Check this out.
Yup, that one story at TSN has more accolades for Phil than the Toronto media were willing to give him in the course of six years.
At some level you have to feel for the guy. He was resented from the get-go for that original trade, and I have to admit that I'm among the majority who saw that as a huge mistake. But it was Burkies mistake, not Kessel's, so why are we punishing Phil?
After all, the dorkshit who actually made the mistake came out golden!
Showing posts with label Brian Burke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian Burke. Show all posts
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Penguins a good fit for Phil Kessel
For an abundance of reasons, Phil Kessel was never going to be the right guy for Toronto. He's a first line guy, but not somebody you can hang a franchise on. It was manifestly unfair of Burke to expect that of him.
In Pittsburgh he won't have anywhere near the pressure he had in Toronto. He'll be able to enjoy playing hockey again.
Good for Phil!
In Pittsburgh he won't have anywhere near the pressure he had in Toronto. He'll be able to enjoy playing hockey again.
Good for Phil!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Trade Kessel now!
Cathal Kelly's got a fair and balanced story in The Globe and Mail about Phil Kessel. Fact is, both the Kessel and Phaneuf deals were disasters from the get go.
Both are first line guys on a good day, but neither are guys to build a team around, which was obvious when Burke acquired them to build a team around.
Enough already!
The think tank here at Falling downs has been lobbying to rid our team (yes, we're Leaf fans around here, but our team hasn't given us much to work with for, oh, half a century or so...) of these guys for ages.
Time to undo the last vestiges of the Burke legacy and start afresh!
Both are first line guys on a good day, but neither are guys to build a team around, which was obvious when Burke acquired them to build a team around.
Enough already!
The think tank here at Falling downs has been lobbying to rid our team (yes, we're Leaf fans around here, but our team hasn't given us much to work with for, oh, half a century or so...) of these guys for ages.
Time to undo the last vestiges of the Burke legacy and start afresh!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Why incompetent front office "pukes" like Brian Burke will always have jobs in pro sports
The illustrious Brian Burke waxed wise on the state of media relations in the NHL the other day. Apparently it shouldn't be part of Phil Kessel's job to talk to media pukes on a regular basis.
If you recall, the Kessel trade was one of Burke's key moves when he was "rebuilding" the Leafs. Burkie seems to think that just because Kessel has been the top scorer on a Leafs team that's missed the playoffs for 8 out of the last 9 years, his "team-building" skills have been exonerated!
Not so fast, Burkie!
Most of your critics who think they could do a better GM job than you do are probably right. Keeping a mediocre team mediocre isn't really a mark of management genius, is it?
Hell, I could do that!
And everybody knows that Burke's one and only Stanley ring had next to nothing to do with Burke.
But here's why Burke will not only survive, but thrive in the front office; certainly not with one particular team, but in general.
First of all, those years as Bettman's bumboy back in the '90's cemented his cred as an old boy insider.
Secondly, but just as important, the NHL is an entertainment franchise, and entertainment franchises need villains!
As any grade 9 drama teacher can tell you, there's no drama without villains, and the NHL needs its share of villains, on the ice, behind the bench, and in the front office.
So, inept as he may be as a GM, Burkie is doing a good job in his villain role. That's why I'm writing about him, and that's why you're reading about him.
Keep up the good work, ya old puke!
If you recall, the Kessel trade was one of Burke's key moves when he was "rebuilding" the Leafs. Burkie seems to think that just because Kessel has been the top scorer on a Leafs team that's missed the playoffs for 8 out of the last 9 years, his "team-building" skills have been exonerated!
Not so fast, Burkie!
Most of your critics who think they could do a better GM job than you do are probably right. Keeping a mediocre team mediocre isn't really a mark of management genius, is it?
Hell, I could do that!
And everybody knows that Burke's one and only Stanley ring had next to nothing to do with Burke.
But here's why Burke will not only survive, but thrive in the front office; certainly not with one particular team, but in general.
First of all, those years as Bettman's bumboy back in the '90's cemented his cred as an old boy insider.
