Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Cry Me A River
That's Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke on Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe. The comments came during an interview with TSN's James Duthie last night (video is here. It's a must see). Burke claims that he won't even call Lowe to make a trade, if and when that is ever required. He'll get assistant GM Bob Murray to do it for him. I wouldn't be too pleased about that comment if I was a Ducks fan, as it indicates a man who can't separate the personal from the professional. We all knew that, of course, but the guy really has gone off the deep end with this one. Tyler and Matt have already discussed why Burke doesn't have a leg to stand on, so I won't get into it again. Let's just say that a guy who signed Todd Bertuzzi (32 years old, 15 GP last season, likes to hunt heads) to a two-year, eight million dollar contract this offseason shouldn't be whining about other managers overpaying players.
# posted by andy grabia @ 6:49 am 
Comments:
Is there a more childish asshole amongst the GM ranks in the NHL than Burke? One shouldn't be surprised I guess - dude is still learning to comb his hair.
Let's just say that a guy who signed Todd Bertuzzi (32 years old, 15 GP last season, likes to hunt heads) to a three-year, twelve million dollar contract this offseason shouldn't be whining about other managers overpaying players.
2 years, $8 million. The rest works.
And I'll add, I don't know what Kevin Lowe's been saying in return, but based on his track record, I don't know if he's super-anxious to work a deal with the Ducks either, whether it involves speaking to Burke or not.
Of course Burke was all to happy to help Lowe "run his team into the sewer" in the Pronger deal. Seriously, talk about an ungrateful bastard.
Burke's been off the deep-end for a long time, of course. But it must be getting worse recently. It's been said before, but his whole complaint about the RFA offer sheets presupposes that collusion on player salaries should be more important to Kevin Lowe (and other GMs) than trying to ice the best team for his club.
But he's saying all kinds of crazy shit now. In that same interview he says something like "When the NHL asks you to go [to London] to grow the game/brand, you go. There's no question about it." The way he says it, you'd think the Pope asked him to do missionary work or the President asked him to go to Iraq, rather than Bettman asking him to go help market an arena for the Kings' owner. And I keep hearing him say things like "I'm not going to apologize for our team's physicality/fighting", even though nobody's asking him to apologize for it.
Lowe had fired his own shot at Burke earlier in the day on Primetime Sports with Bob McCowan. Not much of a shot mind you, but a shot nonetheless.
http://www.fan590.com/mediaplayer/audioplayer.jsp?mediaFile=http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/audio/podcasts/fan590/pts/pts_2007-10-02.mp3
I wouldn't be too pleased about that comment if I was a Ducks fan, as it indicates a man who can't separate the personal from the professional.
Or it's indicative of someone who is posturing for the media, something he's done his whole career.
Again, I would take everything Brian Burke says to the media with a grain of salt.
Again, I would take everything Brian Burke says to the media with a grain of salt.
I hear you, but what could he gain by this?
I hear you, but what could he gain by this?
Justification for not starting the year with Dustin Penner, or at least posturing towards that effect. I haven't seen the clip (my job hates streaming video), but I really don't understand the huge commotion we get from Oilerville every time Burke speaks.
Should he not be talking about the offseason? Should he not be explaining his player decisions? Should we be surprised again and again that he's bombastic and preachy? Is it fair to say that his comments are meritless?
I don't know--but I'll say this--it doesn't surprise me when Burke steps on toes. I'm not sure why it surprises others.
Burke can stare at his Stanley cup ring Lowe handed to him and his players earned but until this pompus lawyer can earn his own ring he can just can it about hockey. I believe Lowe has enough rings to fill a hand +1 so what does he care about what some slimy old second rate GM has to say about him. Didn't Vancouver run him out of town? Didn't Bryan Murray build that team?
I don't know--but I'll say this--it doesn't surprise me when Burke steps on toes. I'm not sure why it surprises others.
Who said it surprises others? The guy was around long before he was in Anaheim. Trust us, he isn't surprising us. We just like to reinforce the fact that he's insane. Ducks fans are the ones who should be worried. How can you look at that and not be concerned about how he'll react in a contract negotiation or an arbitration meeting? Well, forget the last one. Burkie apparently doesn't know you can elect to take guys to arbitration.
Justification for not starting the year with Dustin Penner, or at least posturing towards that effect.
