Don Cherry blasts Ovechkin on HNIC

[RadioGaGa 162]

I'd agree (partially) with Don if Alex did that only when HE scores...but he does that when ANYONE on the Caps (or Russia) scores. How many times have we heard AO say it:

"I love score goals..."

He loves when he scores...he loves when a teammates scores...he loves assists. He LOVES hockey.

Yes, maybe a little flashier than the purists (like Donald S.) may like...but it's what will sell the game, and get non fans interested in seeing what all the fuss is about.

If you're counting on goal celebrations to sell the game then it is already too late. What sells the game should be what happens between the whisles.

There has to be some value in "Why the hell is that guy jumping around like that...? (cue replay)...Holy shit...that was awesome."

[Larry54 243]

Getting excited and celebrating hard when the score is close is one thing, but Ovy even does it during a big lead or when he's trailing big. He's a clown and you can love him or hate him for it. But nevertheless, he is a clown and sometimes leads us to think that he enjoys the crowds attention more than he loves the game.

[CapsFan 5]

As was previously said, Ovey celebrates anyone's goal, when appropriate. I think it's good for the team and the game. He scored yesterday at the end of that shitshow (no celebration) and he looked embarrassed to have done so. I think Cherry is entertaining most nights, but he is just plain wrong here.

[chippa13 1844]

I'd agree (partially) with Don if Alex did that only when HE scores...but he does that when ANYONE on the Caps (or Russia) scores. How many times have we heard AO say it:

"I love score goals..."

He loves when he scores...he loves when a teammates scores...he loves assists. He LOVES hockey.

Yes, maybe a little flashier than the purists (like Donald S.) may like...but it's what will sell the game, and get non fans interested in seeing what all the fuss is about.

If you're counting on goal celebrations to sell the game then it is already too late. What sells the game should be what happens between the whisles.

There has to be some value in "Why the hell is that guy jumping around like that...? (cue replay)...Holy shit...that was awesome."

Oh, so noone knows a goal has been scored unless one of the players jumps around like he just won the lottery? I would think the goal light, teammates raising sticks, horn (in home building), referee pointing at the net, or dejected look of opposition should be enough.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I'd agree (partially) with Don if Alex did that only when HE scores...but he does that when ANYONE on the Caps (or Russia) scores. How many times have we heard AO say it:

"I love score goals..."

He loves when he scores...he loves when a teammates scores...he loves assists. He LOVES hockey.

Yes, maybe a little flashier than the purists (like Donald S.) may like...but it's what will sell the game, and get non fans interested in seeing what all the fuss is about.

If you're counting on goal celebrations to sell the game then it is already too late. What sells the game should be what happens between the whisles.

There has to be some value in "Why the hell is that guy jumping around like that...? (cue replay)...Holy shit...that was awesome."

Oh, so noone knows a goal has been scored unless one of the players jumps around like he just won the lottery? I would think the goal light, teammates raising sticks, horn (in home building), referee pointing at the net, or dejected look of opposition should be enough.

I'm talking about attracting non fans...Sure...I can tell when a goal is scored...you can tell...But What Ovechkin does brings attention to him, to the Caps and to hockey. If you flip on SportsCentre/er and see the typical "act like you've done it before" routine...and you aren't a hockey fan, you don't care...if you see Ovechkin's celebration...you might want to see what caused the reaction.

I'm not saying EVERYONE should do it....but the best player in the world (possibly) does it...if 5-10 other guys in the League were even HALF this energetic and showed a love for the game that he does...hockey would be a lot better off in all the places they want it to be.

[Larry54 243]

As was previously said, Ovey celebrates anyone's goal, when appropriate. I think it's good for the team and the game. He scored yesterday at the end of that shitshow (no celebration) and he looked embarrassed to have done so. I think Cherry is entertaining most nights, but he is just plain wrong here.

Maybe Ovey saw the Coach's Corner the night before. :P

[interpathway 9]

I'm talking about attracting non fans...

Look at damn American football touchdown celebrations. Arguably (easily arguably) the biggest sport in North America, and these clowns are celebrating with cell phones, sharpies, but mostly their egos. OVs are nowhere near these, and as said before, all part of a team celebration. I agree with RGaGa, let non fans get interested, then let the game between the whistles keep them here to stay.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Brett Hull's opinion on goal scoring: "Act like you've done it before and intend to do it again and often."

What about these celebrations

Ray Bourque (showboater?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuMUrfc_ETE

Bobby Orr (soccerstar?)

Sean Avery, more showboat than any of ovechkins

Theo Fleury

Wayne Gretzky

tiger Williams

That's a list of goal celebrations.