Secondly, but just as important, the NHL is an entertainment franchise, and entertainment franchises need villains!
As any grade 9 drama teacher can tell you, there's no drama without villains, and the NHL needs its share of villains, on the ice, behind the bench, and in the front office.
So, inept as he may be as a GM, Burkie is doing a good job in his villain role. That's why I'm writing about him, and that's why you're reading about him.
Keep up the good work, ya old puke!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Leaf's still suck and it's still Burke's fault
Mini-Burke Dave Nonis has held a steady-as-she-goes course in Toronto since the departure of his mentor Brian Burke.
That's translated into continuing the Burke strategy of building the team around Phaneuf and Kessel.
It's probably fair to say Burke lost his job for that misguided strategy, so why Nonis would want to continue it is a mystery to me. Maybe he's keen to join Brian in the Calgary rebuild.
In any case, he's not shown himself as anything other than Burkie Lite in Toronto.
Both Phaneuf and Kessel are starters on any NHL team, but neither of them are guys who you should be building a team around. Ultimately it's not fair to them either. That was obvious two years ago or more, and the fact that Nonis is sticking to a tested and failed strategy tells you that he needs to go too.
That's translated into continuing the Burke strategy of building the team around Phaneuf and Kessel.
It's probably fair to say Burke lost his job for that misguided strategy, so why Nonis would want to continue it is a mystery to me. Maybe he's keen to join Brian in the Calgary rebuild.
In any case, he's not shown himself as anything other than Burkie Lite in Toronto.
Both Phaneuf and Kessel are starters on any NHL team, but neither of them are guys who you should be building a team around. Ultimately it's not fair to them either. That was obvious two years ago or more, and the fact that Nonis is sticking to a tested and failed strategy tells you that he needs to go too.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
New Leafs management finally gives former coach a vote of confidence - nine months after they fired him!
Brian Burke took a fair bit of abuse during his tenure as Leafs GM, and rightfully so. His ham-handed "rebuilding" was going nowhere year after year, and nothing focused the Burkie-bashers more than the infamous Kessel deal.
So imagine my chagrin when the management team vindicated the former GM by signing Kessel to a 64 million dollar contract extension!
To be honest, when I first heard Kessel had signed for eight years at eight million, I thought, well, they finally realize what he's worth, but it's odd to sign a million a year guy to an eight year contract.
Boy, was I ever wrong! Little did I realize they were talking eight millions per year!
Unfortunately, this is a good-news bad-news story. It's all good for Kessel.
It's all bad for Leafs Nation. Now we know for sure that the new crew in the front office knows even less about building a winner than Burkie does.
So imagine my chagrin when the management team vindicated the former GM by signing Kessel to a 64 million dollar contract extension!
To be honest, when I first heard Kessel had signed for eight years at eight million, I thought, well, they finally realize what he's worth, but it's odd to sign a million a year guy to an eight year contract.
Boy, was I ever wrong! Little did I realize they were talking eight millions per year!
Unfortunately, this is a good-news bad-news story. It's all good for Kessel.
It's all bad for Leafs Nation. Now we know for sure that the new crew in the front office knows even less about building a winner than Burkie does.
Monday, May 13, 2013
How about those Leafs!
Nobody, but nobody, thought the Leafs were going to go past four games, or maybe five, when they squeaked into the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
When they took game six away from the Bruins a lot of Leaf agnostics had to take another look at themselves.
Especially since it was the two Burkie acolytes who made game six happen.
Phaneuf and Kessel.
Sorry for all the shit we threw your way Burkie.
When they took game six away from the Bruins a lot of Leaf agnostics had to take another look at themselves.
Especially since it was the two Burkie acolytes who made game six happen.
Phaneuf and Kessel.
Sorry for all the shit we threw your way Burkie.
Monday, January 14, 2013
A great moment in the history of sports philosophy
Fired GM Brian Burke, late of the Leafs, revealed quite a revelation at his sour-grapes news conference on Saturday.
"I wouldn't have been fired if we'd won more games."
Well no shit!
"I wouldn't have been fired if we'd won more games."
