Serious Concern

[trellaine201]

No matter the PR that is to come from the new owners this was a power struggle over team direction and a TOTAL DECISION to sack Burke at a critical time in the year/season was an example of irrational behavior were in for the future.

You watch the typical Canadian Politically correct BS that is our cultural trait, lie lie lie so as to not make waves..

I hate that about our culture, everyone hides from controversy or offending anyone...

this is a disgrace


if you think a group of corporate suits in there 50's & 60's with no experience know better good luck

I agree! No team in the nhl should be owned by a corporation! Look at the NfL. They will not allow corporate ownership. Those teams are all owned by individuals!

Corporations just fukc things up. Stick their noses where they shouldnt.

More tough days ahead boys.

 

[rdawg1234]

If I was on the board, I'd be a little pissed off at Burke too. I mean, autonomy is great when you're winning cups, but when Burke's being his "straight shooting" self and he's throwing out a significant fortune on the likes of Komisarek, Connolly, Lombardi, Armstrong, Beauchemin, etc. it would be a pain in the ass.

I'd rather have an owner who forces his GM to sign Ilya Kovalchuk than have a GM with full autonomy giving us Komisarek, Connolly, Lombardi, Armstrong, Beauchemin level signings year after year...

All of those guys are off the books by years end so it's kind of a weird thing to say here.

Money wise he's made extremely smart moves, never giving a free agent more than a couple years(minus of course Komi, but the guy was a near all-star before we signed him)

We've had some solid smaller signings, Macarthur having a career year, bozak coming out of college.

There really wasnt ANYTHING to go for in the free agent market, Richards was never interested, I didnt want kovalchuk for 15 years.

 

[LeafsTFC]

As an example even our crime stats are culturally & ethically coded to not identify anyone on those stats...

I don't really have a clue what you even mean by this. That we don't report on a criminal's ethnicity (because we often do)? Or that we don't look at crime incidence among particular ethnic or racial groups (because we do that too)?

Care to explain how Canada differs from other countries on this?

In the end, the board may have not been pleased with Burke's mannerisms. I am vehemently opposed to firing someone from a hockey position on that basis. But I don't understand why you think this type of thing happens more in Canada than elsewhere. I don't see any evidence for that.

 

[Stephen]

All of those guys are off the books by years end so it's kind of a weird thing to say here.

Money wise he's made extremely smart moves, never giving a free agent more than a couple years(minus of course Komi, but the guy was a near all-star before we signed him)

We've had some solid smaller signings, Macarthur having a career year, bozak coming out of college.

There really wasnt ANYTHING to go for in the free agent market, Richards was never interested, I didnt want kovalchuk for 15 years.

If I was an owner or a member on some kind of executive board and I was signing cheques to a guy like Burke who was difficult to work with, it would be a piss off, because over the past four years he's spent:

Komisarek $22.5 million
Connolly $9.5 million
Lombardi $7 million
Beauchemin $7.75 million (counting two years of his contract).

$46.75 MILLION on complete garbage in real world dollars. He's got to be held accountable some time.

 

[achtungbaby]

I worry that Burke was the first real hockey guy given that level of autonomy and he screwed it up for all the GM's who would come later.

 

[colchar]

Brian Burke: Never made the playoffs, but damn it he tried hard!

And what would you have done in light of how bare the cupboard was when he arrived?

 

[DaveT83*]

Burkites vs Corporations

I'm tired of it already.

I guess you gotta hitch your wagon to something huh?

 

[Stephen]

I worry that Burke was the first real hockey guy given that level of autonomy and he screwed it up for all the GM's who would come later.

Who's to really say any GM has full autonomy to do whatever they want? Burke's completely lame and artificial principles regarding contract length were simply making the Leafs less competitive on the UFA market, for example. If the owners were taking exception to that, that's a positive change in my books.

