Don Cherry's on-air complaints about the lack of time for his "Coach's Corner" segment during "HNIC" Saturday is being seen as a "test of wills between Cherry, who is used to getting his way, and his new bosses at Rogers," according to sources cited by David Shoalts of the GLOBE & MAIL. Cherry and Ron MacLean at CBC "wielded more clout behind the scenes as HNIC’s biggest stars, and were rarely challenged by the show’s producers." However, once Rogers "took over HNIC last summer as the NHL’s Canadian new national rightsholder, its executives were determined to establish that the producers, not the on-air stars, would be in charge." Rogers President of Sportsnet & NHL Scott Moore yesterday called the situation over the weekend a "tempest in a teapot” and said Cherry told him he was just frustrated because he “had a lot to get in” his segment. Meanwhile, Shoalts notes Cherry's "outburst ... was not surprising to his colleagues." He "often railed against CBC management on the air about matters such as the time allotted to his show or what he was or was not allowed to say." CBC execs "often gave in to the star power of Cherry and MacLean." But, so far, Cherry’s "first public pushback has not produced much reaction from his new employers" (GLOBE & MAIL, 11/11). Moore said that Cherry "was restricted to five minutes Saturday because the show wanted to focus more" on Penguins C Sidney Crosby, who had five assists in the first two periods. He said that "Coach's Corner" has "run from five to more than seven minutes this year." YAHOO SPORTS' Chris Zelkovich noted Moore "was Cherry's boss at CBC Sports a few years ago and weathered more than a few complaints from and about him." Moore said of the segment's length, "It has varied over the years and it has varied this year. ... I've told Don if he needs more time he can tell us and we'll be respectful of that assuming it's worthy of the time that particular night" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/10).
SOUR GRAPES? In Toronto, Joe Warmington writes "Coach's Corner" is "one of the most well known, longest running and successful shows in Canadian television history!" Warmington: "Who had the bright idea of cutting it down to five minutes? Why would Rogers Sportsnet mess with it?" But with the more than C$5B Rogers has "pledged over 12 years for NHL hockey rights, they are entitled to do whatever they want." There also is "nothing wrong with moving in new people and new ideas." Warmington: "But why break what's not broken?" (TORONTO SUN, 11/11).
