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

[Menzinger]

Burke is a buffoon, who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a public appearance to make comments like this.

 

[Menzinger]

I understand why people may be upset with the concussions quote but in all honesty he's 100% right.

Any hockey player at any level knows by now that because it is a fast paced, physical sport there is a risk of a concussion. If you aren't comfortable with that risk, simply do not play hockey. He's not wrong there.

Except the issue is - were teams/the league being truly upfront with players concerning the risks and 2 doing enough in terms of preventive action.

 

[SI90]

Can't see the NHL leaving a market like Calgary.

 

[ACC1224]

Well you dont need an expansion when you can just move a team. The logistics are simpler in this case.

and no expansion fee.

Is the feeling here that Burke has gone rogue? I can't imagine his thoughts aren't known to the Flames and they all felt it's time to get the message out there as part of the negotiating process.

 

[Ashasx]

and no expansion fee.

Is the feeling here that Burke has gone rogue? I can't imagine his thoughts aren't known to the Flames and they all felt it's time to get the message out there as part of the negotiating process.

Burke is probably just frustrated and is speaking from the perspective of somebody who works in hockey operations, not on the actual business side of things.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Can't see the NHL leaving a market like Calgary.

The NHL's in an awkward position when situations like this happen.

On the one hand, the league is clearly committed to preventing relocations in general. And on top of that, this situation involves a market that has no serious question marks about its ability to support the team. It's very very obvious that the league would not want to move from Calgary.

On the other hand, the owners run the league. Bettman has 31 bosses, and he represents those 31 old guys every time he opens his mouth. And that is particularly true when it comes to the high-stakes business aspects of the league, such as negotiations for a new arena. So it's very very obvious that the league will always represent the interests of the owner.

So the league has a conflict of interest here -- they have to back the owner's threat to relocate, but at the same time they clearly aren't interested in actually letting him relocate.

If the city of Calgary doubles down on their "don't even bother asking us to pay for it" stance, it will be VERY interesting (from a neutral POV) to see how Bettman and the NHL responds to that.

 

[Fig]

My understanding is that the City is pissed off that Flames org told them how to do their job by submitting CalgaryNext. It told them where to put the city's field house (which they were still researching), what to do with West Village (still researching) and how to spend a portion of their budget. The Financing model and who carries the risk and who owns the assets needs major work for sure and it was the convenient place to target to stall/kill the project. But IMO, behind closed doors, both sides agree arena and Flames stay in Calgary. Bettman has already gone to Calgary several times.

What IMO we are witnessing is a combination of bureaucrazy, posturing and delaying things as I think the Olympic bid will affect City Hall's decision. The City also is trying to show it cannot let an external group dictate what decisions to make as well as how to use their budget (rightly so). The economic climate of Calgary right now is also not great.

EDIT:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ken-king-calgary-flames-arena-next-1.4050989

Ken King, the actual spokes person for ownership actually did the same damn thing a few months ago. I find it hilarious he's back peddling Burke's comments when he made the same comments himself. Though to be fair, he back peddled his own comments not long after making them.

 

[Channelcat]

I understand why people may be upset with the concussions quote but in all honesty he's 100% right.

Any hockey player at any level knows by now that because it is a fast paced, physical sport there is a risk of a concussion. If you aren't comfortable with that risk, simply do not play hockey. He's not wrong there.

Unfortunately that is correct, but we, as a society prefer to skirt around the issues and tell ourselves that we are helping.

 

[Sky04]

Unfortunately that is correct, but we, as a society prefer to skirt around the issues and tell ourselves that we are helping.

Wrong, question isn't how to remove concussions from the NHL permanently it's how to mitigate and prevent the seriousness of the matter. He's answering like a buffoon as per usual.

Most intelligent people get this.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

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."

Man, I love Nenshi.

Because the arena is owned by the city. Right? I mean correct me if I am wrong and I get it, owners are greedy rich dudes but they don't own the stadium so why should they pay for one? Again, correct me if I am wrong and the stadium is not owned by the public. I get it if they want a whole new stadium though.

It is, but that's tied into the fact that it was used for the 88 Olympics. The city clearly doesn't want to own this new arena, and therefore they don't want to pay for it, either.

 

[perronist]

I'd be in favour of taxpayers building the Flames arena on the condition that we also buy the Flames.

I mean if the Saddledome was so bad, the Flames wouldn't be currently one of the more profitable teams in the league. I mean if the game is to make money, they can't move so all they can do is make empty threats. When has a team in any sport EVER moved away from a profitable market for an unprofitable market?

i'd support this 100%.

burke clearly has the backing of edwards. his comments are in line with the ownership position and are really nothing new or unexpected. the only thing burke does in the organization seems to be to come out and make outrageous comments every few months or so. last year he said that bollig would get more playing time no matter the coach.

surely edwards could finance a modest new arena from all the money he's saved by evading taxes over the years

 

[Fugazy]

What a disaster that was

 

[Commander Clueless]

Ah, Burkie. That temper.


I don't miss this side of him.

 

[hotpaws]

Ah, Burkie. That temper.


I don't miss this side of him.

there's actually a side of him you miss ?

 

[Smif]

Worth the five minutes to watch this gong show

Uhhhh...I agree with everything Burke said there. Why would an owner pay for a new building himself if he could just move to a different city with one ready to go?

 

[Yarborough]

Man, I love Nenshi.

Same here, guy is a great mayor.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I think we should all start question whether Burke himself has a concussion, a permanent one.

 

[Senor Catface]

Jesus, Burke would know, he looks like he just got out of the pool.

 

[yababy]

Originally Posted by rustyisin View Post
it sounds like a cheap shot at Edmonton to me.
Nenshi can't win this one - he should shut up and duplicate the deal.

Nenshi is also wrong about The City of Edmonton paying $ to the Oilers every year. I just posted a link to the entire deal.

I'm going to reckon he knows more of what he's talking about than you and a google search.

I'm eager to hear from flameshomer on this.
If it's the promotion/marketing deal of 2M/yr for 10 yrs that's pocket change

 

[stampedingviking]

I'm going to reckon he knows more of what he's talking about than you and a google search.

Especially as what was posted actually states that the city is paying $2m per year.

 

[Sky04]

I'm eager to hear from flameshomer on this.
If it's the promotion/marketing deal of 2M/yr for 10 yrs that's pocket change

So tell me where he's wrong.

 

[Channelcat]

Burke knows what he is doing, and the people on the other side of the table know what he is doing. Everyone else is running around in circles....clueless and upset.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Wrong, question isn't how to remove concussions from the NHL permanently it's how to mitigate and prevent the seriousness of the matter. He's answering like a buffoon as per usual.

Most intelligent people get this.

Most NHL goons are not goons by choice. They took that role because there is no other way they make the show and get paid a fortune. To suggest they don't know the risks because the NHL wasn't clear is basically to suggest they are idiots. The risks due to head shots has been pretty clear for well over 30 years. The science may not have had everything down pat but the risks were obvious to anyone with even moderate observation skills. Even if you are not a goon, you are dealing with big blows, head on ice, etc. I guarantee 100% players will always show up, quite simply for money. Yes, there is onus on the league to try to help but there is also definitely onus on the players to make an adult decision as to whether they want to take that risk or not. Sometimes you have to put on your big boy pants and make tough decisions.

 

[Commander Clueless]

there's actually a side of him you miss ?

Well now that you mention it....no, I guess not.


Guy did give a hell of an interview I suppose.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Seriously though, does Brian Burke know how to tie a tie? Has he ever addressed this?