[blueandwhite]

There's a distinct anti French -gee I don't want to say sentiment because that makes it sound nice - slur that's been going on up here in Canada and Paul tracy just jumped on that bandwagon.
Don Cherry, our "outspoken" hockey analyst, is now infamous for saying that most of the guys who wear visors are European or French. This said after a rash of high sticking incidents, hinting that European and French players use that to the advantage and take care of thos not wearing visors. cherry is very anti-visor. It's unmanly. he's also anti-European. they're unmanly.
So then Kings spokesperson Sean Avery said last year something about how typical it is for a French guy, "running around and playing tough and not backing anything up", after Denis Gauthier's hit on roenick last year. he was never disciplined for saying this.
Now our own Paul Tracy has said re Sebastien Bourdais's crash that took them both out of the Denver Grand Prix and the ensuing confrontation between them:
"Too bad he wouldn't take his helmet off, then we really would have settled things. But French guys always keep their helmets on."

So is this tough guy talk? Do people really believe it's true? isn't it - you know - just big ugly bigotry?

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

There's a distinct anti French -gee I don't want to say sentiment because that makes it sound nice - slur that's been going on up here in Canada and Paul tracy just jumped on that bandwagon.
Don Cherry, our "outspoken" hockey analyst, is now infamous for saying that most of the guys who wear visors are European or French. This said after a rash of high sticking incidents, hinting that European and French players use that to the advantage and take care of thos not wearing visors. cherry is very anti-visor. It's unmanly. he's also anti-European. they're unmanly.
So then Kings spokesperson Sean Avery said last year something about how typical it is for a French guy, "running around and playing tough and not backing anything up", after Denis Gauthier's hit on roenick last year. he was never disciplined for saying this.
Now our own Paul Tracy has said re Sebastien Bourdais's crash that took them both out of the Denver Grand Prix and the ensuing confrontation between them:
"Too bad he wouldn't take his helmet off, then we really would have settled things. But French guys always keep their helmets on."

So is this tough guy talk? Do people really believe it's true? isn't it - you know - just big ugly bigotry?

I don't think it's "tough guy talk or bigotry", I think it's just a "wussy" move to leave your helmet on when somebody wants to talk to you face to face, ie, when Gordon left his helmet on while shoved Kenseth, what a wussy, I'm sure that you will find that most race fans will second this sentiment. It's just plain old down right wussy!!!

[blueandwhite]

Yeah. And i buy that many european hockey players are finesse players, not rock em sock em players, and often this can include French Canadians - but it begins to sound like name calling when it starts with "French guys always..."
It's dangerous territory.

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

Yeah. And i buy that many european hockey players are finesse players, not rock em sock em players, and often this can include French Canadians - but it begins to sound like name calling when it starts with "French guys always..."
It's dangerous territory.

Do the French guys always leave their helmets on?!? If so then he's just pointing out a fact!!!

[mervinout]

ya but don cherry hates anyone that doesnt play the hockey that is similar to how the islanders,flyers, and rangers played in the 70's and 80's he hates europen hockey he wants true north american hockey, he wants the game where u dump the puck in the corner u kill the guy with the puck and then u work the puck o the front of the net. But who doesnt mind a knock of the french here and there. I think don cherry needs to settle down tho he has lost his mind of late lol

[blueandwhite]

It's weird, how one man can make you laugh with him or nod in agreement and then offend you so terribly.

Re whether the French guys always keep their helmets on - I'm not sure - it's just usually pretty tough to generalise.

[mervinout]

blue, did you ever buy the rockem sockem videos, i use to get them growing up i have like the first 8 on vhs, thats how old they are :-p

[blueandwhite]

do you mean cherry's fighting videos? or something older?
I do remember the rock em sock em fighting men you could buy, a red one and a blue one and they just smashed each other. there's a gameboy out you can get that is just like that.

[mervinout]

The DON CHERRY ROCK'EM SOCK'EM Hockey Video/DVD Collection from dvdhockey.com and The Sports Poster Warehouse - NHL Hockey Action, NHL Playoffs, etc.

these they are higlights of the best fights, best hits, bloopers, and best saves, and best goals, and best plays, in each video he has to remind you he coached the col rockies, doesnt always metion the bruins

[blueandwhite]

yeah i remember the cherry videos. I still see ads for them.
Funny, that he mentions Colorado so much - he mentions Boston on cbc all the time - or maybe ron mclean does.

[mervinout]

i think he likes to remind people colorodo had hockey before the avs lol