Well no shit!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Burkie still has one fan in Toronto
And here she is.
Maybe Rosie has another book in the works.
Sounds like a big whack of sour grapes to me. The new management is making Burke look foolish? No, sorry, Burkie did that to himself and all by himself with the Kessel trade.
After four years in a row without a playoff appearance the only thing bizarre about the timing of Burke's firing is why it took so god-awfully long.
Burke is a solid guy and has stuck his neck out for some social issues that need champions. But that's not why he picks up a paycheque from the Leafs.
After four years of working his magic with a virtual carte-blanche approach, something he's not likely to get again, he has proven himself a dud as a general manager.
The Anaheim team that cemented his reputation as a winner was something Burke lucked into. It had next to nothing to do with Burke.
As a human being Brian Burke is the kind of guy I'd like to have backing me up in a dark alley.
As an NHL GM, he's been on the south side of mediocre.
Maybe Rosie has another book in the works.
Sounds like a big whack of sour grapes to me. The new management is making Burke look foolish? No, sorry, Burkie did that to himself and all by himself with the Kessel trade.
After four years in a row without a playoff appearance the only thing bizarre about the timing of Burke's firing is why it took so god-awfully long.
Burke is a solid guy and has stuck his neck out for some social issues that need champions. But that's not why he picks up a paycheque from the Leafs.
After four years of working his magic with a virtual carte-blanche approach, something he's not likely to get again, he has proven himself a dud as a general manager.
The Anaheim team that cemented his reputation as a winner was something Burke lucked into. It had next to nothing to do with Burke.
As a human being Brian Burke is the kind of guy I'd like to have backing me up in a dark alley.
As an NHL GM, he's been on the south side of mediocre.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Bye-bye Burkie
Word has it that the Leaf players, many of them playing in Europe and Russia this season due to the NHL lock-out, refused to ratify the new NHLPA contract if they had to come back and play under the same management.
Who can blame them? Better to be a contender in the Trans-Siberia Hockey League than miss the playoffs again under Burkie's stewardship.
Burke has been rebuilding the team for four seasons and it was an arguably better team before he started rebuilding. At the rate he was rebuilding it could easily have been another four years before the next playoff appearance.
Building a team around Phil Kessel and Dionne Phaneuf seemed like a no-brainer all along, as in only somebody with no brain would go down that road, but go down it he did, with disastrous results.
So here's to a fresh start for the Leafs. I give them this season to undo the damage Burke wrought. By next year I want to see a contender, or dammit I'm gonna be a Red Wings fan again.
Who can blame them? Better to be a contender in the Trans-Siberia Hockey League than miss the playoffs again under Burkie's stewardship.
Burke has been rebuilding the team for four seasons and it was an arguably better team before he started rebuilding. At the rate he was rebuilding it could easily have been another four years before the next playoff appearance.
Building a team around Phil Kessel and Dionne Phaneuf seemed like a no-brainer all along, as in only somebody with no brain would go down that road, but go down it he did, with disastrous results.
So here's to a fresh start for the Leafs. I give them this season to undo the damage Burke wrought. By next year I want to see a contender, or dammit I'm gonna be a Red Wings fan again.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Leafs enjoying best season in six years
Leafs GM Brian Burke is looking good as his team heads into the holiday season undefeated.
"Things are really coming together," said the veteran office boss. "We got a great combination of youthful talent not playing, and the older guys are not playing too. We've waited years for this to come together but I think the team has finally gelled."
"Things are really coming together," said the veteran office boss. "We got a great combination of youthful talent not playing, and the older guys are not playing too. We've waited years for this to come together but I think the team has finally gelled."
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Don Cherry goes multi-cultural
Don Cherry is the hockey commentator well-bred CBC viewers love to hate. He's a leading apologist for old-style rock-em sock-em hockey as the game was meant to be played. Unfortunately his main soap-box is provided by the effete CBC in their weekly "Coach's Corner" segment.
CBC fans would much prefer a well-educated hockey commentator like Ken Dryden. He knows lots of big words and has a law degree and resides in the Canadian Senate. That's a CBC kind of hockey commentator.
