Troubles in Net, Troubles on the 'Net

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Brian Burke doesn't seem like a "twitter" type. And he's not.

Now, I don't particularly pretend to totally understand the twitter fad, although this blog is linked to it for reasons that, again, I don't totally get but am willing to go along with.

Burke, however, has been fighting a battle with twitter for some time now because someone out there has been, well, impersonating him at twitter.com/brianburke. There are actually some funny "tweets" on the site, which apparently orginated with a prolific local blogger who goes by the handle of Down Goes Brown and occasionally comments on this blog. The latest addition read, "In honor of Earth Hour, the Leafs and Bruins will be turning off our defence and goaltending for 60 minutes tonight," a reference to Saturday night's shootout at the ACC.

Another reads, "For the last time, Darcy Regier, I don't care if you kep the receipt for Dominic Moore. No refunds."

Not bad.

Burke, incensed by fake and insulting comments directed in his name towards former Leaf GM John Ferguson, had his lawyer try to put a stop to it about a month ago, which left Burke somewhat surprised yesterday to hear it was still up and operating, albeit with a disclaimer attached now that reads, "Yes, it's a parody."

"I guess I don't have a problem with that," he grumbled. "It's the age we live in, I guess.

"But there has to be a degree of responsibility on the Internet. If someone's going to try and impersonate Brian Burke, I'm going to sue his ass."

There are numerous other fake twitter accounts, including one with Gary Bettman's name attached to it that doesn't have the parody disclaimer attached.

Maybe it's all fun. Maybe it's just web pollution. You decide.

SCHOOL'S OUT

AP PHOTO

Tyler Bozak has been on the radar of several NHL teams.

This should be the week the market for U.S. college hockey free agents heats up, and the Maple Leafs are hoping to make a big splash.

When Notre Dame was upset in the NCAA playoffs on Saturday, that meant Fighting Irish centre Christian Hanson is now available to sign with an NHL club. The Leafs are one of many teams chasing the 6-foot-4 centre, the son of Dave Hanson of "Slapshot" fame, and are considered one of the favourites to land him.

Until now, under NCAA rules, players can only have "family advisors," not accredited NHL agents, but that also changes now. Hanson is likely to be represented by Bobby Orr.

Another top free agent, Tyler Bozak of Denver University, also saw his team eliminated last week and could, according to his agent, Don Meehan, sign with an NHL club as early as tomorrow. Bozak flew from Denver to Toronto yesterday and will meet with Meehan today.

During the season, upwards of 20 teams met with Bozak, so a great deal of groundwork has already been done.

"There's so much interest in him we just need to sit down and go through all his thoughts and ideas," said Meehan yesterday. "We want to get to a short list. That's the game plan."

Bozak missed three months with a knee injury this season, but returned to play for last week's playoffs. The Leafs are hot on his trail as well and would love to make a splash by inking one or two of these free agents over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, the player who may be most coveted, Boston University defenceman Matt Gilroy, advanced with the Terriers to the Frozen Four in Washington, D.C. April 9-11, the final eight NCAA teams, and so won't be available to be signed for at least another two weeks.

CHERRY BOMB

Got blasted by Don Cherry on Coach's Corner on Saturday night for having an "agenda" to get fighting out of hockey.

Guilty. If they put that on my tombstone, I'll be okay with that.

Don't get me wrong. Grapes may not like me, but I like him fine. Have suggested several times he belongs in the broadcaster's wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame, so I think I'm on the record as having respect for his accomplishments as a broadcaster. As a junior coach, not so much.

All I can say is I haven't made a dime off pushing the notion that fighting has no place in hockey.

Wonder how much he's made off the Rock 'Em, Sock "Em hockey video collection? And given that most hockey fans apparently want fighting in the game still, doesn't that make him by definition a purveyor of political correctness?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELLE

Even as a non-fighting fan, I at least sort of understand the logic of stepping in for a teammate that's been wronged or even the victim of a destructive body check.

But when Steve Montador feels its his role on the Boston Bruins to step in for Stephane Yelle after Yelle is bodychecked by Toronto's Luke Schenn - you know, protecting the skill guys - we're officially en route to hell in a handbasket.

