Canadian broadcasting icon Don Cherry is on-site in Russia covering the Winter Olympics for CBC. It's his first time at an Olympic venue since Nagano in 1998. In a wide-ranging interview with the Toronto Sun, Cherry talks about his trepidation about traveling to Sochi since he hated his experience in Japan, but "he had no choice" because the network forced him to go.
As luck would have it in a pleasant surprise and a good story, Grapes is actually enjoying his WInter Olympics experience this time around on his first trip to Russia. The CBC says he's even become a "media darling" in Russia. Once you get past the broken doorknobs, yellow water, and #SochiProblems, many people are beginning to talk about making the best of their Russian odyssey. So what's Don Cherry's secret to having a good time covering the Winter Olympics?
Beer.
Lots and lots of beer.
Cherry told the Sun that his method to fight through jet lag and working an Olympic hockey tournament several timezones away from home is "several Buds a day"…
But Cherry is here at 80, alive and well in Russia, feeling great, without jet lag, looking younger than his age and able to be awake for his 2:30 a.m. Coach’s Corner hits here even though he’s barely eating but making sure he “has several Buds a day.”
Three of them this morning, he said.
“It keeps me going,” he said. “I’m happy as long as I have my beer.”
And now we know what makes Don Cherry tick. This explains so, so much. As long as he stays away from Bob Costas' vodka, hopefully the rest of the games will go off without a hitch.
