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Don Cherry approves of coach who told players to 'respect the anthem or get the f--- out'
Don Cherry has never been afraid of wading into a political debate.
The outspoken host of Hockey Night in Canada was very critical of Colin Kaepernick back in 2016 when the former NFL quarterback started taking a knee during the U.S. national anthem in protest of the country’s treatment of racial minorities.
So when Cherry decided to chime in after a video of a hockey coach telling his players to “respect the anthem or get the f--- out” went viral, we can hardly be surprised by Cherry’s take.
Cherry, who’s been busy staving off rumours that he won’t be returning to Hockey Night in Canada for the 2019-20 season, tweeted in support of the coach’s anthem speech on Friday. And while he didn’t refer to anyone as a “jerk,” Cherry’s take was incredibly on brand.
Did you miss the viral video where the American policeman hockey coach from Connecticut stated in his speech to his team how he felt about respecting the flag of Canada and United States? Good for him. The speech was a little crude but effective https://t.co/gtkFAjq3SP
— Don Cherry (@CoachsCornerDC) July 12, 2019
John Krupinsky, an assistant coach with the Danbury Hat Tricks of the Federal Hockey League, made headlines this week when his controversial speech was uploaded to YouTube.
“Listen up for a second,” Krupinsky said. “First day of camp. Something really important. We’re not women’s soccer. We’re not the NFL. If there’s anybody here that’s gonna be disrespectful to either the American or the Canadian national anthem, grab your gear, and get the f--- out now.
“Because you’ll never see the ice in this arena. We don’t have that problem in hockey. We’re better than that. But there’s no sense in wasting anybody’s time if that s--- was gonna happen. I don’t believe it would happen here. We’re the most patriotic sport that they have out there. Just keep that in mind, thank you.”
Krupinsky’s speech was reportedly captured during the Women’s World Cup, when the U.S. players were applauded just as much for their strong social stances as they were for their dominant play on the pitch.
Megan Rapinoe, who led the charge for equal pay for female soccer players, had engaged in a very public feud with U.S. President Donald Trump during the tournament. She was also the first white professional athlete to kneel in solidarity with Kaepernick. A section of Krupinsky’s speech says “we’re not women’s soccer,” which seems to be a direct shot at Rapinoe and her USWNT teammates.
Cherry managed to stay quiet as Rapinoe butted heads with the U.S. President, but his tweet on Friday suggests the conservative Canadian still isn’t afraid to stir the pot once in a while.
Ever the polarizing figure, Cherry seems to have just as many haters as he does genuine fans, and that dichotomy is on full display in the comments from his tweet about coach Krupinsky.
While some wasted little time in taking Cherry’s side, others were quick to point out that comments such as Cherry’s tweet are exactly why he’s on the hot seat on Coach’s Corner.
Jesus Christ Grapes this is why people want you out. Police are brutally assaulting/killing people of colour. Open those eyes and get outside your bubble. #PeacefulProtest
— DWN613 (@DWN613) July 12, 2019
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