I don't buy this. For one, no one in California cares about hockey, let alone Dustin Penner. Sorry, but it's true. He doesn't have to defend stuff like that because he's not in a hockey intensive market. The other thing is, the conversation with Duthie had nothing to do with Penner. It was all about Lowe. Burke made damn sure to get his lines in, and it had little to do with losing Dustin Penner. I see Burke go off like that and I know he's dead serious. There's no clever misdirection on his part, no grander scheme. His blood is too hot for that. Too green, as it were.
i hope when the Quacks and Oil meet in Anaheim on the 28th that Burke and Lowe start chuckin' soupbones in the pressbox.
If I was Tom Benjamin, I would guess that Burke keeps taking shots at Lowe in order to take the heat of him.
All summer we got to hear about how terrible Lowe is, how he's ruining the team, blah blah blah, but when Burke comes out and says the exact same thing all of a sudden everyone is sticking up for Lowe. It's actually quite amazing. No one has anything good to say about Lowe, unless Burke says something about him. Then all of a sudden everyone in sticking up for him.
But I'm not Tom, so I would never suggest this. If I were to offer a theory though, I would guess that he's simply promoting any future games between the Oilers and Ducks. Tom and Tyler think this is a stupid theory, but Burke has provided the media with a handful of sound bites and talking points that they can jump all over in the days leading up to the game. "Bad Blood" between Burke and Lowe is guaranteed to be a headline, and all these cheap shots will create interests in games that would otherwise just be another regular season game.
So that's my guess.
Didn't Bryan Murray build that team?
Yeah, Murray laid a lot of groundwork, but if you want to say that Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, or Chris Pronger were contributors, you do have to tip some corner of your hat to Burke. He was given a lot to play with, but there were still plenty of ways he could have messed that up.
How can you look at that and not be concerned about how he'll react in a contract negotiation or an arbitration meeting?
There's been plenty of times when Burke on the soundbyte doesn't sync with Burke the GM. I suppose I could start assuming that they'll carry the same attitude, but that would be throwing a lot of past examples out the window.
It was all about Lowe. Burke made damn sure to get his lines in, and it had little to do with losing Dustin Penner.
You probably should have started with something other than the quote about Penner, then. I'll listen to it when I get home tonight.
There's been plenty of times when Burke on the soundbyte doesn't sync with Burke the GM.
I think this a good point. I thinks it's wrong to assume that the Brian Burke that we see in the media, is the same guy that operates behind closed doors. And I think that this holds true for many people and not just Brian Burke.
You probably should have started with something other than the quote about Penner, then. I'll listen to it when I get home tonight.
The quote was about Lowe, in the context of the Penner deal. My point was that Duthie never asked him about the loss of Penner or any such thing. It was a point-blank question about his relationship with Kevin Lowe.
There's been plenty of times when Burke on the soundbyte doesn't sync with Burke the GM.
Like when?
would guess that he's simply promoting any future games between the Oilers and Ducks.
For who? And why, when the Pronger story already generates enough heat and interest? That's a lot of bile being thrown around just to promote a game. While I understand that public and private personas aren't always the same, I think Burke has built up enough of a record for people to just assume he's an insane hot-head.
Like when?
"We will match any offer for Penner" is the first one that comes to mind. I don't feel he's being particularly candid on his London comments, his Pronger elbow comments, etc.
The funny part is, more and more "hockey types" are coming out and siding with Lowe on this, which makes Burke look even more like an ass.
But adding to his frustration is the fact that he lost an amazing talent in Penner and is starting the season with a lot of problems starting with the fact that Neidemayer has yet made a decision on retiring and Selanne's retirement decision is supposedly tied to Scott's. Plus Giguere (hernia), Pahlson (sports hernia) and Schneider (broken bone in left angle) are all injured to start the season and Bertuzzi's back is fragile.
NB Oiler Fan
Let me get this straight. Many people that have seen the clip think baby Burkie needs to grow up. Earl hasn't even heard or seen the clip, but concludes Burke didn't say anything whiny or provacative. Uh, Sleek, that's some special magic you've got going on in Duckville to make such conclusions sight unseen. No wonder the Ducks won the Cup, being a magical place and all. With abilities like yours Earl, you're a natural for Heroes. Just make sure the "company" doesn't find out about your powers.