Is cherry also disgusted by those on that list? Or is he just bitter?

If ovechkin was a good old windsor boy, he would be saying "see kids, that's a guy playing the game with passion"

[Habs21 0]

Exactly...I just saw an intro for either sportnet or TSN and I saw a few CANADIAN players (Lecavalier, Spezza and i think the other one was Nash) all jump on the glass and celebrate after they scored. I guess Cherry accidentaly forgot to mention those guys. If you want to see guys not react to scoring a goal, no smiles, no excitement...then you're definitely in the minority because I love seeing guys show that they actually LOVE this game and love to play it and that it means a lot for them to score. What's the point in watching at home on our sofas if we're more excited than them.

The guys jumps on the boards and he put his hand to his ear to get the crowd going...let's just kick him out of the league because that can't be good for the game, right? The crowd hates it.

[zfyfe 0]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Brett Hull's opinion on goal scoring: "Act like you've done it before and intend to do it again and often."

What about these celebrations

Ray Bourque (showboater?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuMUrfc_ETE

Bobby Orr (soccerstar?)

Sean Avery, more showboat than any of ovechkins

Theo Fleury

Wayne Gretzky

tiger Williams

That's a list of goal celebrations.

Is cherry also disgusted by those on that list? Or is he just bitter?

If ovechkin was a good old windsor boy, he would be saying "see kids, that's a guy playing the game with passion"

thank you don cherry just needs to leave him alone and let him play how he wants, he is just mad because he wasnt good enough when he played to celebrate when he scores a goal

[RadioGaGa 162]

What's funny is back in the Big Red Machine days of the CCCP and Red Army...they weren't allowed to show emotion. Scoring machines...no reactions. Cherry didn't/doesn't like those Russians either.

[ktang 34]

I saw Cherry's presentation (one of the few times I wasn't doing anything on a Sat night), and I thought that Cherry was just being loyal (to a fault?) to Crosby. A lot of the American media was on Ovey's "side" w.r.t. Crosby's comments about Ovey after the Pens-Caps game.

When you're being loyal, sometimes you have distorted perceptions and make mistakes...

On top of that, it must really irk Cherry that Europeans and Russians are the best players in the NHL now. I think he once said, when the Swedish Navy found a Soviet sub in Swedish waters, that the Soviet sub got away because the Swedish ships wouldn't go into a corner with it...

[M.W. 0]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Brett Hull's opinion on goal scoring: "Act like you've done it before and intend to do it again and often."

What about these celebrations

Ray Bourque (showboater?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuMUrfc_ETE

Bobby Orr (soccerstar?)

Sean Avery, more showboat than any of ovechkins

Theo Fleury

Wayne Gretzky

tiger Williams

That's a list of goal celebrations.

Is cherry also disgusted by those on that list? Or is he just bitter?

If ovechkin was a good old windsor boy, he would be saying "see kids, that's a guy playing the game with passion"

Not likely. You can post all the out-of-context celebrations you want, but Cherry has things that he doesn't like, and "showboating" is one of them. He tore into Crosby about it before he was even drafted, and hell, he has even told kids not to be like Tie Domi, his ultimate favourite person ever, when Domi would do his whole title belt celebration thing after he fought someone.

Of the videos you posted, I'm pretty sure Bourque was in the playoffs, Orr was at the Canada cup and didn't even do anything, he tore into Avery for the pushups thing on his segment (and Avery is a good old Ontario boy), Fleury was an OT winner in the playoffs against a huge rival, Gretzky was in the playoffs and I think was on OT winner or series winner, and Tiger Williams could beat the shit out of pretty much anyone anyway. The majority of those were after goals that actually meant something. Cherry's issue, right or wrong, which should have been plainly obvious, was with Ovechkin going nuts after every little insignificant goal.

[phunky_monkey 6]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Brett Hull's opinion on goal scoring: "Act like you've done it before and intend to do it again and often."

What about these celebrations

Ray Bourque (showboater?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuMUrfc_ETE

Bobby Orr (soccerstar?)

Sean Avery, more showboat than any of ovechkins

Theo Fleury

Wayne Gretzky

tiger Williams

That's a list of goal celebrations.

As I said above, I am not in total agreeance about the over the top celebrations, but those examples are a far cry from what Ovechkin does, are one offs, and poor examples in my opinion. The goals scored also need to be taken into context, such as scoring an important playoff goal, or for your country etc, or the 5th goal in a 5-1 victory...

The argument for me is that there is a middle ground between celebrating a goal to excess and not celebrating at all. Throwing the arms up, pumping the fist etc is not over the top in my opinion, smashing into the end glass is. As I said I don't have anything against it particularly, but I wouldn't do it.