Ken can be counted on to have a couple of major opinion pieces in the Globe or the Star every hockey season about how fighting ruins hockey etc. We all know the drill; it debilitates the skill players, it slows down the game, and blah blah blah all the way to the Kleenex box.
Oddly enough, you never see anybody leave the arena when a fight breaks out. Not even the CBC types.
But what's this? Is Don crossing over to the sensitive side? He's in all the papers today sticking up for Nazim Kadri, the first and only Islamic player in professional hockey.
And Don's criticism is aimed squarely at the management of the Toronto Maple Leafs, i.e. Brian Burke, another supposed stalwart of the old school.
What the hell is going on?
I agree with Don that Kadri hasn't gotten a fair shake from the Leafs. I'm just shocked to hear Don spell it out.
You need to go a step further, Don, and I know it's gonna be tough for you because you're an old school guy and a former coach and loyalty to the old boys fraternity means everything. But is it not painfully obvious that the problem in Toronto is Brian Burke?
CBC fans would much prefer a well-educated hockey commentator like Ken Dryden. He knows lots of big words and has a law degree and resides in the Canadian Senate. That's a CBC kind of hockey commentator.
Ken can be counted on to have a couple of major opinion pieces in the Globe or the Star every hockey season about how fighting ruins hockey etc. We all know the drill; it debilitates the skill players, it slows down the game, and blah blah blah all the way to the Kleenex box.
Oddly enough, you never see anybody leave the arena when a fight breaks out. Not even the CBC types.
But what's this? Is Don crossing over to the sensitive side? He's in all the papers today sticking up for Nazim Kadri, the first and only Islamic player in professional hockey.
And Don's criticism is aimed squarely at the management of the Toronto Maple Leafs, i.e. Brian Burke, another supposed stalwart of the old school.
What the hell is going on?
I agree with Don that Kadri hasn't gotten a fair shake from the Leafs. I'm just shocked to hear Don spell it out.
You need to go a step further, Don, and I know it's gonna be tough for you because you're an old school guy and a former coach and loyalty to the old boys fraternity means everything. But is it not painfully obvious that the problem in Toronto is Brian Burke?
Friday, April 6, 2012
Alex Anthopoulos shows why a General Manager matters
As the Toronto Maple Leafs were winding down a sad-sack season under GM Brian Burke, who has led the team to four straight playoff misses, the Blue Jays were racking up their best pre-season ever under GM Alex Anthopoulos.
Burkie is a hockey old boy. He's an insider with a lot of connections to other insiders. He has a lot of old ideas. He's had four years to rebuild the Leafs.
After four years of rebuilding the Leafs he's got a team that's in need of a total ground-up rebuild.
Anthopoulos on the other hand has presided over a team that just put in its best preseason ever. He too was faced with the challenge of rebuilding a pro sports team.
Anthopoulos was not an insider. Anthopoulos was a kid who loved baseball but didn't have the chops to make it as a player. He was determined from an early age to make it in the front office.
And he has. As the Blue Jays embark on the regular season they promise to deliver what Burke's Leafs haven't.
Something to be proud of.
Burkie is a hockey old boy. He's an insider with a lot of connections to other insiders. He has a lot of old ideas. He's had four years to rebuild the Leafs.
After four years of rebuilding the Leafs he's got a team that's in need of a total ground-up rebuild.
Anthopoulos on the other hand has presided over a team that just put in its best preseason ever. He too was faced with the challenge of rebuilding a pro sports team.
Anthopoulos was not an insider. Anthopoulos was a kid who loved baseball but didn't have the chops to make it as a player. He was determined from an early age to make it in the front office.
And he has. As the Blue Jays embark on the regular season they promise to deliver what Burke's Leafs haven't.
Something to be proud of.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Struggling Bruins blow limp Leafs out of Boston Garden 8-0
Oops, I guess when a global finance conglomerate pays millions of dollars for naming rights to one of the most storied rinks in hockey, we should play along by calling it the "TD Garden".