Once again, MacT says it best:
"He reminds me of the Wizard of Oz where you comb his hair and put a white shirt on him and wheel him out in front of a camera and he'll say whatever you guys want. Clearly it's a crusade of self-promotion at this point."
Earl hasn't even heard or seen the clip, but concludes Burke didn't say anything whiny or provacative.
I guess you can put words in my mouth also.
Let's just say that a guy who signed Todd Bertuzzi (32 years old, 15 GP last season, likes to hunt heads) to a three-year, twelve million dollar contract this offseason shouldn't be whining about other managers overpaying players.
And I just want to be on the record saying that Bertuzzi is going to have a huge year.
Earl: Putting words in your mouth? OK, I'll try it again, seeing as how you're so touchy.
From Mirtle's site
"I dunno, James. I'm biased, but I hear more whining on reactions to Burke quotes than I hear in the quotes themselves."
On this site:
"I really don't understand the huge commotion we get from Oilerville every time Burke speaks."
Both from you. Along with multiple admissions on BoA that you hadn't seen the clip.
You assert we react "every time" Burke speaks? How's that for putting words in peoples mouths. I have to think Burke has spoken to the press a few more times than we've reacted.
You don't suppose there's something over-the-top this time around? If you haven't seen the clip, how could you possibly understand the reaction?
Then there's your questions...
Should he not be talking about the offseason? Should he not be explaining his player decisions? Should we be surprised again and again that he's bombastic and preachy? Is it fair to say that his comments are meritless?
- Again, as though we react "every time" Burke speaks.
-explaining player decisions? Burke was simply asked if he had spoken to Lowe, and he went on tilt.
- So he is bombastic and preachy? Then why do you fail to understand there's a reaction (oh right, you hadn't seen the clip...)
- yes, it's fair to say his comments are without merit. Which is the point. He's making the Ducks look extremely stupid.
MacT nailed it. The Wizard of Oz quote was pure gold.
How you expected to understand the reaction without having seen the interview is beyond me. Which was the point of my previous post. True enough, you hadn't exactly said the word provocative, but "bombastic and preachy" is pretty close.
I thought I did a fun post. I guess you took me literally though, so I'll clarify:
- I don't think you have super powers
- I don't think a story-line about you will appear on Heroes
- I don't think you have to hide your powers from the "company"
Questioning the reaction and defending Burke without benefit of seeing the clip...well, that's just special Earl. That's the point.
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Is there a more childish asshole amongst the GM ranks in the NHL than Burke? One shouldn't be surprised I guess - dude is still learning to comb his hair.
Let's just say that a guy who signed Todd Bertuzzi (32 years old, 15 GP last season, likes to hunt heads) to a three-year, twelve million dollar contract this offseason shouldn't be whining about other managers overpaying players.
2 years, $8 million. The rest works.
And I'll add, I don't know what Kevin Lowe's been saying in return, but based on his track record, I don't know if he's super-anxious to work a deal with the Ducks either, whether it involves speaking to Burke or not.
Of course Burke was all to happy to help Lowe "run his team into the sewer" in the Pronger deal. Seriously, talk about an ungrateful bastard.
# posted by 
: October 03, 2007 8:42 am
: October 03, 2007 8:42 am Burke's been off the deep-end for a long time, of course. But it must be getting worse recently. It's been said before, but his whole complaint about the RFA offer sheets presupposes that collusion on player salaries should be more important to Kevin Lowe (and other GMs) than trying to ice the best team for his club.
But he's saying all kinds of crazy shit now. In that same interview he says something like "When the NHL asks you to go [to London] to grow the game/brand, you go. There's no question about it." The way he says it, you'd think the Pope asked him to do missionary work or the President asked him to go to Iraq, rather than Bettman asking him to go help market an arena for the Kings' owner. And I keep hearing him say things like "I'm not going to apologize for our team's physicality/fighting", even though nobody's asking him to apologize for it.
# posted by : October 03, 2007 8:54 am
: October 03, 2007 8:54 am Lowe had fired his own shot at Burke earlier in the day on Primetime Sports with Bob McCowan. Not much of a shot mind you, but a shot nonetheless.
http://www.fan590.com/mediaplayer/audioplayer.jsp?mediaFile=http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/audio/podcasts/fan590/pts/pts_2007-10-02.mp3
# posted by : October 03, 2007 9:40 am
: October 03, 2007 9:40 am I wouldn't be too pleased about that comment if I was a Ducks fan, as it indicates a man who can't separate the personal from the professional.
