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

[Lunatik]

Who cares what Burke said? He's always been a blowhard. Anyone with any sense knows he has no pull in the team moving. Besides all teams threaten to move in some way or another to get public funds, this should shock no one.

 

[Lunatik]

People don't seem to understand that Burke manipulates the media in a way to get people focused on his agenda. The new arena issue in Calgary is barely talked about. Now, even with the cup finals on, the media focus will shift. People fall into his trap far too often.

And within hours a counsellor publicly said that a deal should be reached within a few weeks.

 

[lawrence]

That's the empty part of the threat.

Burke says Quebec City is a place to move the team, but the Flames will make more money in their 1983 barn in Calgary than they would in a brand new facility in Quebec.

Flames will make more money in their 1983 barn in Calgary than they would in a brand new facility in Quebec.

this is based on what? Quebec City's population is almost as high as Vancouver.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

And within hours a counsellor publicly said that a deal should be reached within a few weeks.

Exactly. It worked.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

new arena issues really have nothing to do with the rest of the NHL. most people won't care less about Calgary getting a new Arena. To be honest I don't give a crap about them and a new arena. Do you?

this is more Calgary related. That said I do not believe they will move the team if they don't secure a new arena. Were will they move them too that will do better then Calgary?

I don't care no, but when national media is put on people, they feel the pressure.

 

[Reinhart]

As a Calgary Flames fan since they relocated here from Atlanta, I will be upset if they leave.

However, I will get over it, and find a new team to cheer for. Relocation threat is an empty one considering that they would be hard-pressed to find any other city that would be as conducive as Calgary towards sustainability. I am sure the rest of the league's owners would be upset with having the 10th most profitable franchise relocate somewhere else too.

However, IF they end up moving, as a life-long and dedicated (fanatical at times) Flames fan, I will get over it. That you can be sure of. I believe a bad deal was signed in Edmonton, and that same deal would be even worse here in Calgary since Calgary does NOT need a new rink to 'rejuvenate' or 'kick-start' anything. In fact, CalgaryNext would have undermined the existing development plan in the West Village, and from the (scarce) plans available, would have ended up limiting the river access in that area.

Also, the OP is wrong - Murray Edwards did not move to London to avoid paying taxes. People who are familiar with the situation know this is not true (IIRC, he in fact ends up paying more in taxes now overall). It was a move based on personal issues more than that of a financial one. There is plenty to criticize Edwards for, but this is probably not one of them.

I just see this as a lot of (unnecessary) posturing. The mayor has come out and stated that public money has to be tied-into public benefit, so he has asked the Flames to provide evidence of public benefit. It isn't like the city council is being adamant that no public money shall be used - it just has to provide a public benefit since, after all, it is public money. Seems like a fair stance to take.

I thought that considering what the Flames' ownership group has done in and around Alberta (as well as the rest of Canada - i.e. look up the late Harley Hotchkiss who built arenas across Canada to provide access for youth hockey), that the Flames' new arena plans would have gone much better than this. I really didn't see such a circus over it, given that I figured I believed them when they touted this as a sort of 'transformative legacy project'. Guess not. Disappointed from the work the Flames have put in (seems like the city is putting more work in it themselves) and how they have come out in the public with it.

They seem like a child throwing a temper tantrum at the toy store when the parents refuse to buy them the latest and greatest toy. I was waffling towards their side initially, but they way they have carried themselves and how little public benefit they are even trying to show has pushed me staunchly on city council's side.

Yes, if this means that they relocate, I will still be a hockey fan, and it will be interesting to see what team I start cheering for and following more, if any. I know eventually the NHL will return to this market - I mean, 20 other teams wish their market was as good as Calgary's (IIRC, Calgary was ranked as the 10th strongest/most profitable).

 

[Bank Shot]

this is based on what? Quebec City's population is almost as high as Vancouver.

Based on population size and money.

Quebec's metro area has 800,000 people. Vancouver's has almost 2.5 million.
Calgary is 1.4 million. That's a sizable population difference.

Calgarians also make substantially more money than people in Quebec city, and the city also has a way bigger corporate base.

The Flames owners could make more money playing in an actual barn in Calgary than they could make in Quebec City. It literally makes no sense to move the team there.

 

[BK201]

this is based on what? Quebec City's population is almost as high as Vancouver.

Yeah not really at all. It's like 1/2 of a Ottawa tbh.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

That tie joke though....

 

[DSJW]

He's right about the concussions if you don't want to risk it play a non contact sport,these people are adults after the age of 18 if they don't want to end up "punch drunk" don't play sports where you get hit in the head that simple.Suing leagues 20 years after you have a concussion is a bs money grab

 

[djpatm]

City Council just came out and said that the deal is close and should be announced in a few weeks and that the negotiations have been going great and that they're "surprised no one told [Burke]".

Such a clown. I'm going to throw popcorn at him next time I see him walking up to Press Level at the Dome.

 

[viper0220]

City Council just came out and said that the deal is close and should be announced in a few weeks and that the negotiations have been going great and that they're "surprised no one told [Burke]".

Such a clown. I'm going to throw popcorn at him next time I see him walking up to Press Level at the Dome.

Source?

 

[Fig]

Source?

http://www.calgarysun.com/2017/06/08/councillors-say-arena-deal-closer-than-burke-thinks

 

[Dr Quincy]

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.

