Cherry & Michaels: On-Air Feud Details
Ron MacLean’s “Exit Strategy” Claim Sparks Heated Response from Don Cherry
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Ron MacLean, former co-host of the iconic “Coach’s Corner,” has ignited a firestorm by suggesting that Don Cherry’s controversial remarks, which led to his dismissal, were a calculated “exit strategy” orchestrated by Cherry himself.MacLean’s candid assessment, shared in a recent conversation with Gare Joyce of The Kingston Whig Standard, paints a picture of Cherry deliberately seeking an end to his long-running segment, even at the cost of his public image.
MacLean’s Perspective: A Calculated Departure
MacLean described Cherry’s infamous “poppygate” rant as “clumsy,but it was the right outcome.” He elaborated, “Ultimately, that’s what needed to happen.It was liberating. Don needed out and the time was right.” MacLean believes that Cherry, a figure known for his passionate and frequently enough combative style, saw the Remembrance Day controversy as his final stand, a way to depart on his own terms.
“Don needed out and the time was right,” MacLean stated. “(Remembrance Day) was his last swing, taking a stance that’s unpopular, but that feels good in his world. For Don,it’s all a fight. It’s all a battle.So he was happy and I’m happy for him.”
MacLean also revealed his own role in the situation, admitting he felt he was “doing the honorable thing by making it look whole.” He confessed, “The attack on immigrants was improper and I was not happy with it – it goes against my ethics. I was able to take my stand and he was able to take his, but I was also playing the game and that card allowed Don to gracefully get out – he could go out on what was for him a high, (saying stuff) that would get you elected President of the U.S. now.”
Health Scare as a Catalyst?
Adding another layer to his theory, MacLean suggested that Cherry’s past health scare, a bout with pneumonia, played a significant role in his desire to leave the demanding life on the road.”I think that pneumonia scare was it,” MacLean posited. “The pneumonia said to Don, ‘It’s time.’ He had to think, ‘Why is this grind suddenly so hard?’ He was ready to have an exit strategy. From that moment on, he was plotting a way out. The first opportunity (to end Coach’s Corner) was going to be a happy one for Don.And I thought he did it well.”
Cherry’s Vehement Denial
However, Don Cherry has vehemently refuted MacLean’s claims, expressing deep disappointment in his former colleague’s interpretation of events. In a conversation with Joe Warmington of the toronto Sun, Cherry set the record straight, stating, “No, I wasn’t looking for a way out. I never even thought of that. I’m very disappointed in Ron that he would bring this up.I’m very disappointed that he would reach back five years and do this. He should let it go. He can say what he wants, but it never happened.”
Cherry made it unequivocally clear that he and MacLean are no longer on speaking terms and have no intention of reconciling their differing views on the end of their on-air partnership. “I don’t have any feelings toward ron,” Cherry stated bluntly. “No, I don’t want to talk to him about it.” The stark disagreement highlights a significant rift between the two broadcasting legends, leaving the true motivations behind Cherry’s departure from “Coach’s Corner” open to continued speculation.