FiredUp Network
Thursday, June 27: Don Cherry's Grapevine Podcast
Alright, let's go! [Music] Alright, alright, let's go, Tim! So, Dad, 'til Sunday morning, tomorrow. Game seven, big game, Cindy, 7th game, 7th game. Captain Obvious, both teams want to win it, this type of thing. So, the question that I gotta ask, though, Dad, this is the game, Game Six, it's 2-0 for the Oilers. And Panthers come right back and score, and they get a call back. Like, how does the team get matters at the plate, though? It was a plate, though. It really, really did plate them. I know that they come on strong. It's 2-1, it makes it 2-1, and it really deflates them. Yeah, I remember, I was at the game in Toronto when Siltor scored it as 10 points. And it was either 2-0 or 2-0, I think it was 2-1 Toronto. And John Ratel gave Bobby Schmach to pass, and he would have had a breakaway. No, it was Johnny Busek would have had a breakaway, it was Johnny Busek. And John D'Amico called it off-site. And there was no way that was off-site. Like, it was on-site. And D'Amico turned to the bench and said, "Sorry, guys, I blew it." Because the Bruins started yelling. So if you wonder if Busek would have went in and scored, it made that 2-2, because they're on the next face-off, they'd come down and make it 3-1, if that would have changed things. Well, I don't know about that. I don't know about that one, Tim, but I know one thing. I remember that in Chicago, in the Chicago series of the playoffs, that Schmach got an overtime goal, and they called it back, and they said it was off-site. I remember that one as if it was yesterday. And when you coached, Dad, there's not too many goals to call back. No, they didn't have that, but I still think they should just go and let it go. Let it go, and let it all equals out in the wash? Yeah, it all come out in the wash. So you're saying if you were a coach, you would rather have it, not everything be reviewed, but it is what it is. It is what it is, and let it go with that. So the one thing, Sydney, we were talking about, it's interesting that this year, Conor McDavid and Drycidal have basically haven't killed any penalties, all playoffs. And I've never understood why they kill the penalties. They take a regular shift, they play the power play, and they kill the penalties. So what else does it do? Right, because you can look, you know, not talk about the least, but Marner and Nylander, that's what they did. They played the power play, played the penalties, and played a regular shift. I think somebody said something to him that he stopped using Drycidal, and McDavid had killed the penalties. Yeah, I don't think those guys would get mad that they're not killing penalties. Oh, I don't think they never blocked many shots, let's put it that way. So you don't think he's worried about tiring McDavid out to you? No, penalty colors are Nugent Hoptans, Jan Mark, McLeod, and Brown, and they're doing a pretty good job. Yeah, they've only let in four goals all playoffs, and they scored three short-handed or something like that. They're a plus one or something like that. You coach your whole season like that. You had specialty guys, that's their only job just about was to kill penalties. Before they put their hand, before the referee put their hand down, they were out in the ice, ready to go. You hate to say those guys are expendable, but you want them blocking shots. I want them blocking shots, and I want them doing. I was one of those guys that didn't hear these blocking the shots, and nobody cared where I got hurt or not. And those were the guys that if you guys got a big lead, you throw those guys out on the power play sometimes. You would have them play a regular shift. I always thought, "Oh, good. He's going to get a chance to play the power play when you were running up a score." And that's why you had 11 goals scores, right, Dad? Yeah, Skinner, 5-0, and the elimination playoffs this year, Tim? Yeah, I know, he's perfect in elimination games, 5-0, with goals against under 2. So, the question is, Dad, who's going to win? Well, first of all, who's got the most pressure? Well, got the most pressure is Florida, because they were up 3-0. They've got pressure on them now. And I think they'll come out smoking, and I think they'll win. My heart is with the Oilers, but my brain is with the Florida. Got an interesting email, Dad, that was got quite the story. And it says, "I have been wanting to reach out to you for many years, but have never been able to do that or just miss the chance. I have a rather interesting story to pass on. Many years ago, my parents had seasoned tickets at the Maple Leaf Gardens. The seats were in the box 23, row 3, seat 3, and 4, directly behind the visitor's bench. One night with the Bruins, the Bruins were in town, and Don and you were behind the bench. Undoubtedly, into the game, as all coaches are, there were some choice words and phrases directed at the refs. It was later in the game at either a TV timeout, a delay of some kind, that my mom spoke up and said to you. I remember exactly what she said, what she said, what she said. You know, we could do with a little less swearing from you. She said, "I remember this." She said, "Tari, you have a filthy mouth." Oh, I said, "She's a man. Imagine if that was Ma." Anyhow, anyhow, I went up and go ahead. Well, he just said that you turned and acknowledged her request on possibly not swearing as much, and that was because you thought of, "What if that was your mom?" I thought if that was Ma, it's an upturned new words. So, fast forward to his rock to your Rock 'Em Sock 'Em videos years later, when you were reminiscing about your many experiences at the Maple