 

[colchar]

Is all the Burke lovers who think him going to parades is more important than improving this team.Burke thought he was bigger than Leaf nation.Burke got flattened.He did a garbage job,making his own agenda top priority.I am still highly suspicious of the Kessel trade with his buddies in Boston and how he overpaid.His free agent signings were stupid and Grabo making $5 million is "ludicrous" by his own admission.

We have a bunch of naive Leaf fans who are upset because a champion of their views was fired for being a bad GM.They assume the rest of us care about their causes and him supporting them is some kind of moral victory.Well he is gone,and Leaf nation is number one again.I am well tired of Burke's sideshow antics at our expense.Good riddance.Good move Leaf brass.Bravo!Encore!

Well that's some rather thinly veiled bigotry isn't it?

 

[colchar]

This post is the definition of burke hater wow. He has been our best gm for a long time who actually cared about the long term instead of just the short term and that's why fans hated him.

Too many Leafs fans are schizophrenic - they complain about losing and demand results, they complain about trading picks/assets to get players who might deliver results, they complain about the way Burke ran the team, they complain about Burke being fired, they complain about not making the playoffs, they complain about not having high draft picks, etc., etc., etc. Seriously, the worst thing about being a Leafs fan is other Leafs fans.

So dumb wow

Yep.

 

[colchar]

I have travelled all over the world PUG

Sure you have Skippy.

And i stand by my comments thats Canadians our extremely Politically correct and afraid of rocking the boat as a culture

No, what you said was "Canadians our the most Politically correct culture on the planet" which clearly indicates that you have little to no knowledge of other cultures.

As an example even our crime stats are culturally & ethically coded to not identify anyone on those stats...

That happens in many other places as well so would you care to tell us again how that makes Canada the most politically correct culture on the planet?

Burke was Bombastic and got sacked because of it

Which is it? First you said he was bombastic and got fired because of it, then in the next sentence you claimed that you suspected it was all due to the Luongo deal, and now you are again claiming that he was fired because he was bombastic. So which one is it? Or do you even know yourself what it is you think?

Bell can run the team well......we will see i highly doubt it, Ballard proved corp meddling was ooohhhh so successful

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Bell will meddle, none whatsoever. In fact, their appointing Nonis indicates that they did not make a decision based on hockey issues and thus are not actually meddling. Or can you not see that?

 

[BillyD]

And what would you have done in light of how bare the cupboard was when he arrived?

wow, you got me, burke actually had good results

 

[colchar]

If I was on the board, I'd be a little pissed off at Burke too. I mean, autonomy is great when you're winning cups, but when Burke's being his "straight shooting" self and he's throwing out a significant fortune on the likes of Komisarek, Connolly, Lombardi, Armstrong, Beauchemin, etc. it would be a pain in the ass.

I'd rather have an owner who forces his GM to sign Ilya Kovalchuk than have a GM with full autonomy giving us Komisarek, Connolly, Lombardi, Armstrong, Beauchemin level signings year after year...

Well the Beauchemin one did work out for us in the end.

 

[ULF_55]

No matter the PR that is to come from the new owners this was a power struggle over team direction and a TOTAL DECISION to sack Burke at a critical time in the year/season was an example of irrational behavior were in for the future.

You watch the typical Canadian Politically correct BS that is our cultural trait, lie lie lie so as to not make waves..

I hate that about our culture, everyone hides from controversy or offending anyone...

this is a disgrace

if you think a group of corporate suits in there 50's & 60's with no experience know better good luck

I'm glad they are taking an active role in their product.

The goal is to have the best product to sell and the past few seasons have been a dismal failure. (Should it be a great failure since the failure was extremely successful)

 

[colchar]

I agree! No team in the nhl should be owned by a corporation! Look at the NfL. They will not allow corporate ownership. Those teams are all owned by individuals!

The Green Bay Packers are owned by a publicly owned non-profit corporation, not an individual.

 

[colchar]

But I don't understand why you think this type of thing happens more in Canada than elsewhere. I don't see any evidence for that.

