No, not because of what he said. It, like a lot of other things he’s come out with through the years, is ignorant at best. What I appreciate and yes, even respect is that he’s refusing to apologize for it in order to save his own skin.
If you don’t like Don Cherry’s stupid opinion, that’s fine. But if Don Cherry doesn’t think his stupid opinion is stupid, that, while not necessarily ideal, is also fine. It’s certainly better than some lame, inauthentic, insincere public relations apology.
Pushing for people to apologize for things is hardly new, but in the internet and social media age it’s gotten long passed absurd. Any perceived indiscretion, no matter how small, is enough to summon a mob that’s bound and determined to take your head. And far too often it leads to apologies that are entirely fake, meant only to shut everyone up so whomever is doing the apologizing won’t lose too much money or influence. In a word, it’s crappy. It ruins the entire point of apologizing. A true apology is supposed to be meaningful and impactful, but when every one has to apologize for every thing, all of that is lost.
Would it be nice if Don Cherry apologized? Sure. It would be great if he realized that insulting half the world on television was probably bad. But he should only do so if, after some time to sit and think about things, he decides he genuinely wants to. If he doesn’t, he shouldn’t. As much as some people may not want to hear that, it really is that simple. For better or worse, Don Cherry is standing by what he believes. And whether or not I like what he believes, I still say that’s better than the alternative.