Leaf Gardens. And so, during one of the videos, you walked across the ice of the empty building at the visitor's bench, through the gate, and up to box 23, row three, and recalled that a woman asked you, so you remember that, and you do remember that. I remember, and I thought if it was Ma. That's right. I purchased the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em videos every Christmas, and was playing the Rock 'Em Sock 'Ems to one of my two sons around Christmas time. When we saw it, I immediately called Mom, and she confirmed that the story, since it was the first time I had ever heard her say anything about it to them at all. "Yes, dear, that was me." And thankfully, he toned it down, she said. The funny thing is that her last name was Cherry. What are the odds on that? Yeah, what are the odds on that? Well, I've never heard of anybody named Cherry, no? Well, she was so modest, she never did follow up and tell Don, or her last name that night. I'm sure you would have had a good shot. I had a big trickle under that one, and I said, "Imagine if that was Ma." Yeah, so you know what, I bet you would have thought, "Oh, no, she knows my mother." You might say, "Your mom, that's what I thought of." But I didn't want to tell her, so I went up, and I sat beside her in the role. I'm in the role. The game's on. And the game's on. And I said, "Now, tell me, you've never heard those words before." She says, "Yes, but I never paid $200 to hear them." And that was the end of that. Well, because I remember, back in the days, the last two rinks to have right in no glass was Toronto and Montreal. In Montreal, they had police on either side, so there was no like, and Toronto, when the whistle blow, the people would be going up and down, "Excuse me, I don't want to get a beer and a hot dog." And I remember one time Wendell, he was kind of wincing in pain, and a guy had a beer and a hot dog, and Wendell had to get out of the way. But that was crazy back there in Montreal. What's crazy? You can get rid of them in amongst the players, as you say. Yeah, and we'd like to thank Paul Cherry for that email. That was something. And speaking of people in the stands, Cindy, you... Okay, since we're talking about behind the bench, I'm sure there was many men, and probably a couple women like me, that there was one hot looking woman sitting right behind, was it the Tampa or the other team? No, she was sitting behind the oiler bench, and she's usually in Dallas. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh, so you remember it personally. So anyway, I said to Tim, "Whoa, I bet you they'll get the camera a lot on her tonight, and you surprised me and told me what?" I think that they were told either by SportsNet or the NHL, "Don't show her." Really? Because they didn't... I only saw her one year or twice. Never, you remember her? No, you just caught her once or twice. In the beginning of the game, I go, "Well, I even said, 'Whoa, their camera's gonna be on her a lot.'" I just think that the NHL just don't be focusing in on her, and we got other things to promote during the game. I don't even remember this. Why'd you say something to me? I wouldn't have liked to see her. Yeah, I know. She was only on a couple of times, and I went, "Oh, that's that woman from Dallas." And as I say, after that, they never panned... You see the guy she was with, you saw the guy, but you just cut her off. The only other thing too, watching that game, is how did the Panther fans get seats right behind the Panthers bench in Edmonton? That was amazing. They must put them aside. You must have gave them to them. Yeah, but holy smokes. Like, how much would those tickets be worth in Edmonton be at least two grand, if not more? Maybe they were relatives of somebody. Yeah. So, Dad and Cindy, the playoffs are here, and there's never better time to bet on your favorite Canadian team with your favorite Canadian sports book, NorthStarBets.com. They're probably Canadian, and one of the best places to play in Canada, NorthStarBets.com is everything you're looking for, a sports book with built-in sites and analytics, slots, live dealer tables, exceptional customer service, get to the playoffs right now, NorthStarBets.com, and NorthStarBets.com is not available in Ontario, and you're picking Florida with your head and... Florida, my heart is with the Oilers, believe me, it is, but my brain says, "Pick the Florida." Yeah. It's one of those things because you go, Babaski could just turn around and steal the first game, because the reality is, the Oilers should have won the first, two of the first three games. Yeah. Like, this series should be over. Yeah, it should be. And he was the guy, he was the difference. So, I got a quick question, though, Dad, before we go on to the next question. If the Oilers lose, does McDavid still get the con smith? Oh, boy. That's a tough... When you get that many points, you should get the MVP. Man. I really believe it. Yeah. Well, I said, so that picture will be like the picture you took with him when he was 14, and they lost the GTHL Championship, and they lost to Robbie Fabre and the Mississauga Rebels. They won the MVP of the playoffs, and, you know, you were giving him a, you know, shaking his hand. He lost. He looked like somebody ran over his dog. He had such a pout on his face. Yeah. Well, when you don't win, you're not supposed to be smiling. Did you pick him? Did you pick the... I know. I know. I know. I don't know. It was like, wasn't the OHL? It was the GTHL. But, like, he had, like, 80 points, and the next kid had, like, 20 or something like that. So, Dad, we got a message on Facebook, and he says, "My name is Brian McCarthy, and