This One's Not Over

BOCA RATON, Fla.--So, as it turns out, Brian Burke didn't try to get Don Cherry fired as Cherry alleged on Coach's Corner two weeks ago.

And, as it turns out, Cherry's accusation that the Leafs ignore Ontario talent is also dead wrong, given that two of the last three first round picks made under the Burke regime were from Ontario, and eight of 23 draft picks made by the Leafs over the past three years were Ontario-born kids.

So wrong and wrong for Grapes. Oops. Wonder if the CBC will be issuing a correction?

But don't think for a minute this scrap is over.

Burke may (should) have bigger fish to fry these days with his plummeting hockey club, but he believes he's speaking for all the Canadian-based NHL clubs in that he wants either the CBC to exert greater editorial control over Cherry, or he says the next national TV deal, should it involve the CBC, must include editorial input from the NHL.

This is tricky, tricky ground, especially with MLSE about to be taken over by the peculiar partnership of Rogers and Bell. Burke, as he has shown all year, isn't afraid to take on newspapers, radio outlets or national broadcasters when he feels he has been wronged.

In this case, Burke is annoyed that he has had to deal with the accusations that the Leafs are anti-Ontario when it comes to players just because of the stir created by Cherry's segment.

"I don't think you should be able to try and settle personal vendettas on the air," said Burke about Cherry's mistake-filled tirade. "But that's not just me. Its the view of the Canadian teams. Its a source of contention with Canadian teams that this can't happen again."

Burke, by the way, insists he didn't try to get Cherry canned, which has been confirmed by CBC officials.

"I don't want him fired, and I didn't do anything behind his back," said Burke.

 

Comments

[Richard]

"he wants either the CBC to exert greater editorial control over Cherry, or he says the next national TV deal, should it involve the CBC, must include editorial input from the NHL."

What a joke the production would be then if it towed the party line and only said what the clubs wanted to here. Burke seems to think that the most important element in the game is the GM's. It's not. It's the fans and the fans want free opinions to make up their own minds with. The fans aren't forced to watch Coaches Corner, but many do (same with Burke clearly), and I dread the day when we have to watch content the NHL suits have a say in.

[NumInTheValley]

In a few words, WHO CARES! Burke needs to worry about his hockey team and their falling fortunes and forget about what someone says about them in the media. 45 years and counting and he wants to engage in a school yard spat with Don Cherry!

[parkes_4life@hotmail.com]

Cherry wasn't talking about minor league players and/or draft picks. He was talking about the current Leafs lineup, which doesn't have Ontario players. Minor leagues were never mentioned. Prospects were not mentioned.

Report on the news, stop making it up.

[Al]

Cox you are mis-reporting the story. CBC isn't denying Burke complained about Cherry and tried to get him fired; what they're saying is that now Burke has said "I don't want him fired". Those are two different things.

Plus, you keep ignoring the fact that Cherry was responding to Burke's (lame) excuse that Toronto is a tough place to play because other teams come in with "Ontario players fired up to play in Toronto". So Cherry was right to point out that Burke then goes and stacks his team without anyone from Ontario.

You guys are like a pack of hyenas nipping a great lion's rear end. Grapes is 78. He's done more with his life then the combined the "Toronto Media Horde" will hope to. Canadians love him. When he finally retires, or is shown the door, he'll remain a true legend.

How about less on Grapes/Burke and more on how truly sad a job Burke has done with the Leafs, despite millions spent on the "brain trust" (Burke + his hundred execs and coaches).

[David]

Damien, you and the Toronto media are sleeping with Burke. How dare you say Cherry is dead wrong, how many Ontarians are on the Leaf roster. ZERO!!! Nice adding Damien.
I think it is time for the Toronto media to start watching post game NFL media question and answer periods. This is exciting!! Burke, you have it easy compared to these NFL coaches. How dare Damien to support Burke when Burke screwed on one Damien's colleges (from 1010).
Damien, time to question your integrity. Since working for SportsNet, you have become a wimpy columnist. Very, very dissapointing.

[Michael C.]

In this case like every other it is about egos and marking one's territory. Let's not forget that as much as one may or may not say about Don Cherry, he is definitely a lightning rod for topics.

I like most people really don't care about the garbage that comes out of Don's mouth from time to time. I like to think of him as my elderly dad at times. At times my dad has sage advice about the world from having lived through different events, while other times he seems out of touch with the way the world has changed.

As for all the TV, radio, and print people, the day that Don Cherry steps down will be a sad one, because our tolerance these days for people speaking their minds is dismissal, and no one who takes his place will be allowed the lattitude to speak their minds, without somebody quickly standing out to correct them.