Actually, he and you are wrong, US laws say that "assumption of the risk" defenses aren't totally applicable in cases involving employment law. So while it's nice and sounds really macho to say it, legally it's wrong.

 

[Sky04]

Actually, he and you are wrong, US laws say that "assumption of the risk" defenses aren't totally applicable in cases involving employment law. So while it's nice and sounds really macho to say it, legally it's wrong.

This is like saying factory and warehouses shouldn't have to adhere to safety regulations because their workers take on the risk of injury when they go to work to get paid. Idiotic line of thinking.

Doesn't sound macho at all, more like clueless, uneducated and simple-minded.

 

[Fig]

Actually, he and you are wrong, US laws say that "assumption of the risk" defenses aren't totally applicable in cases involving employment law. So while it's nice and sounds really macho to say it, legally it's wrong.

I might be wrong, but I think what Burke is talking about and the lawsuit are completely different pages of the same book.

Burke if paraphrased is saying something along the lines of, "Hockey is a sport that has injuries such as concussion. If you're not comfortable with that injury, go do something that doesn't have such a risk such as swimming."

It's a dick comment, sure. But I don't see how that's an incorrect comment.


The lawsuit on the other hand is different. I believe it's more along the lines of the duty of care owed to the players who had concussions (ie: NHL burying evidence or avoiding research on whether it negatively affects players). It is less about players who have concussions when playing the sport, and more about how little support is/was given to the players after they received a concussion pre/post retirement. Many did not realize the types of lingering effects from those concussions. The NHL for a while dismissed such a possibility could occur and I believe stonewalled and got in the way of those who wanted to ask questions.

This situation metaphorically IMO is not about the risks involved with a job like mining. Instead IMO it is like a situation where there was a concern whether certain miners exposed to a certain more dangerous area of the mines should keep going there due to elevated risks. Concerns were ignored and in the end those miners developed health issues more severe than their other mining peers.

The issue of the lawsuit as I understand it is not whether players have a risk of a concussion if they play the game. It's players who were exposed to and received elevated health issues due to medical concerns being disregarded.

[MOD]

 

[ACC1224]

It is called being a professional.

I am in a 3 piece suit everyday at work. He wants to be an outlaw game changer--but he is a bully

Pretty silly view. He's the same man doing the same job whether his tie is done up or not.

You can't do your job without a three piece suit on? Are you a Butler?

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Actually, he and you are wrong, US laws say that "assumption of the risk" defenses aren't totally applicable in cases involving employment law. So while it's nice and sounds really macho to say it, legally it's wrong.

I don't know how you can say he is "wrong" when he doesn't appear to have commented on law or legality?

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

This is like saying factory and warehouses shouldn't have to adhere to safety regulations because their workers take on the risk of injury when they go to work to get paid. Idiotic line of thinking.

Doesn't sound macho at all, more like clueless, uneducated and simple-minded.

Actually it is like saying "if you don't want to risk losing your fingers, don't work in a factory with a bunch of machines that are chopping things that could cause you to lose your fingers".

That isn't clueless, uneducated or simple-minded. It is basic logic.

It doesn't absolve someone from making it as safe as they can but as an adult, you have the choice not to work there if that is your big worry.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

this is based on what? Quebec City's population is almost as high as Vancouver.

The city of Vancouver proper, sure. But the census metro area of Vancouver has almost 2.5 million people; Quebec City has 800 000. They're not even close.

Add to that, the fact that Montreal has an incredibly strong presence in Quebec, and it seems extremely unlikely that QC would be able to garner a fan population that rival's Calgary's.

Calgary has: 50% greater population, an established fanbase, and 50% higher median income than Quebec City. I don't see any way that QC can compete.

Based on population size and money.

Quebec's metro area has 800,000 people. Vancouver's has almost 2.5 million.
Calgary is 1.4 million. That's a sizable population difference.

Calgarians also make substantially more money than people in Quebec city, and the city also has a way bigger corporate base.

The Flames owners could make more money playing in an actual barn in Calgary than they could make in Quebec City. It literally makes no sense to move the team there.

I see I was beaten to the punch.

 

[Cawz]

People don't seem to understand that Burke manipulates the media in a way to get people focused on his agenda. The new arena issue in Calgary is barely talked about.

Um, the new arena issue has been talked about tons here in Calgary this year. Ken King "threatened" to move the team in early April, it was voted on in council in late April and "Plan B" was unveiled as opposed to CalgaryNext, city councillors commissioned a survey to Calgarians in late April to gauge interest and the results were made public in May...

So yeah, just because this is the only report that made it to this message board doesnt mean that the new arena discussions havent been in the news on a weekly basis for a while now recently.

 

[Cawz]

Pretty silly view. He's the same man doing the same job whether his tie is done up or not.

He'd be the same man doing the same job if he was wearing a clown suit as well, but that wouldnt stop people from saying he looks like a clown.

 

[ACC1224]

He'd be the same man doing the same job if he was wearing a clown suit as well, but that wouldnt stop people from saying he looks like a clown.

Agreed, if he wore a clown suit he would look like a clown.

 

[BLONG7]

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!!

 

[Cawz]

Agreed, if he wore a clown suit he would look like a clown.

I agree. He would look more like a clown. He's only about half-way there now.