FOR THE RECORDS

Neither Olaf Kolzig nor Jamie Heward may ever play a game for the Leafs, but if you're keeping score at home, both have officially been assigned numbers.

Kolzig is No. 37, Heward is No. 28.

 

Comments

[RS]

I love Don Cherry, but you've gotta take him with a grain of salt.

[Down Goes Brown]

Hi Damien...

Thanks for at least trying to see the humor in all this. It's been a long year for Leaf fans, we need something to laugh about now and then. The idea has never been to impersonate Burke or cause any confusion, which should be obvious to anyone who's spent more than a few seconds reading the tweets.

My e-mail is easy enough to find on my site, and you have it via my comments on this blog. If you, Burke or anyone else from MLSE ever wants to get in touch, you know where to find me.

Down Goes Brown
aka the Fake Brian Burke

[gump]

I don't see how you got "blasted"..Cherry just said what your all about..He didn't call you any names he just said your soul purpose in life is to eliminate fighting from the NHL..Too bad it isn't going to happen..

Maybe you should make your own videos..Have the greatest handshakes of all times..Maybe show Carlton the Bear shaking some kids hands or perhaps, a few shakes after a playoff series..Maybe greatest hockey hugs of all time..How about the greatest coming out of the showers videos of all time..You know all the granola eaters favorites..

My bet is the NHL has made a few bucks off those Rock 'Em, Sock "Em videos too...

[Andrew]

I’m thrilled that someone of your standing and significance in the world of sports media makes so much sense of taking the fighting out of Hockey. I long for having Hockey that is simply hockey without the concussions or brain damages resulting of on ice fighting. Fighting should be limited to fighting arenas not hockey arenas.

[Matt Dumas]

Countdown to 0 fighting in the game = 17 days

And why is it that players are expected to fight after delivering a legal, solid hockey hit?

[article1]

"Maybe it's all fun. Maybe it's just web pollution. You decide."

DGB's not the only person that could apply to, Damien. Is that video really necessary?

[Noam Sugarman]

Just to clarify a common misconception, Don Cherry's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em videos include everything about hockey including goals, saves, bodychecks, bloopers, player profiles, highlights from Coach's Corner, and yes, a couple of fights. Not surprisingly, the anti-fighting crusaders like to portray this series as little more than fisticuffs from start to finish, but Damien, if you're going to criticize Don Cherry for including a couple of fights in his videos, why not criticize your own paper for frequently putting a fight on the front of the sports page? I guess that would take actual guts. Criticizing Grapes, meanwhile, is so easy you could do it by accident.

[chris]

Great video edition to your blog Damien. Hope to see more of it.

And as for Don Cherry, it would be nice to think all this was an act, if he didn't truly believe the nonsensical violence he spews out on a regular basis. Or his loyal acolytes believe in.

[Mike]

When Montador was asked in by the media about the fight didn't he respond by saying Shenn asked him to fight? Although I'm sure he would have asked Schenn anyway. In my opinion fighting isn't to just protect "skill" players, although Yelle provides many skills many players can't contribute(face-offs, penalty killing(yes, a skill), blocking shots(again, another skill)), some fights are to respond to momentum changes and to show acts of support of sorts, regardless of their teammates so-called skill level.

[Noam Sugarman]

Oh, and one more thing: fighting being popular amongst hockey fans does not make it politically correct. Come on, Damien, you could not possibly have misunderstood political correctness that badly, could you have? If an anti-immigrant agenda was popular (which it is in some quarters), it would not make xenophobia politically correct. Political correctness has to do with progressive values, trying not to offend anybody, and the demonization of masculinity - the bogus sentiment that 'if women ran the world, there would be no wars', is a politically correct sentiment (particularly if spoken by a man). As such, fighting is decidedly politically incorrect.

[Luke Driscoll]

Don Cherry is actually correct in his views regarding your stance towards "violence" in hockey Damien Cox.

Violence is an integral part of the sport, just as it is in rugby. It needs to be controlled, but it also needs to be an acknowledged part of the game.

