Backlash from some of the Band of Brothers

Don Cherry's aural Jeremiad on the fate of hockey of early October hasn't registered as gospel with some of his once devout congregation.

When Cherry called out Chris Nilan, Stu Grimson and Jim Thomson, over their thoughts on fighting and physical play in hockey he perhaps made a tactical error, at least that's how things appear to have turned out, as taking on the three, all one time enforcers of the NHL seems to have put Cherry punching out of his weight class.

That much became clear pretty quickly as the three decided to push back, coming over the boards to address their issues with Cherry,  through the resources of stationary from a Nashville law firm where it seems Mr. Grimson works as a barrister and/or solicitor.

With a statement demanding an apology from Hockey Night in Canada's high priest of pugilism gaining attention prior to Cherry's traditional Saturday night audience, Cherry did what few have ever seen him do, deliver an apology, live on air, stating that he was 100 percent wrong.

No doubt good enough for the legal folks to put down their legal pads and cel phones for  a while, and maybe enough humble pie to perhaps reign in Cherry for the foreseeable future.

For good measure, Ron McLean, who apparently didn't want to be left out of the mea culpas this week, apologized to Cherry for not interjecting himself into the debate last week "falling" him as McLean put it. A part of the apparent job description at Hockey Night in Canada that Mr. MacLean neglected to fulfill to the standard expected.

It was one of those rare Coach's Corner moments, where the usually combative Cherry seemed a tad unsure of his place in the nation's television sets, an interesting study into how best to get yourself out of a mess of your own creation.

Though we wonder how Mr. Cherry feels about some of those charter members of his enforcer's club. Apology notwithstanding, in the past he has offered many thoughts on the less physical players (past precedence usually includes European style players for example) that could have gotten him in trouble,  possibly legal or corporate at the CBC.

Yet in the end, it was his comments about those "tough guys" that seems to have put him on the defensive and at perhaps the most peril career wise, in years.

Even more discombobulating for Mr. Cherry one suspects, is the idea that those "tough" guys, went the route of words and legal possibilities as their preferred method of redress.

As Mr. Cherry might say "a lesson for all you kids at home" perhaps, sometimes you don't have to settle your problems with a good old fashioned NHL throw down, a simple note from a lawyer's office is apparently just as good.

It's telling to note, that with fourteen games played on Saturday evening, the talking points for Sunday morning almost exclusively surround the Cherry apology and what impact it may portend for future Cherry audio/visual encyclicals to come.

Towards that we see that the CBC has sought to seek out which way the wind is blowing, post apology. Offering up this item on their website complete with poll as to whether viewers are satisfied with the progress of events thus far.

That interesting twist and some of the other commentary of the last ten days or so can be found below.

Globe and Mail-- Don Cherry issues a rare apology for "pukes" comment
Globe and Mail-- Don Cherry's grovelling fails to erase errors
Globe and Mail-- Jim Thomson on Don Cherry and fighting in the NHL
Globe and Mail-- The "Pukes" remain furious with Don Cherry
Globe and Mail-- Don Cherry: Just call him the enforcer of free speech
Globe and Mail-- Ron MacLean spills the puck in Don Cherry saga
Globe and Mail-- CBC rides shotgun on Don Cherry's stagecoach
Globe and Mail-- Don Cherry has no regrets about hockey violence rant
Globe and Mail-- Cherry makes up for lost time
National Post-- Don Cherry will be missed when he's gone
National Post-- Ex-enforcers accept Cherry's apology, won't sue
National Post-- Cherry apologizes for comments toward retired enforcers
National Post-- Don Cherry is wrong, and this isn't just about fighting
National Post-- Don Cherry is right, fighting is an essential part of hockey
Montreal Gazette-- Cherry apologizes to former hockey enforcers
Montreal Gazette-- Did CBC make Cherry apologize?
Montreal Gazette-- A locker room responds to Don Cherry
Canada.com-- Don Cherry's comments "verbal bullying"
Canada.com-- Don Cherry takes familiar path to controversy
Canada.com-- Grimson puts Cherry's fight videos in perspective
Toronto Sun-- Cherry apologizes to ex-enforcers
Toronto Sun-- Rose Cherry, voice of reason
Toronto Sun-- Cherry under attack for no good reason
Toronto Star-- Cherry apologizes to former NHL enforcers over Coach's Corner rant
Toronto Star-- MacLean unfazed by Cherry's 'pukes' and 'hypocrites' rant
Toronto Star-- Can everybody in the Don Cherry spat just grow up?
Toronto Star-- Trio called pukes, seek 'further recourse' from Don Cherry
Toronto Star-- The 'pukes' are right about fighting in hockey
Toronto Star-- Don Cherry stirs the pot once again
The Tennessean-- Stu Grimson gets his apology from Don Cherry
The Tennessean-- To ex-Predator Stu Grimson, Don Cherry's comments
The Tennessean-- Grimson reacts to Cherry
NBC Sports-- Don Cherry publicly apologizes on CBC's Coach's Corner
TSN-- Cherry apologizes to Grimson, Nilan and Thomson for rant
CBC-- Cherry: 'I was wrong'
Winnipeg Free Press-- Grapes sorry for trampling trio
Winnipeg Free Press-- CBC's MacLean stands by his man
Winnipeg Free Press-- 'Grim Reaper; wondering why Grapes squashed him
Vancouver Province-- Don Cherry comes 'from another era'
Vancouver Province-- Cherry must go
Vancouver Sun-- MacLean drops his gloves, on paper
Ottawa Citizen-- Sour Grapes: Money Saves Cherry
CTV-- Don Cherry apologizes or 'Coach's Corner' rant
National Post-- The problem with making Don Cherry the problem
St. Catharines Standard-- Don Cherry has jumped the shark - again and again
NESN-- Don Cherry apologizes to Ex-NHL enforcers...