Sports commentator Don Cherry created a stir on social media after giving his opinion on eating seal during Saturday night’s Coach’s Corner segment on the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.
It was in reference to his colleague Ron MacLean, who is in St. John’s for a Rogers Hometown Hockey event.
MacLean told Cherry he had eaten a seal burger, which was prepared by Todd Perrin of Mallard Cottage restaurant in Quidi Vidi.
Cherry joked that MacLean ate a “little baby seal,” adding, “What are you, a savage, a barbarian?”
Social media was — and continues to be filled with outrage about Cherry’s comments, with many people wanting him to apologize.
“According to Don Cherry, my Inuk friends are savages because they eat seal. The [Sportsnet] network should fire him for his racist remark,” was one comment posted on the Twitter feed of Matthew Coon Come, who was national chief of the Assembly of First Nations from 2000 to 2003.
Another person wrote, “I’m proud to be Inuk and to be called a barbarian is just unacceptable, Don Cherry you don’t have the right to call me or my people that!”
Eating seal is barbaric. Now, buy Rock em sock em 97 where grown men punch the face off each other for two hours.
— Keith Dunne (@KeithDunneNL) February 8, 2015
I wonder what the wings and ribs at Don Cherry’s restaurant is made out of? Surely not as “barbaric” as shooting a free-range seal..
— travisparsons (@travisparsons) February 8, 2015
Oh god Don Cherry really did just equate eating seal meat to being a “savage” and a “barbarian”. National embarrassment. #HNIC
— Emma S (@emmaschuetz) February 8, 2015
According to Don Cherry, my Inuk friends are savages because they eat seal. The network should fire him for his racist remark.
— Matthew Coon Come (@mcooncome) February 8, 2015
I’m proud to be Inuk and to be called a barbarian is just unacceptable, #doncherry you don’t have the right to call me or my people that!
— Jennifer (@JenniferMHunter) February 8, 2015