If certain people do not like it they should watch sanitised American sports instead.

[Steve@The Spectator]

With a .500 record (0-0-0), Olaf the Goalaf also has the best winning percentage of all Laff goalies this season. He's a keeper.
But I digress. On to more important topics. The great irony of Don Cherry is that he believes he is assisting Canadian hockey in general by sharing his views on the game when the opposite appears true. An objective analysis of his views would suggest that, in fact, he has done an inordinate amount of harm to Canadian hockey by supporting a Neanderthal's approach to the way the game is played. And that goes beyond the mere nonsensical fighting aspect of the game. One could argue that the damage he causes is much like the damage that was caused when Canada won the 1972 series over the Soviets. That's right, I said damage. By winning that series, it mistakenly reinforced the belief that the status quo was acceptable. Is it any coincidence that the Broad Street Bullies' reign of terror followed shortly after? Imagine how quickly Canadian hockey would have been re-evaluated (and improved) had 1972 ended with a loss. Imagine how much further Canadian hockey would be now without Mr. Cherry's bully pulpit lecturing and his stubborn refusal to let go of a 1950s' mentality.

[Sig]

Why not fight after a legal hit? I guess all legal hits don't hurt, eh? Wrong! I could post video after video of guys skating around with their heads down and getting taken advantage of... with some getting seriously hurt. But it was a clean hit; so it was okay, right? Teammates protect teammates. And until some of you spend a few years playing a sport with the same group of guys, you'll never understand that. Clean hit hurt too. And since they aren't penalized, there needs to be some sort of deterrent so guys don't run around the whole game looking to put somebody out. That deterrent is fighting. Keep it up Damien... keep protecting the rats.

[Bill]

The Burke comments on Twitter are hilarious!

[Steve]

I have no problem with regard to the left wing views, or even the support that is shown for it. My issue is as it seems to have become common place for those that have no bearing or understanding of the what it is they say or disagree with. One comment with regards to longing for hockey "without concussions or brain damage resulting from fights", give your own head a shake and compare your statement with actual fact. I had a conversation with Punch Imlach once who stated that fighting is a by product of hockey. Fans love, players accept it what is the problem?? Why not go after the UFC if your so opposed to fighting. Just leave our game alone, what exactly do pacifist bring to a physical, tough sport that is not detremental.

[Cory]

Gotta agree with Noam Sugarman who puts Damien in his place, as did Cherry on Saturday night. I've never actually counted, but I'd like to go back and see how many articles or Spin postings you've dedicated to fighting this year. It seems like at least two or three per week in which it's the sole purpose of your writings or at least part of it. The funny thing is that most hockey fans, as the Star pointed out, love fighting. I couldn't care less what non-hockey fans think about hockey. So keep whining Damien, it's too bad you're wasting so much ink for an agenda you will never win.

[2nd Guess]

Sig, is there something in "the code" that says you can't hit a guy back? Instant escalation isn't the only option for retaliation. Before you respond with another "haven't played the game" diatribe, I'll remind you of a couple of Hall of Famers, Bryan Trottier and Bob Gainey, who played that way. It may have taken them a period, a week or even a couple of months to pick their spots, but when they fired back -- with clean hits -- everybody in the rink knew it.

[A-Mar]

I don't mind a fight once in a while but seeing them after every solid open-ice hit is dumb. Fighting after legal hits discourages good bodychecking in the game. If you like rugged hockey, you should not be defending pointless fights after clean hits. Clean hits hurt too, but frankly they don't hurt as bad as dirty ones. I'm sure it didn't tickle Yelle to be hit, but I can tell you he was feeling a lot better than when Cam Janssen (a pugilist) hit Kaberle.

As for Cherry... at the beginning of the month he was telling his viewers to not play like Ovechkin (a hard hitting, skill guy) but to play like Jason Strudwick (lots of heart, no talent) and showed the examples of Strudwick pummeling other players. Yeah, that's what I want my kids to emulate. If you're going to fight, fight for something. Fighting for fighting's sake is dumb.