No matter. The defending Stanley Cup champs have been struggling lately. Been a shade under .500 since December. It's got to the point where your Boston hockey-heads were beginning to doubt a playoff appearance, never mind another Stanley Cup final.
Contrast that to the story in Toronto. The Leafs were coming off a two game winning streak before tonight's game. Yup, two in a row is what they call a winning streak in Toronto.
Two in a row is all it takes to get the Toronto media types speculating about a Leaf's playoff run. As if!
Playoff speculation was crashed into the end boards by tonight's blowout. Nevermind 8-0; they were lucky it wasn't 12-0! Tim Thomas barely broke a sweat on the way to his shut-out.
So you have to wonder who Leaf GM Brian Burke is going to blame this fiasco on? Lately it's been the fans and the media. Together they make Burke's job the hardest front-office job in the NHL, according to Burke. They are unrelenting. You'd almost think they expect their team to show up in the playoffs after four years of Burke in the big chair.
Who can imagine such a thing?
No matter. The defending Stanley Cup champs have been struggling lately. Been a shade under .500 since December. It's got to the point where your Boston hockey-heads were beginning to doubt a playoff appearance, never mind another Stanley Cup final.
Contrast that to the story in Toronto. The Leafs were coming off a two game winning streak before tonight's game. Yup, two in a row is what they call a winning streak in Toronto.
Two in a row is all it takes to get the Toronto media types speculating about a Leaf's playoff run. As if!
Playoff speculation was crashed into the end boards by tonight's blowout. Nevermind 8-0; they were lucky it wasn't 12-0! Tim Thomas barely broke a sweat on the way to his shut-out.
So you have to wonder who Leaf GM Brian Burke is going to blame this fiasco on? Lately it's been the fans and the media. Together they make Burke's job the hardest front-office job in the NHL, according to Burke. They are unrelenting. You'd almost think they expect their team to show up in the playoffs after four years of Burke in the big chair.
Who can imagine such a thing?
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
OK, maybe it wasn't the coach...
Alright Mr. Burke, your new coach is one for three.
That's not what we'd call an improvement. We got one for three out of your old coach all the time.
That's good enough to avoid the playoffs in perpetuity. But you could have done that with the old coach.
Got any plans to bring our team to the playoffs? After all, as a fan I like to pretend that it's "our" team. Not a profit center for some faceless pension plan.
Sooner or later, Mr. Burke, you're going to run out of excuses. You're the General Manager. You're the guy who makes the deals. You're the hockey mind who decided to build a tough no-nonsense team around Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.
What we need is a new kind of hockey mind.
Maybe you could get a job with the CBC. I hear they're being pressured to fire Cherry. Maybe you could pick up that slot.
GM's corner with Brian Burke.
That's not what we'd call an improvement. We got one for three out of your old coach all the time.
That's good enough to avoid the playoffs in perpetuity. But you could have done that with the old coach.
Got any plans to bring our team to the playoffs? After all, as a fan I like to pretend that it's "our" team. Not a profit center for some faceless pension plan.
Sooner or later, Mr. Burke, you're going to run out of excuses. You're the General Manager. You're the guy who makes the deals. You're the hockey mind who decided to build a tough no-nonsense team around Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.
What we need is a new kind of hockey mind.
Maybe you could get a job with the CBC. I hear they're being pressured to fire Cherry. Maybe you could pick up that slot.
GM's corner with Brian Burke.
Leaf win streak ends at one
Still a bit of work to be done in resurrecting our beloved Leafs. Hopes were high after Saturdays 3-1 win in Montreal
Randy Carlyle was brought in to deliver what Brian Burke has always promised Leaf Nation: a rough and tough hockey team that can whup the other guys in the alley as well as on the ice. For some reason Burke still thinks he can do it with the team he’s built around Kessel and Phaneuf.
Last night showed otherwise. The Bruins are bigger, faster, and more aggressive. Leafs are in a different league. They aren’t going to match these Bruins in the alley or on the ice without major personnel changes.
The most recent personnel announcement was Grabovski’s five year no-trade extension at over 5 million a year. That’s more than a little generous for a journeyman NHL center.
