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Sunday, April 28, 2013

CBC's Don Cherry makes 'outdated' comment about female reporters

Times have changed, but not for CBC analyst Don Cherry
Known primarily for his hockey acumen and outlandish wardrobe, CBC "Hockey Night In Canada" analyst Don Cherry angered some Saturday night when he went on a tangent saying female reporters should not be allowed in men's locker rooms.
Cherry was defending Chicago's Duncan Keith, who reportedly insulted a female reporter.
"I don't believe a female should be a in a male dressing room," Cherry said, recalling the first time he remembered being approached by a female in the locker room. "Guys are walking around naked and I hear this woman asking me about a power play."
"I don't feel women are equal. I feel they're above us. They're on a pedestal and they should not be walking in when naked guys are walking around. Some guys take advantage of that."



If by "take advantage," it's possible Cherry feels he's defending female reporters, but in doing so implies that women can't hold their own when talking to male athletes.
Co-host Ron MacLean plays "Good Cop" throughout, while bringing common sense to the discussion. It's almost like a segment on ESPN's "First Take," except Cherry has long been known to carry beliefs that many would consider old-fashioned.
Cherry has been known to make his opinions public, leveraging his soapbox in the past.
In his rant, Cherry grasped for traction asking if MacLean would want men in women's locker rooms, to which Dave Hogg, who has covered the WNBA for various media, tweeted this is already commonplace. 


Predictably, the Association for Women in Sports Media called Cherry's comment "as sexist as it is outdated." 
The group praised MacLean for his poise and noted CBC in its response to the group added the disclaimer that Cherry's opinions are not those of the network. 
“As you know, Don Cherry has many opinions on a wide range of subjects and isn't shy about expressing them ... last night being no exception," CBC head of media relations Chuck Thompson said. "That said, in as much as he's hired to give hockey related opinions on 'Coach's Corner,' he speaks for himself and not the CBC. I should also point out, and something you likely heard when watching last night, Ron MacLean took the opposing view and countered Don's perspective, which provided some balance to the discussion."
Fellow CBC sports personnel were quick to disassociate with Cherry. The Calgary Herald noted Vancouver-based CBC sports reporter Karin Larsen tweeted the following: 
"I'm embarrassed by and for Don Cherry and for CBC. Sorry." 
The timing of this "discussion" is peculiar, given that women were granted locker room access decades ago. Did Cherry go overboard in defending his friend or were HNIC producers taking a page out of the "Book of (Skip) Bayless?" Keith reportedly had the good sense (or publicist) to apologize for his remarks, will Cherry?

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