You probably shouldn't hold your breath waiting for him to produce any either...

 

[colchar]

wow, you got me, burke actually had good results

I didn't say he produced results as in playoff appearances or anything, I am saying the organization is in better shape than it was in when he arrived.

And I'll ask again - what would you have done?

 

[Disgruntled Observer*]

This post is the definition of burke hater wow. He has been our best gm for a long time who actually cared about the long term instead of just the short term and that's why fans hated him. So dumb wow

If Burke's prepared us so well for the future, then why are the leafs ranked so low on all of the prospect ranking lists (some of which were made by professional nhl scouts)?

Fact is, after four years of Burke, the team finished lower in the standings and had lower rated prospects than when he arrived.

Again, if Kessel walks after his contract, Burke may go down as the worst GM in maple leaf history.

 

[BillyD]

I didn't say he produced results as in playoff appearances or anything, I am saying the organization is in better shape than it was in when he arrived.

And I'll ask again - what would you have done?

what i would have done is not relevant, the only issue that matters is the guy went 0/4 trying to make the playoffs in a leauge where 16/30 teams make it every year

maybe he made some nice moves, maybe he made some nice draft picks or signings but that record of failure is unprecedented in the history of the franchise

Burke didn't get the job done and no matter what a great guy he seemed like, his departure really isn't worth shedding a tear over unless you are a member of his immediate family

period

 

[Bomber0104]

If Burke's prepared us so well for the future, then why are the leafs ranked so low on all of the prospect ranking lists (some of which were made by professional nhl scouts)?

Fact is, after four years of Burke, the team finished lower in the standings and had lower rated prospects than when he arrived.

Again, if Kessel walks after his contract, Burke may go down as the worst GM in maple leaf history.

If you look at the numbers, Burke already is...considering he has the most non-playoff seasons in team history.

And as you mention, one would think that the prospect talent would reflect being so terrible. Unfortunately it doesn't...

 

[colchar]

If Burke's prepared us so well for the future, then why are the leafs ranked so low on all of the prospect ranking lists (some of which were made by professional nhl scouts)?

Fact is, after four years of Burke, the team finished lower in the standings and had lower rated prospects than when he arrived.

Ratings aren't reliable. Look at how many players with decent ratings get drafted and then don't pan out. Results mean more than ratings and the Marlies made it to the Calder Cup finals last year so they obviously did pretty damned well.

 

[Bomber0104]

Ratings aren't reliable. Look at how many players with decent ratings get drafted and then don't pan out. Results mean more than ratings and the Marlies made it to the Calder Cup finals last year so they obviously did pretty damned well.

They weren't led by prospects drafted by Burke now were they?

In fact, they were actually led by veterans and their best prospect was a JFJ pick, Matt Frattin.

 

[ULF_55]

Ratings aren't reliable. Look at how many players with decent ratings get drafted and then don't pan out. Results mean more than ratings and the Marlies made it to the Calder Cup finals last year so they obviously did pretty damned well.

Who was the GM of the Marlies? It wasn't Burke.

Okay, I see it was Nonis.

 

[colchar]

what i would have done is not relevant

Yes actually, it is. You have criticized someone else's performance so let's see you explain what, exactly, you would have done.

the only issue that matters is the guy went 0/4 trying to make the playoffs in a leauge where 16/30 teams make it every year

maybe he made some nice moves, maybe he made some nice draft picks or signings but that record of failure is unprecedented in the history of the franchise

He wasn't the GM for a full season in his first year so we cannot fairly hold that one against him as he was only partially responsible for putting that team together.

And nobody is claiming that he produced great results, only that he inherited an organization whose cupboards were bare and that he left that organization in far better shape than when he arrived.

 

[colchar]

They weren't led by prospects drafted by Burke now were they?

In fact, they were actually led by veterans and their best prospect was a JFJ pick, Matt Frattin.

The team was a mix of guys drafted or brought in before Burke and guys drafted or brought in by Burke.