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Famed Canadian sportscaster Don Cherry signed off from his podcast for the final time.
The 91-year-old Cherry had hosted Don Cherry’s Grapevine Podcast since August 2023, producing 313 episodes in total. His son and cohost, Tim Cherry, said on the finale that it had racked up 6.5 million downloads.
Cherry’s bold suits were matched only by his even bolder opinions. But he went too far on Nov. 9, 2019, in a televised rant about people not wearing poppies, seemingly aimed at immigrants.
Cherry, who denied targeting new Canadians, was fired two days later. Rogers Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley announced the decision, saying Cherry “made divisive remarks that do not represent our values or what we stand for.”
For nearly 40 years, Cherry — a pugnacious former minor league defenceman who later coached the NHL’s Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies — made his name on Coach’s Corner during Hockey Night in Canada.
WATCH | Don Cherry tells CBC he regrets his choice of words:
Don Cherry speaks to CBC News after being fired for comments he made
Cherry had long been known as a controversial voice in hockey circles, but no moment left a lasting mark quite like that day in 2019.
“Well, Tim, this is our last show. … Thanks everybody for listening and toodaloo,” Cherry said on his final podcast episode.