Brian Burke's media disaster, threatens Calgary may relocate + talk on concussions

[Cawz]

It was just all too quiet out of Calgary, so Burkie took to the mic, the mic he loves so very much.............and got everyone talking!! LOL

The guy screams arrogance and idiocy all in one shot!!

The media will have a ton of fun, with this for the next little while!!

Um, read my post about 3 above yours.

Why do you guys keep thinking this isnt constant news in Calgary?

 

[Sniper99]

Greedy ass owner and dinosaur Burke. What a combo.

WTF are you talking about?

[MOD]

 

[Maukkis]

And in the next episode of "how to bury your career six feet deep"...

Alternatively, maybe he tried to cover the whole ****ing organization while trying to **** people off in a press conference. It's just so bad that it's good.

 

[JPeeper]

Haha, that tie joke was a zinger.

Best part of the whole ordeal was that joke.

Was savage AF.

 

[MikeGrier99]

Eh, they knew what he was when they hired him.

Just amazes me how much the media freaks out when someone talks bluntly.

What happens if an arena isn't built?

We'd leave

What about Concussions?

Going to happen in a contact sport


Somehow giving two pretty obvious answers is a media disaster.

It's because the bluntness comes with a complete lack of tact. The NHL has an obligation to keep it's players as safe as they can. Concussions are no joke. The Calgary Flames have an obligation to be respectful to their fan base. It's about tact and basic respect, coming out like a straight shooter on these things just makes Burke look simple minded and completely lacking in common courtesy.

 

[Dicdonya]

It's because the bluntness comes with a complete lack of tact. The NHL has an obligation to keep it's players as safe as they can. Concussions are no joke. The Calgary Flames have an obligation to be respectful to their fan base. It's about tact and basic respect, coming out like a straight shooter on these things just makes Burke look simple minded and completely lacking in common courtesy.

If this statement is truely what you believe then the NHL is utterly failing in their obligation to "keep players as safe as they can." To do that, they would need to eliminate hitting, have full body armor for all players, dull their skates to reduce cut risk, and slow players down to minimize accidental collisions, and many other utterly absurd safety measures that I'm fairly certain no sane person actually expects, or wants the NHL to implement.

So no im pretty sure they don't have that obligation, as much as some of you might want them to so you can feel better.

 

[Rick74*]

of course this thread would devolve into a [mod] match between quebec and calgary.

we as fans deserve both.

 

[MikeGrier99]

If this statement is truely what you believe then the NHL is utterly failing in their obligation to "keep players as safe as they can." To do that, they would need to eliminate hitting, have full body armor for all players, dull their skates to reduce cut risk, and slow players down to minimize accidental collisions, and many other utterly absurd safety measures that I'm fairly certain no sane person actually expects, or wants the NHL to implement.

So no im pretty sure they don't have that obligation, as much as some of you might want them to so you can feel better.

I said it's their obligation to keep players as safe as they can, not that they have to completely change the game to do so. At the very least, they have to show concern for concussions, rather than making such an idiotic statement that Burke made. There are many former NHLers dealing with life changing concussion issues and Burke's caveman comments just make him look like a fool. The question is what we should do to make the game as safe as we can make it while maintaining the integrity of the game, not making sarcastic remarks that completely ignore important issues.

 

[SatanwasaSlovak]

I don't see anything he said was wrong.

Want to avoid concussions? Keep your head up and don't turn your back to your opponents.

 

[BlackWallStreet]

Harsh to threaten the fan base like that imo I've been a fan of the flames since day 1 when I was born in late 92

 

[Pyrophorus]

Bumbling Burke gonna bumble.

 

[Lunatik]

Harsh to threaten the fan base like that imo I've been a fan of the flames since day 1 when I was born in late 92

How is it a threat when Burke has zero say in the team moving and isn't involved in the arena project? He's sharing an opinion, no more, no less.

 

[Tuna99]

Brian Burke looks like he hasn't recovered from the failure in Toronto, his ego can't recon that failure. He looks like a slob. Never liked the guy, he's a meathead who thinks he's smarter then everyone, and the media loves him, not a good combination for fans who hate blowhards.

And the arena in Quebec is broke. It sucks too. A ton of problems. It's not even a real visible option for hockey unless you are getting a franchise that has no season ticket base and is basically on life support - which the Flames never will be.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Worth the five minutes to watch this gong show

Gong show?

What he said make perfectly sense.

 

[Aerchon]

The proposal CalgaryNext or whatever is laugh out bad in every way imaginable.

Its location, traffic impact, soil remediation, its cost in general, and above all its asthetics. The model presented looked like something rendered back in the 80's on a comador 64.

The time, research, and cost of just the proposal itself was rediculous.

A lot of people milked that process and to have such a terrible outcome, the only thing the city of Calgary could do is sweap it into the trash and hope it goes away. That was the smart responsible thing to do. If there was a decent proposal I am sure it would have gained more traction. Would not surprise me if it came out the process was intentionally botched to provide an excuse to move the team.