Having played rugby for six years, I can tell you that its incredibly hard hitting but strangely enough, not overly violent. I can not recall a single fight in my time as a player. Oh, I know it happens (if you hadn't noticed baseball and basketball have fights too) but it is the exception rather than the rule. I don't see why hockey can't be similar. Fighting when its natural... when tempers and pressure are high... when it has purpose and is from a high level of competitiveness... not just for show.

and, for the record, I love granola... eat it every day with yogurt. works better for breakfast than raw meat. don't really care if you love fighting, or don't...either way, let's just avoid slandering granola... haha

[chris]

Funny how Damien used to think and act like all you fighting-belongs-in-hockey goofs. That is, until he saw the light, found religion, evolved, etc. While the rest of you continue to roll around in your own filth. Oh well, enjoy your mess.

[gthomson]

Left wing views? Regarding sports? Politicize much?

I got nothing against fighting (I rather like boxing) but fighting in hockey to me in nothing but a delay of game.

I'd love to take some of the timeouts out of bastketball too. I wonder what political affiliation that makes me a part of?

[DamienCox]

Damien here. . .gotta respond to Cory's comment. . .you know, you probably didn't notice, but a promising young man died in a hockey fight a couple of months ago.
Do you think that caused a bit of the increased discussion, both in my blog and in a lot of other places?
Do you send letters to Don Cherry every week asking him to stop promoting fighting every single week on Coach's Corner?
Finally, I do find it disheartening that so many who support fighting angrily want the rest of the world to shut up, mind their own business and accept that change will never come. Look back over history. There were many, many dreadful societal practices that were at one time or another supported by a majority of the population.
That didn't make them right. And thank goodness it didn't stop people fighting for change or we'd still have lynchings in the U.S. south and women wouldn't have the vote.
It's about evolution, fellows. And hockey is evolving, with fighting on the way out. Too bad hockey will become unwatchable for the pro-fighting people in two weeks when the playoffs begin. Bye-bye.

[DamienCox]

Damien here again. . .interesting comment by James Carr, that taking fighting out of hockey will kill the game.
How does he account for all those sold out buildings in April, May and June?
How does he account for the Olympics and World Cup?
Seems those are the games that save the sport.

[Noam Sugarman]

Noam Sugarman here. Gotta respond to Damien's comments above. No offense to anyone who posts on here, but as usual, Damien responds to the easiest critiques of his position. If you're going to come on here and answer to the guy who makes the simpleminded argument that taking fighting out of hockey will kill the sport, why bother at all? Also, why do people talk about Don Sanderson as if he were some kind of victim? I feel bad for his family, but lets face it, the guy got into a fight and should have known the risks going in. And if you look at his stats (05/06: 80 PIM in 17 games), this is obviously a guy who embraced fighting, despite what his father has gone on record as saying. What ever happened to the concept of personal responsibility in our society? On the same note, how can you compare the Jim Crowe days or the Suffragette movement to fighting in hockey? In those instances, a disenfranchised portion of society was being systematically humiliated and denigrated based on circumstances they cannot control, i.e. skin colour or gender. In terms of fighting in hockey, for the most part what it involves are two guys willingly engaging in a fair fight. There are plenty of players, as you yourself have pointed out, who have had successful careers without ever getting into fights. It is amazing that anyone takes the anti-fighting crusade seriously when it makes such arguments: arguments that are either moronic, or hope to play people for morons.

[Joey]

"you know, you probably didn't notice, but a promising young man died in a hockey fight a couple of months ago."

Yes he did, and it was a very sad day. However quite a few young men in hockey have died over a heart condition in the past two years, but I've yet to see the NHL improve their testing for this or a writer complain about it.

I know it's easy to pick on fighting however I believe the game has more problems then that. Why not go on a crusade for more in-depth heart testing and possibly save a few lives?

[mf37]

I don't mind the odd fight in hockey, but I absolutely can't stand the increasingly common fight after a legitimate hit. If ever there was a clear cut case to apply an instigator penalty and a game misconduct this is it.

As a frequent critic around here, I want to say I like the addition of video, am glad to see you wading into the comments, and hope that you try to establish more of a dialogue with your readers.