[Aussie Joe 0]

On a side note, I noticed recently I will celebrate louder and harder if one of the young kids playing on my team scores. They have just come upto the snr ranks over the last 6 mths and seeing a kid you knew in Pee Wees score off a nice cross ice thread is reason to get excited in my mind.

Now, back on topic...

[stick9 881]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Brett Hull's opinion on goal scoring: "Act like you've done it before and intend to do it again and often."

While I do agree, and have even used that quote a time or two. In a time of big money contracts and free agency. It is refreshing to see a player show his love and enthusiasm for game. You can see that carry over into his teamates.

When you whoop it up once every so often, it's showboating. When you do it all the time it's more a reflection of your personality.

[Penguinsfanatic 0]

You think Cherry'd be saying that if Ovy was on a Canadian team...highly doubtful, I think he is just bitter because golden boy Sid the Kid isn't becoming the main attraction of the NHL anymore and the Euros are becoming the hot commodity...they arent the old stereotypical players anymore

[phunky_monkey 6]

When you whoop it up once every so often, it's showboating. When you do it all the time it's more a reflection of your personality.

But then couldn't you say that it is reflecting a show boating personality? Some people like the spotlight more than others

[Penguinsfanatic 0]

When you whoop it up once every so often, it's showboating. When you do it all the time it's more a reflection of your personality.

But then couldn't you say that it is reflecting a show boating personality? Some people like the spotlight more than others

Yea you could...but Ovy does it even when his teammates score...remember it is a privilege to be playing a professional sport because of the fans and it is just a kids game so what is wrong with him celebrating even if he's scored a million times i hope he never stops, it's exciting...as a fan it makes the excitement level that much higher

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Ovechkin is a russian, so to cherry he is showboating

If Ovechkin was from windsor, cherry would be lauding his passion

[tro 4]

As was previously said, Ovey celebrates anyone's goal, when appropriate. I think it's good for the team and the game. He scored yesterday at the end of that shitshow (no celebration) and he looked embarrassed to have done so. I think Cherry is entertaining most nights, but he is just plain wrong here.

I was pretty sure Ovie put up his hands when he scored last night, I may need to watch it again. I don't mind Ovie hoppin around like a crazed monkey when he scores a big goal, but never put your hands up to celerbrate a goal in the last minute down 5. It's like guys who get a giddy when they score an empty net. (again, I would have to watch it again)

Cherry is an ass, for the most part, western Canada or any place outside of southern Ont, views this guy as a joke/clown and he's one of our highest paid gov't employee to top it off.

[DarkStar50 679]

When I watched Cherry run the OV scoring clips on Saturday night, the one thing that stood out right away to me was how many of those goal celebrations OV was wearing the OLD blue or white Caps jersey!! C'mon, he was showing clips from like 2, 3 years ago! Hey, I like Grapes and would love to have him in the locker room one night with a cooler full of cold ones but he was out of line with that piece the other night. When you bust your butt like OV to score crazy ass goals, you have earned the right to act like a lunatic for the next 30 seconds until they drop the puck at center ice.

[RadioGaGa 162]

We are running a LIVE radio show with Don & Brian Williams (of TSN) tonight. He has been answering lots of questions about this very topic.

www.talk820.com/player

There is an hour left in the show...and I bet he'll get more calls on this topic.

Didn't dawn on me to post this until just now. I was busy watching 24.

[mnpucker 33]

Let me get this straight, somewhere in this thread I noticed there was a comparison between an arrogant idiot doing some sort of contortion in an end zone with a look on his face like his shit don't stink or signing an autograph, answering a phone etc the arrogant look on their faces imply the rest of the world are a bunch of losers (ok maybe I over stated what was said on here) vs a solid young man that obviously loves every moment of playing a game he loves.

Proof to me that his celebrations are good for the sport came to me yesterday during a team party for a bunch of 8 year olds. Each boy had to stand up and say something about the year and add who their favorite player is. Overwhelmingly the boys picked Ovy. Sid came up as did Gretzky (my kid tell me I was not proud - obviously the smartest kid on the team). They love his passion, he is the kind of guy that coaches can draw motivation from. The way his passion and love of the game is translated by young boys is proof to me that there is nothing wrong with Ovy or his celebration. He is the most dynamic player in the league so get over it Cherry you idiot.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Ovechkin is a russian, so to cherry he is showboating

If Ovechkin was from windsor, cherry would be lauding his passion

Its because Cherry is racist. and flat out stupid. He doesnt like showboating but wears some of the ugliest shit in the world... Someone should give him a good kick in the nuts. Being from Canada only makes you Canadian, not better than anyone else.