 

[JetsFan815]

Btw, this is Mayor Nenshi's reponse:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/flames-president-brian-burke-calgary-next-1.4150420

"This is me kind of shrugging," he said when asked for a reaction. "This is page 26 of the script. It's always page 26 of the script in every city, and my job now is, I'm supposed to go to page 27 and 28 in the script when I point out that Rogers has given them billions of dollars and they're not going to let them remove a team from a western Canadian market, that in order for them to go to Quebec, they'll have to sell the team to Pierre Karl Peladeau, and he's not going to give them a deal the way they're going to get in Calgary, blah, blah, blah. I'm not interested in doing that."

"Five out of the seven teams in Canada have privately owned rinks, only Edmonton and Calgary are publicly owned, and the Edmonton deal may have been right for Edmonton, where they desperately needed revitalization and construction in their downtown core, that is not the case in Calgary … so we have to find a new model."

I love that little snide shot at Edmonton by the Calgary mayor lol

 

[2023FriendshipTour]

I love that little snide shot at Edmonton by the Calgary mayor lol

Have you been to downtown Edmonton? Before the arena it wasn't the most happening place.

 

[Cawz]

I love that little snide shot at Edmonton by the Calgary mayor lol

I dont think that was a jab. Its the truth. Although the same could be said for the west village area. That area needs revitalization and construction. Its an embarrassment when people drive in from the west to downtown. Its bad enough you have to drive through Bowness when you first enter the city. It just gets worse as you enter downtown.

The proposal CalgaryNext or whatever is laugh out bad in every way imaginable.

Its location, traffic impact, soil remediation, its cost in general, and above all its asthetics. The model presented looked like something rendered back in the 80's on a comador 64.

The time, research, and cost of just the proposal itself was rediculous.

A lot of people milked that process and to have such a terrible outcome, the only thing the city of Calgary could do is sweap it into the trash and hope it goes away. That was the smart responsible thing to do. If there was a decent proposal I am sure it would have gained more traction. Would not surprise me if it came out the process was intentionally botched to provide an excuse to move the team.

The location and traffic impact is better than where it is now. Look at where the Saddledome is now and compare it to the west village. You have Bow Trail and Crowchild (which has a plan for an upgrade) at west village. You cant tell me the current location is better.

The soil remediation still needs to be done. Or would you rather just ignore it and pretend like its not there?

The cost in general is expensive no matter what. But at least the west village location has the opportunity to deal with the soil remediation and the Crowchild Trail upgrades. If you do it all together, you get the chance to package up the costs. Instead, the remediation and upgrades will just be done 100% on the taxpayers dime on individual projects. Do you think thats the better option?

Your model comment is just dumb - who cares?

What type of "decent proposal" would you be looking for? Better pictures?

 

[madmike77]

The arena comment was dumb. But he's 100% correct on concussions. Players today know the risks. If you don't want a concussion, then don't play contact sports.

 

[qwerty]

Does anyone honestly see a majority vote from the board of governors supporting relocation? I mean seriously, there are franchises right now that are having trouble selling out just half of their building and hemorrhaging millions.

Why would league executives and rich owners be ok with ripping player's families from their homes, screwing over TV deal partners and alienating an entire fanbase from the league itself permanently.

It'll never happen. These people didn't climb the corporate ladder or make it big in the business world by making poor and risky business decisions. I will literally eat my hat if the Flames ever relocated due to the perception that the Saddledome is out of date.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

It's weird when you have to feel uncomfortable/embarrassed by the comments of someone likely more intelligent than you. Go to bed Brian.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

It's weird when you have to feel uncomfortable/embarrassed by the comments of someone likely more intelligent than you. Go to bed Brian.

Burke was always... Bombastic. But since the personal tragedy he and his family endured, I feel he's kinda gone off the deep end. Jumped the shark, so to speak.

 

[Hoser]

Why would league executives and rich owners be ok with ripping player's families from their homes, screwing over TV deal partners and alienating an entire fanbase from the league itself permanently.

League executives and rich owners would sell their own mothers if they thought they could make a buck. "Ripping players' families from their homes"? Ha.

 

[qwerty]

League executives and rich owners would sell their own mothers if they thought they could make a buck. "Ripping players' families from their homes"? Ha.

Except in this situation they'd be losing money in the long run by turning an entire fanbase away from their product permanently. I know for me personally I wouldn't be following this team if they were forcefully relocated.

That's my main point, these guys are smart businessmen who are risk adverse and know how to project profits. This would be a poor business decision and they know it. That's why a relocation would never happen. Bettman spent years of effort keeping the Coyotes in Phoenix and he'd probably spend double that trying to keep the Flames in Calgary.

 

[Sweet Leaf]

When life gets tough, I remember we no longer have this half dressed nitwit blowhard running himself in front of every microphone in Toronto and boy does it ever turn my mood around.