefit of work honestly and be better in the hallway then you are on the air.
And before you take a shit on ROGERS, understand there’s only one constant in life.
Change.
Whatever they do on HNIC next year will be different. It will change based on Scott Moore’s ‘Friendship Employee Model’ being out of date. People like us prove you can achieve critical mass without spending 4 million on three people and lose millions more forcing something that doesn’t work.
The media landscape has finally achieved digital equilibrium with traditional media and Rogers is locked into a traditional deal they signed YEARS ago. Imagine buying the rights to fax machines, falling asleep for a couple of decades only to wake up in 2019 realizing you can’t sell them anymore.
Tough day for the over 70, crowd and it won’t get any easier. There are a few other companies who are yet to clean house and July/August is traditionally the period we see these changes in media so hold on to your four-hour workday, media people. The digital enema isn’t all the way in there, yet.
Comments
42 Replies to “Don Cherry Fired From HNIC?”
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I will miss the Don Cherry/IF this is true. I am so tired of politically correct that even if I do not agree, he is refreshingly opinionated and honest. And you young man are just plainly rude about anything that you think is old or old fashioned, but in reality anything that is not what you personally believe. Hoping for a job are you?
If this is true HNIC will finally become completely boring. Boring hockey, boring commercials, boring Rogers . Will I have to watch UFC on Saturday night or go and watch some really exciting Junior A hockey. NHL is pricing itself out of business. Betman is an idiot.
Your tweets are from over two months ago. This is old news, and Don Cherry has already responded to the ‘rumours”, and confirmed that he will be returning. 10 minutes of research would have show you this.
We will miss you Don.
This could be good, but could also be a big mistake. Then again, who am I to say.
sad to see him go, but change is good. But not to people who never laced a skate or spit out a tooth. As much as hockey has evolved you need to bring the history of the game along with it. I would sooner listen to ex players, coaches or management with there colorful anecdotes than some writers who think they know anything about hockey. And yes maybe it was time for cherry to move on, who will replace all of his history and knowledge other than a hockey guy.
This guy is clueless and obviously does not know hockey. He is q gluck bait journalist, which is becoming more and more prevalent in todays media ( Simmons, kypreos,farber, etc). HNIC tried a diff approach with strombo. I love strombo but he doesnt know hockey. He is a media guy not a hockey guy and it showed quickly. Rating dropped and they begged maclean to come back(at a hefty raise nonetheless). Cherry and Maclean are not going anywhere, they are the backbone of that broadcast. Bad enough they let bob cole go. Sportsnet did good by getting rid of cox and kypreos. I did like doug maclean tho, he was a good hockey guy.
I believe it is u who is living in a dream world
I love those 2 guys n dont care what they make its entertainment where you on the other hand should take the stick out of your ass who do you think you are lol maybe they’ll give u the job lmao I doubt that but goodluck to you
I hope not?!!! Don Cherry is the last of the real men before the millenials and politically correct pussies of the world took over!!!…😠
Great Canadian, should have went into politics. Lol
Money talks, that’s all the panel talk about.
Don talks about actually hockey and Canada’s heroes…
Will miss the guy.
Your an idiot. Plain and simple.
You’re an idiot for using “your”
Plain and simple.
I won’t make a point of watching hnic anymore I’m mid 50s watch religiously big big leaf fan and cherry fan if hes gone it will be a hit and miss going forward if I watch from now on
Maybe, but if your wrong and he comes back I hope you post something apologizing
If the company thinks they have it rough now, wait till their BEST commentators(Cherry and Maclean are gone, they’ll sink faster than The Titanic! It’s a shame when Corporate can RUIN a great game like hockey. Truely sad!