my grandfather is Tom McCarthy, who I believed you played alongside for in Boston. I know this is not the typical thing you get a message on Facebook. I never knew him, and wondering if you could tell me some things about my grandfather, Tom McCarthy." He was the toughest guy I ever played against, and I played against some pretty tough guys. I remember Darryl, who were faced off in a corner in our end, and he said, "Crapes, and he looked over and thought, 'I know, I know, don't fool with that guy, and I'll tell you a story.'" And when I played for Sudbury, I was playing for Sudbury, and we were losing, and they had green sweaters on, and I'll never forget that. When I broke my stick over the guy at Center Race, I looked up, and it was Tom McCarthy, and I was a little stuck with a stick, and I think he just smiled. He was the toughest guy I ever played against. Yeah, he had a long career. I mean, he played a couple, you know, a little bit in him. You know, Tim, when he'd take him up to Detroit, or some were taken to the National Hockey League, he'd kill Pendley, and he never killed Pendley's. He used to play the power play all the time, and they had him kill him Pendley's. I never forgot that. Yeah. You said a lot of times with, you know, we talked about this before, was, you know, you would call guy, if guys got called up to Boston who were goal scorers, they just didn't, they weren't happy. No, they weren't happy because they were on the fourth line, and they thought they should have been on the first line, and I, and I, that's why I didn't keep Dougie Gibbs, and from Rochester. He thought he should have been on the first line. Yeah, I remember you said, "What do you got, two goals," and you had to send them down. I had to tell him he was going down in the practice. I think that wasn't tough to go over and tell the guy after he scored two goals. So Dad, if Tom McCarthy was playing in the NHL today, how much would he be making? Oh, he'd be making... So you never played with him, though? No, I never played with him. I played against him in the American League, and it was tough enough to play against him. So was he, was he tough with the, could he fight, or was he tough with... He was tough with the stick, and he was tough with the body, and he was tough with everything. I knew, and he, he was that, and in front, you kind of took him out a little league. Easy. They call him Black Tom, and because he had dark curly hair, and boy was he tough. Okay, Dad, you know what? I gotta say, we have a good time talking between us on the porch, too, and everything. Don't we? We sure do. Yeah, we should be caught up at the podcast. Yeah, yeah, that would be the pre-show, pre-show podcast. The pre-show and all this. So we're talking about the time when we used to live in Kingston, and between hockey seasons and the whole deal, and we lived, we lived Mom and me and you. We lived with your mother and father, it was a tiny, tiny little bungalow, and... I don't think it was that tiny. Well, it was a little bit, it was pretty small for how many people it was. Hey, I'll go ahead. Anyway, we used to go up, my grandmother and I, to the Memorial Center, and go and play bingo, and one time, and there used to be a grand slam thing that you could get a card, and it was for big bucks, and it was for $2,000 if you called bingo first. Oh, yeah. Do you remember that? Well, grandma, I call her Anna, gave a ticket to one of her friends who got in late, and didn't get a ticket, so my grandmother... I'll tell you what her name was, her name was Heather Woodcock. Oh, was it Heather Woodcock? I didn't know that. Yeah, Heather Woodcock. Well, you can guess the folks, those two tickets, one of them, won the bingo, and I was... Oh, how much was it, Tim? $2,000. Yeah, so I looked at how much, you said it was, like, 50 something? No, it was about 62. 62. So I looked how much, $2,000 was 62, it was, like, $15,000, like, buying power. Yeah. It's, like, $15,000. $15,000. So I could hardly wait to get home to tell you about all the excitement the person beside us won all this money. Yeah. Well, the first thing, of course, you being a chair, you said, "Well, how much did she give you of the prize? You asked your mother?" And she says, "Well, nothing." Boy, oh boy, did you two go at it, and I thought, of course, it was all my fault. I was only five years old, right, and go at it, and, uh, do you remember that? Oh, I remember, I remember, and I remember my saying nothing. Nothing, nothing. What are you, not just something? You give her the card, and she doesn't give you nothing, you give you $500, 300 bucks or something, anyhow. Anyway, well, my question, so my question on the porch was, what were you more upset about that Anna didn't, uh, get upset that she didn't get the money or that the woman didn't give her any money? Mm, that's the tough one. I was more upset that Ma didn't get any money. Yeah. Yeah. And Ma didn't seem upset. She didn't seem upset, that's what, oh boy, boy, boy, boy, she didn't see, she wasn't upset. She wasn't, she really wasn't upset that much. Like, was she not upset or was she just saying she wasn't upset? I don't know, but she never said, and, and she, she said, what did your dad say? Nothing. I didn't, I didn't say nothing, but, but, and she actually said she didn't care whether she'd give her the money or not, and she did, and, and that, that upset me more than anything. Well, you were playing for how much, like, four grand a year. I was playing for 4,500 and she'd be earning half my money. Oh, that's a typical cherry story. I'm going to be playing for 4,500. I'm going to be playing for 4,500. I'm going to be playing for 4,500.