Don Cherry joins ESPN

[Gummer12 134]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/nhl_exper...F?urn=nhl,80996

[RadioGaGa 162]

So, what do you all figure...will it be better or worse than Grapes on NBC?

[EDIT]: Now, with youtubey goodness. --->

[PWBIII 0]

Does anyone even watch ESPN for hockey coverage?

[Krev 86]

Does anyone even watch ESPN for hockey coverage?

They covered the Frozen Four, so if you wanted to watch that, then yes.

They really do need to go back to ESPN and dump Versus.

[Chadd 916]

Does anyone even watch ESPN for hockey coverage?

They covered the Frozen Four, so if you wanted to watch that, then yes.

They really do need to go back to ESPN and dump Versus.

Versus does a better job than ESPN was doing at the end.

[ean 0]

haha don cherry is awesome. espn is not ready for him but at least i'll get to catch him now!

[DCott 0]

All espn does for hockey is maybe 3-4 min. of sportscenter with Barry Melrose. How is Cherry going to work into the equation? just sportscenter?

[mattzilla 0]

is he still doing CBC Coaches Corner!?

[RadioGaGa 162]

is he still doing CBC Coaches Corner!?

I would assume that he'll still do CBC.

Cherry will do live hits by remote for ESPN's SportsCentre at the end of each Flyers-Penguins game

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Here is what I said about it on the caps boards...

The problem with cherry coming on to the US media to talk about hockey is, he is from another generation of fans. Not that it is in of itself a bad thing.

But they had him on last year during an intermission and he spent his full time talking about how bad and unwatchable the NHL had become.

Thats fine as an opinion for hockey fans, who know what he is talking about when he longs for yesteryear, but to potential new and casual fans, it's a laundry list of why they shouldn't watch.

Terrible marketing idea if you ask me.

[DarkStar50 679]

Don Cherry is also a personality. Hockey needs a personality. Once guys like him are gone every commentator/color guy will just be the flavor vanilla forever.

[Kevin 5]

After the NFL season, I have little use for ESPN. The highlights are so much longer on NHL on the Fly on the NHL channel.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Don Cherry is also a personality. Hockey needs a personality. Once guys like him are gone every commentator/color guy will just be the flavor vanilla forever.

Roenick (as much as I dislike him) is a personality.

Cherry is a personality yes, but all he does is talk about how bad the NHL is. I'm not saying it's perfect by any stretch, but how does the NHL hope to attract casual fans in the US when they tune in to hear "the game has lost it's way....too soft...too many euros..." While some of that may be true, the venue for airing it is not a hockey game in the US on TV or national sports network in which you are trying to attract more fans

[Kevin 5]

I am so sick of the old timers, Cherry, KPD, etc. complaining about the new NHL. There is so much young and exciting talent: Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, Phaneuf, etc. Watch a tape of game from the 70s or 80s---the game is much faster now. If you want to watch unrestrained thuggery on ice, buy season tickets for the LNAH.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

I am so sick of the old timers, Cherry, KPD, etc. complaining about the new NHL. There is so much young and exciting talent: Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, Phaneuf, etc. Watch a tape of game from the 70s or 80s---the game is much faster now. If you want to watch unrestrained thuggery on ice, buy season tickets for the LNAH.

While Game 6 of DAL/SJ was going on, CBC was showing game 4 of the 92 Finals between PIT/CHI. Even though I knew who was going towin, I got into that game more than the one that was live.

[habsfan87 0]

I do hope that when Roenick is done playing that he ventures into the American Hockey television market. I don't think Cherry will win too many american viewers but I'll tip my hat for at least trying to do something.

[chippa13 1844]

Yet another reason not to watch ESPN.

[DarkStar50 679]

Love him or hate him, Don Cherry gets people to talk about hockey. Mission accomplished.

[habsfan87 0]

Love him or hate him, Don Cherry gets people to talk about hockey. Mission accomplished.

I agree with that point but with Cherry going on ESPN, he has to have an initiative..winning over american fans, and bringing in new fans...he doesn't have to have an initiative on CBC, he can say whatever he wants, and we all know he does.

[ddbowdoin 0]

Does anyone even watch ESPN for hockey coverage?

can't say I do... I actually enjoy melrose but he gets about 3 minutes of coverage

I wish he was on board on NHL on the fly

[chippa13 1844]

Love him or hate him, Don Cherry gets people to talk about hockey. Mission accomplished.

Don Cherry getting people talking about hockey does as much good as Jose Canseco getting people talking about baseball. Both are circus sideshows that the sports don't need.

[rubberduckie 0]

As much as i love don cherry, I don't think his opinions are going to go over that well in the states. Canada has a completely different fan base, and he might not be the best at attracting new fans down there. True hockey fans will understand what he is saying though.

My call is ESPN is going to try to get him to jump through a hoop or two, and it will not turn out pretty. I think Cherry is too much of an opinionated, hard core hockey guy to 'fit' in at ESPN.

I watch American broadcasts of hockey, and what they point out about hockey vs canadian broadcasts is unbelievable. I didn't need to know what an offside was, and some basic strategy. Different markets.

[hockechamp14 0]

ESPN wants to kill hockey, by brining in cherry, they can try and get ratings from hockey fans for everything else while they wait, or Cherry can convince everyone else that hockey sucks. Of course, if the NHL gets rid of the instigator rule and markets the hell out of it, then maybe cherry benefits the NHL.

I don't really think Don Cherry cares much about the growth of the sport in the USA. He's seeing dollar signs in the ESPN desl, interesting what ESPN's motivation is here.

[UMWhockey 0]

well i know he doesn't see dollar signs from ESPN because he is going to donate all that he makes to the Humane Society.

[MLSman 22]

Word has it ESPN2 will be back in the game next year...