Rogers will sell the Blue Jays and Rogers Center next and just keeping the broadcast rights, then some of the fired big name Sportsnet talent will get contracts with TSN and their ratings will rise and take over as the #1 sports station ‘Get your popcorn ready”
Rogers needs to improve the production just like football did years ago. The 2 shot from the 25th row is outdated and hard to watch for any new fan. Improve the product show how great the game is correctly and watch the viewership climb. Stop pointing fingers at everyone else and fix the product. The players are amazing show there artistry of the game. New tech and cameras adopt the way NFL and NBA bring the game into the living room and this will fix it I think. Oh and do more shows about the players and there stories. I for one want to see the game grow but it seems to be held back by some kind of old tradition or red tape. Don Cherry is a legend and he should be left alone and honored for the work he has been doing.
2cents
Hockey needs to go the way of football, basketball, and soccer, and have just one 15-minute half-time instead of two 15-minute intermissions. One less break means fewer taking heads sucking up the oxygen with inane nonsense which means fewer analysts to pay. Push for it, Rogers before bankruptcy beckons.
I meant to write “talking” heads but “taking” heads kind of makes sense, too.
You obviously never played competitive hockey. Ice would b shit, and unplayable
Don who???
Bs don cherry is biggest thing in canada he is the best we will misd big don here in rochester new york i hopr now tgat station fail take the money and pay some dirt bag losers
Sucks I won’t watch after first period.
Dean I’ve worked at the two biggies for many years and you’re right on. Change is inevitable. Media is changing. The hockey deal is back loaded so Rogers will continue to lose $$$ til the deal is done. The leafs can win the Cup for 5 years and they will never recoup that money. Sad but true. November is usually when the axe falls.
What kind of NPC garbage is this? Don Cherry is a Canadian legend!
LIKE IT OR NOT Hockey on television is a BUSINESS FIRST!! Don Cherry is very expensive. There are cheaper ways to do things and the viewer will still be there.
Well that’s it then. Rogers just lost a huge group of hockey fans that it couldn’t afford to loose.
No.
Rogers is now going to spend $5, and still make $6 (or so) instead of spending $5000 to make $6000 (or so)
Who cares if viewers go away in droves if the costs also go away in droves.
It’s not worth it to be number one at something if there is no profit in doing so.
If being number 3 has a higher return on the investment isn’t that where you would rather be???
About time. MacLean can’t even understand him anymore.
Give Burkie a lengthier segment. Always a good learning moment with him, and good for laughs when he gets flowery with his words!
Sad day if it’s true. The reason Rogers is bleeding cash isn’t the salaries. For starters nobody watched the playoffs past the first round because nobody cared about the teams. Rogers paid an obscene amount for the NHL rights and expected the fans would fall in line. Personally I am sick to death of the panels, over analysis, obnoxious talking heads, war rooms, manufactured drama and all the other b.s. Broadcast the games, give us good commentary, not the history of somebody’s one eyed uncle who cleaned the ice with a chamois in 1942. You know like the CBC used to.
Hugh mistake towards tradition but unfortunately in a world of snow flake generation it’s over for a call as you see it kinda guy I think it’s a reason that as a hugh hockey fan and played the game and past this on too my kids hockey won’t be what it use to be for sure sad actually why bother watching anymore
Learn to use a period.
The same reason Dean is no longer on the major market radio station he used to be…. he became irrelevant to the times as well. Everyone has there day. Rogers will no doubt ruin, if they even attempt to resurrect Coaches Corner. See ya later Hockey Night in Canada…
Irrelevant enough for you to leave comments on our blog. Congrats.
Where do I click “like” for Dean’s comment
“Irrelevant enough for you to leave comments on our blog. Congrats.” lol
Excellent point!!
tells it the way it is NO B. S.
tells it the way it is no bs
That is a shame. Atleast have his last year and then that’s it. But Roger’s is Roger’s. Never doing anything properly
One would hope so.
Sign of the times nothing lasts forever
Ahhh, who are you ? Ha!
Ill never watch sports Net again if Don Cherry is fired
They made a huge mistake replacing bob cole with Jim hughson so why wouldn’t they botch this too? Rogers the people who brought you reverse billing and Ted Rogers statues-everything they touch turns to shit.