Comments on: Brian Burke “deeply offended” by Toronto columnist criticizing his visit with troops in Afghanistan

By: birdsnblues

birdsnblues — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:10:49 +0000

Please….Richards already knew where he was going.

By: hooockey

hooockey — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:20:32 +0000

He should have gone July 3 or so.

You have to blame the military for the mess, why ask a guy who you know won’t say no, to do something noble, but on the most important day of the year for someone in his job. Why not avoid any controvery and say, Mr. Burke, can you come and help us on July 3.

By: ynotflyers

ynotflyers — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:54:26 +0000

OK, Now this is just my opinion but, this Guy is a fool, and even if it’s part of his job to get people to take notice of situations like this there where several other approaches. I love my hockey and even though I’m a die hard Flyers Fan I love my teams from Canada…….I can’t see Toronto paying out stupid money like they seem to do with ease in New York….If I thought Toronto was interested in my playing there I would have made an effort to find out what was holding things up on their end (or had my”people” find out). When are people going to realize that these KIDS are risking their lives so we can sit at home and watch Hockey Games…With the way of the world today, This Freedom some of us Enjoy can be a memory in a split second…..This Goon is a Dirt Mark on a neighbor I love and a bunch of people who if not instigated would not have given the situation more then 5 minutes of thought…Just my opinion though !!……Tony C.

By: nhlbruins90

nhlbruins90 — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:41:48 +0000

He didn’t go to Afghanistan to end the war, he went to show his support to the soldiers (and their families) who are making enormous sacrifices. These soldiers don’t make a lot of money, nobody knows their names or wears a jersey with their number on it. They do a job most of us could (or would) never do, and for the most part, all they ask is that they’re not forgotten half-way around the world.

Watching an NHL game on TV is probably one of the few ways they can still feel connected to home in that remote and hostile place. When someone affiliated with the NHL makes the long and difficult trip over there to offer support, the effect is magnified. I suspect the Stanley Cup will find its way to a veterans hospital or two this summer for the same reason. It’s not that difficult to understand.

If you believe that Brian Burke marching in a gay rights parade is motivated by ego, then you are just this side of crazy. He’s marching in the parade because his son can’t be there. It’s one way he can still tell his son how proud he is of him. It’s a heart-wrenching display of familial love and pride. If you can’t relate to that, then I pity you.

Your problem seems to be Brian Burke’s performance as GM. It’s every fans right to bitch about their team, that’s what makes sports fun. What you are complaining about has nothing to do with the GM’s (or the Leafs) performance. Your comments are small-minded and juvenile. You’re an Habs fan? Probably one of those goons who boo the American national anthem. Stay classy, habsman.

By: habsman

habsman — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:27:28 +0000

Not only does this guy: 1) Manage the Leafs, 2) Offer advice on discipline in the playoffs, 3) Advocate on behalf gay rights, his services are urgently required to end the war in Afghanistan. I have no doubt in my mind that the Taliban were shaking in their sandals at the thought that Brian Burke was flying in from Toronto. Congrats TO, you have the clown you so deeply deserve. And with a head like that, he could get a job stretching football helmets.

By: nhlbruins90

nhlbruins90 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:42:20 +0000

I trust that the Leafs organization was fully prepared for free agency. We have cell phones now too. Pretty handy things. Go out and get one.

As for people complaining about the timing? Are you people serious? They’re not running a tour group. You go when they say, and you consider it an honor. The families of those soldiers have more on their minds than hockey right now. Consider yourself lucky.

By: 89seminole

89seminole — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:24:12 +0000

You Leaf fans are all assuming you had a chance at Richards and you never did!

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:10:57 +0000

Has the columnist in question taken the time to go visit troops himself? No? Then he should shut his puckhole.

By: hystoracle

hystoracle — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:47:58 +0000

The Canadian government asked him to go? Wow the criticism should be levied on them. American government I could see not realizing the start of Free Agency in the NHL. But not the Canadian government?! That’s blasphemy for the canadian religion of that is hockey. It’s born in the blood from what I understand.
I guess someone in the Canadian government doesn’t like the Leafs. Must have been a Habs fan!

By: hystoracle

hystoracle — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:44:06 +0000

I agree – the timing is the issue. People go to visit the troops on a year round basis. He couldn’t reschedule for late July?

