LAST WEEK THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE ANAHEIM DUCKS BRIAN BURKE AGREED TO WRITE A DIARY FOR USA TODAY LEADING UP TO THE TRADING DEADLINE…
HAD THE DIARY STRICKLY DEALT WITH HIS THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM…
BUT CLEARLY BURKE CROSSED THE LINE…
HE REVEALED PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS AND CONFIDENTAL INFORMATION WHICH ALL FOUND ITSELF PUBLISHED IN A NATIONAL NEWPAPER AND SPLASHED ALL OVER THE INTERNET…
TO BEGIN WITH BURKE DISCLOSED THAT VANCOUVER GM DAVE NONIS HAD TOLD HIM ON THE 14TH OF THIS MONTH THAT THE CANUCKS ARE GOING TO RE-SIGN SAMI SALO…
WELL AS IT TURNS OUT THAT’S NEWS TO BOTH SALO AND HIS AGENT BILL ZITO…
SALO ADMITTS THE TWO SIDES HAVE TALKED BUT IN HIS WORDS…
“I THINK BOTH SIDES WERE JUST KIND OF FEELING EACH OTHER OUT”…
HOW MUCH THAT LEAK WILL HURT NONIS AND HIS ABILITY TO SIGN SALO IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW…
BUT ASK YOURSELF HOW WELL CAN YOU PLAY POKER IF EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM ALREADY KNOWS WHAT CARDS YOU’RE HOLDING???
THEN THERE’S THE DEAL BURKE MADE WITH TAMPA BAY GM JAY FEASTER…
ACCORDING TO BURKE THE LIGHTNING WERE INTERESTED IN DEFENSEMAN SHANE O’BRIEN AND OFFERED GOALTENDER GERALD COLEMAN AND A SECOND ROUND DRAFT CHOICE…
BURKE DEMANDED A FIRST ROUNDER WHICH 4 DAYS LATER FEASTER AGREED TO…
THE WAY BURKE TELLS THE STORY FEASTER APPEARS TO HAVE PANICED…
IF YOU’RE FEASTER ARE WILLING TO DO BUSINESS AGAIN WITH SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION???
BURKE ALSO STATED THAT HE OFFERED THE KINGS GM DEAN LOMBARDI…A FIRST…A SECOND AND THIRD ROUND DRAFT CHOICE FOR MATTIAS NORSTROM…
LOMBARDI FOUND A BIGGER AND BETTER DEAL IN DALLAS…
NEVERTHLESS BURKE OPENLY QUESTIONED LOMBARDI’S INTEGRITY BY SAYING…QUOTE…”I NOW BELIEVE HE NEVER INTENDED TO TRADE HIM TO US”…
WELL BURKE CAN CERTAINLY FORGET ABOUT GETTING A CHRISTMAS CARD FROM THE KINGS…
IN THE END THE DUCKS WERE ONLY ABLE TO ADD BRAD MAY TO THEIR ROSTER…
THE ARTICLE MAY BEEN INITIALLY BEEN DESIGNED TO GIVE BURKE SOME MUCH NEEDED PROFILE IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARKET…
IN THE END IT WOUND UP AS LITTLE MORE THAN A VECHILE TO JUSTIFY THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE HIS HOCKEY TEAM…
AND IN DOING SO BRIAN BURKE MAY HAVE STRAINED HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERY GM IN THE LEAGUE…
1 comment:
I'm just not sure what Burke was trying to accomplish here. On one hand I appreciate his candor (this is the kind of valuable insight you'd never get to know from any sports interview), but I can't help but criticize him. How could he have not realized that this would create a backlash?
This is the sort of thing I'd love to read 5 years after the fact, at least a couple of years after the information is no longer relevant, but Mr. Burke, in publicizing this information, has jumped the gun and has marred his reputation amongst his peers. I wonder how many frank conversations people will be willing to have with him next year.
One last point: good of the media as a whole (an industry that prides itself on getting "the scoop") for by and large questioning, if not outright condemning Mr. Burke's faulty decision.
DR
Post a Comment