Enjoy Mr. Cherry for the time he has left in the spotlight and for the time he has left here on earth. As my wise and wittless father once said to me, "We all die, and the mark we leave on this earth is measured by those who remember and loved us."

[bri]

There are no Ontario players on the Leafs. That's just a fact. I don't think you should be fired .... but the Star should silence you. What exactly is the difference?

And Brian Burke is the man for the job to go behind your back to the star board and silence you.

[john lake]

Cox can't listen or has a selective hearing condition.
Don Cherry did not say that Burke ignored Ontario talent.
What he said was it is unusual that Toronto was the only NHL team with no player from Ontario on its roster, whilst some teams (Bruins) had 9.

And even Cox might agree if he could get his head out of his ass long enough is that is an unusual stat.

[Paul]

Grapes is right - I'd rather have players with heart on my team than a 40 goal scorer who is yawning on the bench in the biggest game of the season. Everyone overlooks the point Grapes was making - It was in response to a comment Burke made about opposing teams coming in chalk full of Ontario boys looking for a big game in front of their families on HNIC. Grapes is saying maybe it would make sense to have some Ontario boys on your own team!! Burke should concentrate on his hockey team instead of making up exscuses. Look at the Panthers Dale Tallon who was put in a similar situation with the Panthers. He isn't on TV everyday yapping at reporters and telling people what a great GM he is - he's too busy getting his team rebuilt and into the playoffs. Hopefully this Cherry-Burke situation comes to an end very soon - with Burke being given his walking papers. Way to go Grapes - you were right on - AGAIN!

[Chris]

Cherry's quote was that there are zero players on the Leafs roster. I'm sorry, but I can't find anything wrong with that statement. That is fact. You can argue the merits of homegrown talent all you want, but Cherry, in this case, is bang on.

Burke had better be careful picking his battles, because he's not winning this one.

[John Hunt]

Burke and Cherry each have skins that are way too thin for their outsized personalities. Moreover, each has a character that is deeply flawed. Cherry is nothing but a bigot whose prime date is long passed. He understands the modern hockey game much the same way Sir John MacDonald would understand modern Canadian politics. Burke should simply speak less. When he does speak, it comes out as a volcano, largely in cliches and half-baked thoughts. If he were to spend half the time he does thinking rather than speaking, especially when he is making excuses for his players, the Leafs would not be the mess that they are.

[CanuckinAmerica]

Burke is a genius Indeed. At deflecting the real news of his woeful record towards "who cares" items. And the media lap it up. Of course Blustering Burkie wants to censure HNIC (of course,with the NHL's help....hey he ain't THAT stupid). His mantra has always been "disagree with me and obviously YOU are a jerk". He gassed his "Hall of Fame" coach....will anoint Carlyle the next "Hall of Fame" coach and when the hammer finally falls on this year's dismal season (4 in a row BB.....you got it going now) will point fingers at the fans, media, travel, Grapes, weather and perhaps even the Big Guy in the Sky. Sorry...that won't happen as BB thinks he IS the Big Guy in the Sky.

[John Chow]

Someone wrote "It's the fans and the fans want free opinions to make up their own minds with. ". Wow!! True indeed. However, having facts wrong by Cherry doesn't give you open mind. Mind you that their position is not freedon of expression, rather freedom of MIS-INFORMATION by Cherry. We all know how BUSH & Co spinned the "WMD" to invade Iraq. Cherry covers himself with the Canadian Flag & talk about his patriotic Military support to survive this long. Has he served in Military himself? He is the eptiome of whats wrong with Hockey...Antiquated view of the game, while the whole world passed way ahead of us.

[Chris Muir]

If Burke was winning there would be no conversation. Burke needs to straighten out his organization and worry less about Don Cherry.
By the way when you visit someone's boss that is personal and it is Burke that seems to have a vendetta. Wouldn't anyone feel threatened if they went to your boss to complain about what you do? Burke likes to pretend he started nothing but it seems like he planted the seeds to deflect attention away from Leafs and their woes.

[WHATTHE!]

CHERRY IS RIGHT!!! my entire life I have been saying if the LEAFS would just keep drafting Ontario boys there would be perennial play-off appearences. Free agents would hope to sign in t.o. to play for the fans and their famnilies. these players would be treated like kings here at home it is not just Burke but every jerk in charge of drafting leaf players WE WANT MORE ONTARIO CONTENT

[Steve C.]

Fact: the Leafs do not make the playoffs during Burke's tenure (so far).
Fact: there are ZERO players in the lineup from Ontario.
Fact: last time the Leafs won the cup there were 22 players from Ontario.