By: hystoracle

hystoracle — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:42:40 +0000

I think it was incredibly bad timing. He couldn’t go visit the troops the next day? Visiting the troops is great and helps raise morale. For the gesture, I commend him. But the timing was ludicrous. He is not an important cog in the war machine. If he went a day or two later it would have the same effect. If Claude Julien had been invited the same day as game seven of the Cup final should he have gone? That’s what this is for a GM. The draft and the start of Free Agency are the two biggest dates on your calender. It’s what you are paid to do. If he had told the military that he would love to but he has to work, I feel they would have accommodated him. The criticism of the timing is fair.

By: sharksfan754

sharksfan754 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:12:56 +0000

yes, but you have to include the feel good stuff in it because that’s the whole purpose of this trip, that’s what made it more important than free agency. It’s not as if Burke decided to go on vacation to Hawaii.

By: sharksfan754

sharksfan754 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:10:23 +0000

Correct me if I’m wrong but July 1st is Canada Day, the anniversary of Canada becoming a country. So the historical significance of the day isn’t the same on many other days of the year, which I’m assuming is why Burke made the trip on July 1st. Yes I know, it coincided with the first day of free agency and that is crucial to his job description but I still imagine they had their free agency agenda all sorted out way ahead of time

By: bcjim

bcjim — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:43:45 +0000

Well, I see a lot of folks want to “thumb down” those of us with an opinion, but none want to make a reasonable argument.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:41:06 +0000

Simmons is a joke of a writer. But this is a pretty pathetic article, even for him.

By: whatagreatfootballmind

whatagreatfootballmind — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:13:20 +0000

Most teams do have something called an assistant GM. Being that the Leafs haven’t played a meaningful hockey game since you know March. I know the season ended in April, but I said meaningful. I’m guessing Burke and the assistant GM may have spoken once or twice. After all they allegedly prepared for the draft a week and a half ago. I’m sure Burke may have mentioned he was going out of town and said something along the line of “hey if you think we can get Richards, call his agent and make an offer of no more than x amount of year for x amount of millions.” Besides your all full of crap if you think GMs and agents don’t talk “off the record” before July 1. Your naive if you think that doesn’t happen.

By: firemarshal1

firemarshal1 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:41:39 +0000

Now, I see the Brad Richards free agent pick up was an excellent one. By all counts initially from Canadian columnists, the NY Rangers pick up was a stupid one, but now the truth comes out. Great job Glen Sather!

By: andrewfbrowne

andrewfbrowne — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:57:41 +0000

Wow, only in Canada do troops fighting for Canadians right to play hockey come in second to Hockey Free Agency.

Either you believe Burke that he went as a guest of the Canadian government at a time of their choosing or you don’t. I love how Leafs fan are criticizing Burke for being an absentee landlord at the beginning of FA when their ownership group is the biggest absentee landlord in all of sports. Burke misses a day to do some good, the Leafs ownership misses the rest of the year every year as a matter of course.

Go Leafs Go, fish rots from the head.

By: cshearing

cshearing — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:11:27 +0000

Sorry, but I see Simmons’ point (which is a shocker, because I disagree with him on almost everything). I know you Yanks are especially fearful of not “supporting the troops”, but such a visit is not a panacea that absolves one of every other responsibility. There are approximately 360 other days of the year that would be fine to Burke to do this. I am not questioning what he did, it is an honourable thing. He is, however, paid millions to do a job, and this was one of the 3-4 most important days of the league year in that role. It has nothing to do with Richards, really; who knows what may have come up? We can speculate that Nonis and the others had things “locked down”, but Burke is not paid to simply delegate.

By: bcjim

bcjim — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:52:31 +0000

Honestly, I cant fault the columnist. In principle, a trip to visit the troops can be made at anytime.

If this was organized as part of a larger troop visiting thing that had lot of non-hockey people involved (and I assume this was the case), the Burke should have simply said “I’m sorry, at any other time I’d be happy to go, but I cannot make that date, Perhaps you can take so-and-so in my place.”

By: warpstonebc

warpstonebc — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:49:50 +0000

Except when you leave all the feel-good stuff out of it, you really have to wonder how many owners would be thrilled that their GM would schedule himself as unavailable on the start of free agency.

Simmons has a valid point. I have no love for the Leafs or even their fans, but even I have to scratch my head with how they get the yo-yo treatment from their management.