Cherry makes surprise Afghanistan visit

[GAP]

Cherry makes surprise Afghanistan visit
Accompanied by federal ministers, entertainers on Christmas Day
Last Updated: Saturday, December 25, 2010
Article Link

Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan received a surprise Christmas visit on Saturday from one of their fiercest backers — Don Cherry.

The Hockey Night in Canada icon visited the country to celebrate the holidays with the troops he praises regularly on his Coach's Corner segments.

In the morning, Cherry went to various operating bases, where distinguished guests served food to the soldiers.

Cherry was joined by other Canadian dignitaries, including Defence Minister Peter MacKay, International Co-Operation Minister Bev Oda, Alberta Tory MP Laurie Hawn, comedian Jimmy Mac and Quebec singer Dany St-Arneau.

They were joined by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk.
All the trimmings

MacKay and Oda did the turkey-carving honours at their last stop while the soldiers were serenaded by St-Arneau.

Cherry has been a strong proponent of the soldiers serving in Afghanistan since the war began and Canada's mission started in 2002, using his first intermission segment to honour fallen Canadians.
not much More on link

 

[Old Sweat]

If you want to keep your Christmas spirit, do not, repeat do not, read the comments.

 

[aesop081]

If you want to keep your Christmas spirit, do not, repeat do not, read the comments.

I read them......then punched a kitten in the face.

 

[TN2IC]

I got to meet him for the first time... great guy!

Merry Christmas Canada,
Regards,
TN2IC

 

[eurowing]

I got to meet him for the first time... great guy!

I was working and missed him.  PM me if you are avail for coffee tomorrow.

 

[HavokFour]

The comments on that article is why we can't have NICE things.

 

[Arctic Acorn]

Only Don Cherry can pull off a CADPAT (AR) double-breasted blazer (with nametag).

 

[CombatDoc]

Kudos to Don, as well as the rest of the folks accompanying the CDS.  They decided to spend Christmas with the troops, away from their families, too.  Don is a very entertaining "personality", and he received a very warm welcome from all who saw him here.  He was missing a bit of his famous voice, but none of his wit!  :christmas happy:

 

[chrisf]

Only Don Cherry can pull off a CADPAT (AR) double-breasted blazer (with nametag).

More accurately, only don Cherry has such a thing hanging in his closet (And a matching TW!)

 

[Retired AF Guy]

If you want to keep your Christmas spirit, do not, repeat do not, read the comments.

Par for course for the CBC comments section.

 

[MP 811]

the CEO of Timmies was there as well.  WELL received by the troops!........lol

 

[Hammer Sandwich]

If you want to keep your Christmas spirit, do not, repeat do not, read the comments.

I did, and It raised my Christmas spirit to soaring levels.

QUOTE from CBC comments:"Again al this is a waist of live and monies. Read the history books before you sent your army any where and then use the proper tools what can improve peoples lives. You catch more fly s whit honey then whit salt. Whit all this, the door is closed for a order 50 years." ENDQUOTE

I think it's pretty obvious that a retard got a computer for Christmas.....this kinda stuff warms my heart.
>

 

[gun runner]

BWAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAA HAAAAA! That was good!

 

[Sapplicant]

Maybe next year they can avoid CBC.ca arm-chair commentator controversy and send Pierre McGuire in lieu of Grapes. I'm sure the troops would much rather see his polished scalp as opposed to their biggest public supporter.
:

 

[The Bread Guy]

the CEO of Timmies was there as well.  WELL received by the troops!........lol

Not surprising if he was giving out free coffee - more here if you're interested.

 

[TN2IC]

Pretty sure a lot us got a $5 gift card for Timmies. Always got time for Tim Hortons. 

 

[Fatalize]

Footage from his trip from tonights coaches corner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRabWPBdKpw#t=5m00s

 

[The Bread Guy]

Pick on Don Cherry and picket Hockey Night in Canada:

A newly formed Vancouver-based group is challenging Don Cherry to a debate on Coach’s Corner to offset criticism that the fiery commentator is using Hockey Night in Canada to promote militarism and the war in Afghanistan.

Hockey Fans for Peace plans to rally outside the HNIC broadcast of Saturday night’s Vancouver Canucks game against the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena in Vancouver to make the point that hockey fans have the democratic right to speak out against the war in Afghanistan.

Spokesman Kimball Cariou said Wednesday the group is calling on the CBC “to either stop the promotion of militarism during hockey broadcasts, or else to allow one of its members to debate Cherry during an upcoming Coach’s Corner.”

Hockey fan and peace activist Derrick O’Keefe agrees.

“It’s something that’s bothered me for a lot of years that Don Cherry’s Coach’s Corner has been used to really give a one-sided platform to talk about the war only in full support,” said O’Keefe, a member of the group’s Facebook page. “And when Don Cherry makes political comments during the hockey broadcast he’s never challenged.”

He said Cherry is “100 per cent pro-war from everything I’ve heard him say.”

O’Keefe, who is also co-chair of StopWar.ca, said people “can support the soldiers and hope that they come home safely and it doesn’t mean that we support the war.”

“I think he’s giving a very biased perspective and he’s invoking the soldiers as a way of promoting the war,” said O’Keefe.

CBC spokesman Jeff Keay said he doesn’t accept the premise that Cherry is promoting the war in Afghanistan and militarism every week on Coach’s Corner.

“I mean, Don does offer remembrances of soldiers who are killed as well as police officers and firefighters that are casualties,” said Keay. “We really don’t have a problem with that.” ....

 

[ballz]

I can't say I've ever heard Grapes say anything blatantly "support the war," always just great things about those in uniform.

But what's so wrong if he did? Wouldn't be a wise PR decision, but he's entitled to his opinion and entitled to say it out loud just as much as these protestors are entitled to show up and protest, no?

This is the root of all my frustrations... I'm always trying to find logic, I need to learn to accept that sometimes it doesn't exist.

 

[quadrapiper]

Par for course for the CBC comments section.

Never been quite sure where the commenters are coming from; to generalize, most of the people I know who listen to or watch CBC are a fair bit brighter than the mob of semi-literate trolls that infest article comment sections. Don't always agree with them, but, at least, get better arguments than "oh noes, the mil-industrial complex is taking us over!!!! and harper is a nasi!!!," or equivalent.

As for Cherry - good on him.