[Dougie]

So many of you knocking Cox should do some research. There are 13 Canadians on the team currently, and funny how you all seem to ignore the fact that Nazem Kadri is Ontario-born and has played in almost a third the Leafs' games this year.

Further, Cherry claimed that every other team in the NHL has at least 1 Ontario born player - NOT true (although, strangely enough, if you count players that played at least one game in the NHL for the parent club, then he's correct ... of course, that would mean you would have to include Kadri on the Leafs, so he's wrong again).

It seems the staunchest defenders of Cherry are, like the man himself, eager to apply selective logic to their arguments.

Bottom line:
- Cherry claimed Burke tried to have him fired. Not true.
- Cherry claimed every team in the NHL except Toronto had Ontario-born players. Not true (unless you count players that had played at least 1 game, in which case Cherry's main argument of no Ontario-born players on the Leafs is wrong).

Cherry was wrong, and Burke et al have a good point (echoed here): the truth doesn't matter with Cherry and his fans - when he says something, people believe it. If he's going to continue having a platform where he can make things up and rile up fans with incorrect statements, then I support Burke asking for him to back down.

[Kevin S]

Personally I say who cares how many Ontario born players are on the team. Grapes goes on these pro-Canada rants all the time and as much as I love my country that I was born and raised, and cheer for the red & white, I also want the Leafs to win. How many Americans were crying that Detroit dominates/dominated with Swedes and Russians? The point is, who cares as long as the players on the ice are producing. I don't care if they're from the U.S., Sweden, Russia whatever. Everyone is a hypocrite if they agree with Grapes because you celebrated people not from Ontario/Canada when the Leafs had a playoff team (Mats ringing any bells?) but all of a sudden when the team does bad, one comment gets made and you get on your soap boxes and agree?? Damien, sometimes I agree and sometimes I disagree but I'm with you on this one.

[Larry]

I can't be bothered paying attention to Don Cherry & Xenophobe Corner. It's like Hank Sedin said last spring: everyone knows Cherry is a joke. No one takes him seriously. Well, aside from those who voted for the Harper regime (read: minority of the populace; look it up).

[80s Leafs]

Do you know how many of us who grew up outside Ontario would have given up our first-born to have had the chance to play for the Leafs? Okay, maybe that's too extreme an example, but the argument about where the players are from SHOULD NOT have any bearing on the players' performances. They should be THRILLED and HONORED to be able to suit up in the NHL and be playing like it. Too bad so many Leafs this past month, no matter where they are from, have looked so disinterested.
P.S. Kessel's stick is too long. He needs to cut an inch and a half off the shaft so he can control all those pucks he keeps losing ALL THE TIME now when he tries to dipsy doodle. He always skates hunched over so doesn't need that extra length.

[Paul Z]

Brian Burke should stop worrying about Don Cherry and be concentrating on configuring the team so that it doesn't win too many games and gets a lottery pick... oh wait sorry... he's done that already.

[Martha]

I Agree with Don Cherry All The Way!

Ever since Burke took over the position of General Manager, all he has done was trade our good Canadian players and brought over the Un-experienced US College Boys.

What's wrong with getting some players from our own back yard, who will play with their heart and soul. Right now we have so many players for example in the Marlies that are so good, but not willing to give them a chance and not to mention even give the coach a chance to coach an NHL Team. Burke says" HE DOESN'T HAVE NHL EXPERIENCE", what's the difference with the players that he has been bringing from the US Colleges, isn't that a contradiction on his part. Oh, not to mention him giving Ron Wilson to re-new his contract and then turn around and let him go, is that so they can keep their friendship going by paying him off, and while our team is gone down hill for their satisfaction.

Oh that's right, cause they made out team to be the "FARM TEAM"!

[Mare]

Damien, I am very disappointed in you, obviously you are not a true Canadian boy, maybe you have been paid off as well to knock our Canadians.

I saw the picture long time ago how Ron Wilson was handling our team, and Burke had four years to correct things before it got to this point. If you ask me, he needs the boot as well, cause he has done nothing but put a shame on our team and belittle the teams confidence.

Don Cherry he is a true Canadian and I am very proud of him standing up for our boys, and so he should, not like you Damien, if everyone was like you, the 40 thousand plus kids that are into hockey, will never get the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.

[Brian White]

Plus, 12 of the current roster are Canadians. Who cares what province they are from .... Nobody ever complained when Darcy Tucker (SK) or Wendel Clark (AB) laced em up ... and they're not from Ontario ... but they are Canadians, and it is a Canadian game. ;-)

[toronto tourism]

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Thanks for posting.