Or it's indicative of someone who is posturing for the media, something he's done his whole career.
Again, I would take everything Brian Burke says to the media with a grain of salt.
Again, I would take everything Brian Burke says to the media with a grain of salt.
I hear you, but what could he gain by this?
I hear you, but what could he gain by this?
Justification for not starting the year with Dustin Penner, or at least posturing towards that effect. I haven't seen the clip (my job hates streaming video), but I really don't understand the huge commotion we get from Oilerville every time Burke speaks.
Should he not be talking about the offseason? Should he not be explaining his player decisions? Should we be surprised again and again that he's bombastic and preachy? Is it fair to say that his comments are meritless?
I don't know--but I'll say this--it doesn't surprise me when Burke steps on toes. I'm not sure why it surprises others.
Burke can stare at his Stanley cup ring Lowe handed to him and his players earned but until this pompus lawyer can earn his own ring he can just can it about hockey. I believe Lowe has enough rings to fill a hand +1 so what does he care about what some slimy old second rate GM has to say about him. Didn't Vancouver run him out of town? Didn't Bryan Murray build that team?
I don't know--but I'll say this--it doesn't surprise me when Burke steps on toes. I'm not sure why it surprises others.
Who said it surprises others? The guy was around long before he was in Anaheim. Trust us, he isn't surprising us. We just like to reinforce the fact that he's insane. Ducks fans are the ones who should be worried. How can you look at that and not be concerned about how he'll react in a contract negotiation or an arbitration meeting? Well, forget the last one. Burkie apparently doesn't know you can elect to take guys to arbitration.
Justification for not starting the year with Dustin Penner, or at least posturing towards that effect.
I don't buy this. For one, no one in California cares about hockey, let alone Dustin Penner. Sorry, but it's true. He doesn't have to defend stuff like that because he's not in a hockey intensive market. The other thing is, the conversation with Duthie had nothing to do with Penner. It was all about Lowe. Burke made damn sure to get his lines in, and it had little to do with losing Dustin Penner. I see Burke go off like that and I know he's dead serious. There's no clever misdirection on his part, no grander scheme. His blood is too hot for that. Too green, as it were.
i hope when the Quacks and Oil meet in Anaheim on the 28th that Burke and Lowe start chuckin' soupbones in the pressbox.
If I was Tom Benjamin, I would guess that Burke keeps taking shots at Lowe in order to take the heat of him.
All summer we got to hear about how terrible Lowe is, how he's ruining the team, blah blah blah, but when Burke comes out and says the exact same thing all of a sudden everyone is sticking up for Lowe. It's actually quite amazing. No one has anything good to say about Lowe, unless Burke says something about him. Then all of a sudden everyone in sticking up for him.
But I'm not Tom, so I would never suggest this. If I were to offer a theory though, I would guess that he's simply promoting any future games between the Oilers and Ducks. Tom and Tyler think this is a stupid theory, but Burke has provided the media with a handful of sound bites and talking points that they can jump all over in the days leading up to the game. "Bad Blood" between Burke and Lowe is guaranteed to be a headline, and all these cheap shots will create interests in games that would otherwise just be another regular season game.
So that's my guess.
Didn't Bryan Murray build that team?
Yeah, Murray laid a lot of groundwork, but if you want to say that Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, or Chris Pronger were contributors, you do have to tip some corner of your hat to Burke. He was given a lot to play with, but there were still plenty of ways he could have messed that up.
How can you look at that and not be concerned about how he'll react in a contract negotiation or an arbitration meeting?
There's been plenty of times when Burke on the soundbyte doesn't sync with Burke the GM. I suppose I could start assuming that they'll carry the same attitude, but that would be throwing a lot of past examples out the window.
It was all about Lowe. Burke made damn sure to get his lines in, and it had little to do with losing Dustin Penner.
You probably should have started with something other than the quote about Penner, then. I'll listen to it when I get home tonight.
There's been plenty of times when Burke on the soundbyte doesn't sync with Burke the GM.
I think this a good point. I thinks it's wrong to assume that the Brian Burke that we see in the media, is the same guy that operates behind closed doors. And I think that this holds true for many people and not just Brian Burke.
You probably should have started with something other than the quote about Penner, then. I'll listen to it when I get home tonight.
