Welcome to the Jungle
Thanks to mapleleafs.com the Burke newser is up and available for your viewing pleasure.
What a nice way to get your Leafs news: unfiltered and without the imaginsitcal stylings of Berger and his limo driver, Simmons and his team of crack orthopedic consultants, and Cox and his inner (and outer) demons.
A few things to watch/consider:
- Peddie's slip when he says financial instead of family (I have a feeling he does that with all "f" words)
- Burke's entire performance especially his tremendous, splendorous, amazing use of adjectives (I lost count).
- Just two questions from the media, which I suspect that has more to do with timing as Burke was queued up to do a pile of one-on-one media interviews right after his remarks. Of the two, the Star's Kevin McGran wastes one by asking Burke to assess Fletcher's trades to date - what's he gonna say, "Gee, that Hollwegg deal is a real head scratcher."
- Bob McKenzie's morning column at TSN is like a transcript of this thing, talk about nailing it.
The use of adjectives was pretty bad ass. I needed a dictionary.
ReplyDeleteGlad you caught that Freudian slip from Peddie, too! I'm sure it would have took the lustre out of the conference if you had Fletcher lip syncing Burke's every word.
ReplyDeleteI'm betting the Silver Fox got himself a free month's rent with the soon to be completed MLSE condos for his timely "family matter". Okay, maybe half price off the rent - MLSE still needs to feed the families.
Peddie had another Freudian slip while being interviewed on AM640 after the press conference.
ReplyDeleteHe said that Burke is presdient and GM but he can drop the GM part if he wants.
This to me was a hint that Burke might be bringing in Nonis as GM.
I have always been worried that the org charg would be
Burke President of Hockey Operatons
Nonis GM
This didn't allay my concern.
Considering he was reading from a pre-prepared script, and he should be an experienced public speaker by now, Peddie's performance was atrocious.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to hear Burke's assessment of the Grabovski trade and his revelation that he had been trying to obtain him for Anaheim last year. Does this mean that he had some discussions with Cliff during the off-season? You also have to wonder what he offered since the Leafs didn't have to give up much to get him.
eyebleaf My favourite word of Burke's was truculent (oh, and humble. Definitely humble).
ReplyDeleteBkblades - I'd love to know what MLSE's expectations for Fletcher were. Did they think he could move any of the NTC-5? Did they just hand over the keys? What would it have taken to get more than discounted rent in one of MLSE's condos?
ReplyDeleteMeat - I wonder what the stuatue of limitation is on this - does Burke have to put in at least 1.5 seasons before he hands over the GM crown (or in Burke's preferred terms, "The GM Papal Tiara")?
ReplyDeleteI thought Nonis was too cautious as GM of the 'nuckleheads, but I have no insight of what the ownership situation was during his tenure...
Paul - I've done my fair share of media training and I can't imagine the nightmare it would be to handle Peddie.
ReplyDeleteYou just know the MLSE's PR people have spent an inordinate amount of time with him, yet he still manages to blunder through a press conferece, slipping up, reading too much and then, as per the Meatriarchy's comment, saying the wrong thing in a follow-up interview.
Dreadful stuff.
Agreed on Grabs, how little was Burke offering up if the Leafs got him for a second round pick?
I think MLSE's PR people could probably commiserate with Sarah Palin's PR people.
ReplyDelete