Makes you wonder what Burkie’s been smokin’.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Burkies Bong: how marijuana destroyed the Toronto Maple Leafs
Ok, I'll fess up right up front; I have no idea if marijuana destroyed the Leafs.
All I know for sure is that for the 97th year in a row they are not going to be in the playoffs.
My pal Kipling dropped by tonight while I was watching the Leafs get hammered by the Washington Capitals. As regular readers know Kipling likes to burn one now and again.
So we burn a couple, and we're watching this game.
Ovechkin doesn't seem to be his old self.
No, surely not.
And that young Ward fellow. Been pretty much invisible since he signed that four year deal at three million a year. We can relate to that guy; used to run into him all the time when he played for the junior team here.
I can understand it in a way. You work your ass off your whole life trying to make it to the bigs. You get there, and holy shit, three million a year over four years?
Take.
It.
Easy.
No sense getting hurt now.
But we're talking about Caps.
What about the Leafs?
Well, Kippers twists another one up and we speculate on what might be ailing the Leafs.
Look at Kessel, he says between tokes.
Ya, I reply.
Kessel.
How about those Leafs?
What?
Kessel, I say. What do you think about Kessel?
Who?
We decided to watch Pass Time instead. Great show. Nobody's been smoking pot, and if they have, it doesn't impact their performance.
What's this 1969 Chevy Nova SS with the 375 horse 396 going to do in the quarter?
All I know for sure is that for the 97th year in a row they are not going to be in the playoffs.
My pal Kipling dropped by tonight while I was watching the Leafs get hammered by the Washington Capitals. As regular readers know Kipling likes to burn one now and again.
So we burn a couple, and we're watching this game.
Ovechkin doesn't seem to be his old self.
No, surely not.
And that young Ward fellow. Been pretty much invisible since he signed that four year deal at three million a year. We can relate to that guy; used to run into him all the time when he played for the junior team here.
I can understand it in a way. You work your ass off your whole life trying to make it to the bigs. You get there, and holy shit, three million a year over four years?
Take.
It.
Easy.
No sense getting hurt now.
But we're talking about Caps.
What about the Leafs?
Well, Kippers twists another one up and we speculate on what might be ailing the Leafs.
Look at Kessel, he says between tokes.
Ya, I reply.
Kessel.
How about those Leafs?
What?
Kessel, I say. What do you think about Kessel?
Who?
We decided to watch Pass Time instead. Great show. Nobody's been smoking pot, and if they have, it doesn't impact their performance.
What's this 1969 Chevy Nova SS with the 375 horse 396 going to do in the quarter?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
How about those Leafs?
With last night's well-deserved loss to the Jets, the Leafs have gone 0-3 since coach Ron Wilson went on the twitternet to boast about his contract extension.
That was a real head-scratcher. Who gets a contract extension as a reward for three years of failure? Seemed to be Brian Burkes way of telling the critics to go f*ck themselves.
Alas, Wilson is just a symptom of the leadership vacuum that permeates the Leafs both on the ice and in the front office. Brian Burke lucked into a Stanley Cup ring in Anaheim with a team he had virtually nothing to do with building. What's he managed to build in Toronto?
Phil Kessel was supposed to be the foundation of the new Leafs. While Kessel is finally having a decent year, he's not a leader, either on the ice or in the dressing room. Trade him while he's hot, and bring in somebody who can inspire the troops.
Sean Avery's available!
That was a real head-scratcher. Who gets a contract extension as a reward for three years of failure? Seemed to be Brian Burkes way of telling the critics to go f*ck themselves.
Alas, Wilson is just a symptom of the leadership vacuum that permeates the Leafs both on the ice and in the front office. Brian Burke lucked into a Stanley Cup ring in Anaheim with a team he had virtually nothing to do with building. What's he managed to build in Toronto?
Phil Kessel was supposed to be the foundation of the new Leafs. While Kessel is finally having a decent year, he's not a leader, either on the ice or in the dressing room. Trade him while he's hot, and bring in somebody who can inspire the troops.
Sean Avery's available!
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