What Has Don Cherry Gone and Done Now?

Last night during the first intermission of the Leafs-Oilers game, CBC host Don Cherry chatted live with Ron MacLean as he usually does. The difference last night was that MacLean wasn't in the Toronto studio, he was out in St. John's Newfoundland for Rogers Hometown Hockey, the humiliating gig that Rogers has put him on so they can replace him with that preening moron Strombo.

Since he's out in St. John's, and since it's the middle of harp seal season, Ron told Cherry that he had a seal burger earlier in the day. In fact, why don't you take a break and watch Don in glorious HD?

Anyways, Cherry put on his best sarcastic face and started harassing Ron about his lunch.

Ron: Guess what I had for lunch today?
Don: I know I heard, of you eating a seal, a little baby seal. What kind...what do eat seal? I mean, Come on!
Ron: I knew it would upset you.
Don: What are you savage, a barbarian? Anyhow, I wanna talk about the Leafs...
Ron: Mallard's Cottage, I had a seal burger, and the only challenge for Todd Perrin the chef was it was hard to know when to "Flipper". Anyways, tell me about the Leafs, what's their problem?
Don: Imagine eating a seal, what kind of barbarian...anyhow, I'm at a minor midget game last night...

Well Cherry's comments have exploded today, with everybody from Matthew Coon Cane to Leona Aglukkaq freaking out about what Don said about eating seal.

Hey, notice that Matthew Coon Cane and Leona Aglukkaq have something in common? I'm sure that's just a coincidence...

According to Don Cherry, my Inuk friends are savages because they eat seal. The network should fire him for his racist remark.
— Matthew Coon Come (@mcooncome) February 8, 2015

Wait, what? racist?

I posted the entire transcript of what Don said about seal meat above. Do you see anything "racist" in there? He doesn't even mention race. He does mention that eating seal meat is barbaric, but seeing how Ron was in Newfoundland eating at a famous Newfoundland restaurant being served by a white Newfie celebrity chef, if any race was being called "barbaric" wouldn't it have been...Newfies?

Neither Matthew Coon Cane nor Leona Aglukkaq are Newfies, it's worth noting. But they're the first ones to jump on a "racism" bandwagon? Piss off.

Of course, 90% of the outrage is foolish to begin with. If you just read the transcript above you might be confused, go click the link and watch the video. Check out the body language of the two men and tell me if you think either of them think they're seriously in the middle of an argument.

Here's a screenshot of Don Cherry admonishing MacLean for "eating a little baby seal":

Seconds later, here's Ron's reaction:


If you hadn't already figured it out, here they are when Don first brings up the "barbarian" comment:


This is Don Cherry playing a character. He's doing a parody of those who opposed the seal hunt. Does anybody watching that segment seriously believe that Don actually objected to Ron eating a seal? No, he saw a chance to play devil's advocate and be politically correct and admonish the guy who's constantly the liberal voice on his segment arguing with him.

The obvious rejoinder, of course, comes courtesy CBC commenter "seadog21".

you wanna know something? if he had said good for you Ron i hear the seal is good. there would be a million people calling him a barbarian for promoting the eating of seal.

The perpetually outraged class won't figure that out, of course. If Don Cherry opposed eating seal, Matthew Coon Cane would yell at him. If Don Cheery supported eating seal, Bif Naked would yell at him. As it was, joking about opposing seal turns out to be worse than being sincere one way or the other...Cane gets a bug up his ass for no apparent reason, and Bif Naked, it's worth noting, hasn't exactly come to Cherry's defense.

If you believe Don Cherry actually opposes eating or hunting seal, a belief I peg at roughly 5% likely, then you probably also believe he likes the ballet.

Update, 4:19pm: Cherry has issued a rather bizarre Twitter apology for his comments:

I have friends who hunt deer and ducks and I myself have eaten venison and duck meat. Just the same as people who hunt seals and eat seal meat. I have no problem with my friends who are hunters and eat venison and duck. Just the same, as I have no problem, with people who hunt seals and seal meat.

I do however find it very unusual, in my world, that a person would go into a restaurant and order a seal burger for lunch. I meant no disrespect to the hunters who hunt and eat seal meat just like I have no disrespect for the hunters who hunt deer and duck and eat their meat.

Again, I do this explanation because I want to. I have hurt some people’s feelings that I like and admire. If this explanation isn't good enough, then let the cards fall where they may.

The apology doesn't make any mention of his hey kids, Ron MacLean eats baby seal, isn't that weird? asides to the camera, and as damage control probably ranks maybe a 2.5/10. He does say that its no different to hunt seal than hunt deer. It's probably better to just ignore the second paragraph. Had he stopped at one, it would probably be over.