what i'm watching: the national

Since the CBC is back, I've been watching "The National" every night (or every night that I remember to - trying to get into a new habit).

For those of you who don't watch CBC, The National is an hour-long nightly news show. I love it. First, it's a pleasure to watch a full hour of visual news with minimal commercial interruption. I really like the in-depth features on various aspects of Canadian life. The reporting on the US is edged with a heavy dose of skepticism, which of course I appreciate. In general, I actually feel like I'm learning something.

On last night's broadcast, there were excerpts from a "Mansbridge One On One" interview with Don Cherry. Since we've been talking about Mr Cherry (here and here), I had to watch. I must say, Cherry looked like an idiot next to Mansbridge, and not because Mansbridge was playing the interview that way. Cherry just sounded ridiculous, defending fighting in hockey, declaring that "whatever the fans want" is how the game should be played. (A sure-fire way to ruin a game!)

After Cherry declared that all hockey fans love fights, Mansbridge sought to soften the statement into "most fans". Cherry wouldn't concede the point, insisting that all hockey fans want to see a lot of fighting. Of course, whenever you say "all" instead of "most," you're setting yourself up to be wrong.

I don't pretend to know a thing about hockey, but Cherry sounded exactly like the blustery, idiotic baseball announcers that ruin ESPN and FOX broadcasts on a regular basis. No wonder he needs the jackets and the loud mouth. If he didn't make himself into a show, someone might peek behind the curtain.

Before we left New York, a friend gave us this assignment: Answer the question, why is it called "The National"? I have no idea.

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