The quote was about Lowe, in the context of the Penner deal. My point was that Duthie never asked him about the loss of Penner or any such thing. It was a point-blank question about his relationship with Kevin Lowe.
There's been plenty of times when Burke on the soundbyte doesn't sync with Burke the GM.
Like when?
would guess that he's simply promoting any future games between the Oilers and Ducks.
For who? And why, when the Pronger story already generates enough heat and interest? That's a lot of bile being thrown around just to promote a game. While I understand that public and private personas aren't always the same, I think Burke has built up enough of a record for people to just assume he's an insane hot-head.
Like when?
"We will match any offer for Penner" is the first one that comes to mind. I don't feel he's being particularly candid on his London comments, his Pronger elbow comments, etc.
The funny part is, more and more "hockey types" are coming out and siding with Lowe on this, which makes Burke look even more like an ass.
But adding to his frustration is the fact that he lost an amazing talent in Penner and is starting the season with a lot of problems starting with the fact that Neidemayer has yet made a decision on retiring and Selanne's retirement decision is supposedly tied to Scott's. Plus Giguere (hernia), Pahlson (sports hernia) and Schneider (broken bone in left angle) are all injured to start the season and Bertuzzi's back is fragile.
NB Oiler Fan
# posted by : October 03, 2007 1:20 pm
: October 03, 2007 1:20 pm Let me get this straight. Many people that have seen the clip think baby Burkie needs to grow up. Earl hasn't even heard or seen the clip, but concludes Burke didn't say anything whiny or provacative. Uh, Sleek, that's some special magic you've got going on in Duckville to make such conclusions sight unseen. No wonder the Ducks won the Cup, being a magical place and all. With abilities like yours Earl, you're a natural for Heroes. Just make sure the "company" doesn't find out about your powers.
# posted by : October 03, 2007 3:33 pm
: October 03, 2007 3:33 pm Once again, MacT says it best:
"He reminds me of the Wizard of Oz where you comb his hair and put a white shirt on him and wheel him out in front of a camera and he'll say whatever you guys want. Clearly it's a crusade of self-promotion at this point."
Earl hasn't even heard or seen the clip, but concludes Burke didn't say anything whiny or provacative.
I guess you can put words in my mouth also.
Let's just say that a guy who signed Todd Bertuzzi (32 years old, 15 GP last season, likes to hunt heads) to a three-year, twelve million dollar contract this offseason shouldn't be whining about other managers overpaying players.
And I just want to be on the record saying that Bertuzzi is going to have a huge year.
Earl: Putting words in your mouth? OK, I'll try it again, seeing as how you're so touchy.
From Mirtle's site
"I dunno, James. I'm biased, but I hear more whining on reactions to Burke quotes than I hear in the quotes themselves."
On this site:
"I really don't understand the huge commotion we get from Oilerville every time Burke speaks."
Both from you. Along with multiple admissions on BoA that you hadn't seen the clip.
You assert we react "every time" Burke speaks? How's that for putting words in peoples mouths. I have to think Burke has spoken to the press a few more times than we've reacted.
You don't suppose there's something over-the-top this time around? If you haven't seen the clip, how could you possibly understand the reaction?
Then there's your questions...
Should he not be talking about the offseason? Should he not be explaining his player decisions? Should we be surprised again and again that he's bombastic and preachy? Is it fair to say that his comments are meritless?
- Again, as though we react "every time" Burke speaks.
-explaining player decisions? Burke was simply asked if he had spoken to Lowe, and he went on tilt.
- So he is bombastic and preachy? Then why do you fail to understand there's a reaction (oh right, you hadn't seen the clip...)
- yes, it's fair to say his comments are without merit. Which is the point. He's making the Ducks look extremely stupid.
MacT nailed it. The Wizard of Oz quote was pure gold.
How you expected to understand the reaction without having seen the interview is beyond me. Which was the point of my previous post. True enough, you hadn't exactly said the word provocative, but "bombastic and preachy" is pretty close.
I thought I did a fun post. I guess you took me literally though, so I'll clarify:
- I don't think you have super powers
- I don't think a story-line about you will appear on Heroes
- I don't think you have to hide your powers from the "company"
Questioning the reaction and defending Burke without benefit of seeing the clip...well, that's just special Earl. That's the point.
# posted by : October 04, 2007 11:34 am
: October 04, 2007 11:34 am Post a Comment
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