Brian Burke Fired as Leafs GM

@Felixjvd He didn't just stock the young talent, he invested in chips all over the board to raise the value of our team. That said, it isn't just about raising the value of our team for trade, its about putting together the best team. The best team isn't always the most valuable, but the one with the right pieces to accommodate one another. This is where i believe Burke lacks vision. I truly think his vision of putting the right pieces in place, rather than just the value in place (something that we needed by the way which was great on Burkes part), is a distorted image he couldnt assemble after he got the assets. I think this is why Nonis is the best option at this time, just like he was in Vancouver when he parlayed much of Burkes work into greatness with his move that shocked the world in sending Bertuzzi for a prime Luongo. They are the perfect succession tandem, as Burke finds the value, and Nonis shapes the clay. Watch him shape the Clay and settle down my friends. There is light through all of this. =)

@Zeus_the_friendly_hobo So you're basing an entirely new situation on an old experience you had that you didnt like, 23 years ago, in SOCCER, let alone an entirely new era of sports, of life, and opportunity where nothing but about sports is the same? Let it go. Things can go from good to better, it doesnt have to be bad just because the predecessor was good. There are good trilogies in the world of things, from the Staals, to the box office, to the Subbans, and sometimes there are bad successors, no different then the opposite possibility. Before ruling each out we need to give it a damn chance. Get off the ledge, and give it a chance. Nonis is a VERY good hockey mind, and was in charge of our Marlies for the majority of Burkes time. Do you think the Marlies are good? Well then watch him do what he can with the top team of ours and for the love of god, chill out, Burke was not god, he was just an assuring voice that barked louder than he could chew. Nonis won't bark as loud, but his bite will be just as hard and he uses his silence as a bargaining chip. Something Burke couldn't do for the life of him.

I am now hearing that Center Ice will be FREE to fans of the game.......

In the USA only.

@Jay_Berg 11, or 12? Age, or IQ?

@Yaknowwhat We would have found out at the end of this year......this is 3 and a bit. So the answer is, no one knows because he didn't get 4 years to work on it.

@Yaknowwhat And you know that for a fact that he lacked focus on the Leafs? Highly presumptuous?.....straw man, really.

Im gutted because I saw similarities between Burke and another great leader in sports.
Im English and have been a Manchester United (soccer) fan all my life. All my friends were Liverpool fans and they won the league every other year. They had the record of 18 league wins and were the biggest club in England. Manchester United were the second biggest but only had 7 titles.
As a boy (born1975) I had never witnessed a league title win, their last being 1967. We hired a manager in 1986 called Alex Ferguson, who incidently is still manager, who had breakon the monopoly of the two Scottish teams (Rangers and Celtic) who won  the league every year and have since he left as well. A man who with little managed to kill Goliath. As Burkie did taking the ducks to win the cup, only success the Ducks had prior was a box hit smash on the silver screen, lol. A non traditional hockey market.
Both Burke and Ferguson are Celts and are extremely self confident and assured in themselves.
Ferguson realised at the beginning when taking over that the whole system needed an overhaul. He emphasised building from within, building a family not a machine. And at the end of Fergusons 4th year rumours were he was going to get sacked. The new team struggled to gel in a short space of time as is the case if you change personel wholesale. But Ferguson was adamant that it will turn out well. The board at Manchester United held firm in their belief and the rest is history. Since 1986 (the first coming in 1992) Manchester United have won the league 12 times and Liverpool without response. We are the kings of England now with 19 league titles. He is still in the job, hes been knighted, won the European cup twice and lost two other finals.

Today for me is a pivotal day. Today is the day in 1990 when we sacked Sir Alex Ferguson, because we lost belief.
Today is one of the worst days of my life and I have suffered. Not because a GM of a hockey club got sacked, but because a legend became a forgotten story. Because instant success dominated over family, patience, continuity, pride.

Thank you Brian Burke, you have changed everything in Toronto for the better. I have been fortunate enough to see someone very similar to you be given the chance to shine. Your not a failure in my eyes, youre a legend.

@Doorman ......don't worry...be happy...lol

Firing Burke was a bad mistake.  He stocked the young talent.  What the hell do the higher ups at Rogers know about hockey?  Bunch of shirt and tie businessman who wouldn't know how to hold a hockey stick.

Scott Lewis ‏@thescottlewis
BREAKING: Dave Nonis appoints Tim Connolly as player to explain Burke's firing to Dion Phaneuf with cave paintings.

@rustynail Maybe he'll trade for Rask? Lol

@captainjay Same here dude, I've been tortured too much as a Leafer, think I had enough if they blow this up

@wendelsway Sorry Tish!!!  That guy is Not allowed on my speakers!!!  Cant stand that Crap!!!  Lol

@Uncle Otis That is exactly what he is saying

@Radar O'Rielly Only thing Bobcat hasn't the guts to say(yet)...Nonis was chosen because he will allow them to meddle.
Seems George Cope is the next great villain in T.O.

@vji67 Same here, I would bow out....I've been fuckin crucified enough

@djamon There is no Fucking way!!!  This was Nothing more then a Burke pissing match with the Head shed!!!  Not Hockey related in Anyway!!  Your speculating just like the Fucking Media!!!

@Gary7 He was one of the whiners. LMFAO

@DamoSpin: This is, any which way you cut it, a lamentable start to the Rogers/Bell ownership of MLSE. Not the way good organizations do things.

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris
Mike Gillis says he doesn't think the change in #leafs management will affect a potential Luongo deal.

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2013/01/09/brian-burke-fired-initial-thoughts/  New post up all.   Sorry for the bad news.

@Real_ESPNLeBrun: NHL GM on Burke's firing. "I don't get it."

Don't do it....don't jump.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo4OnQpwjkc

@Reimocerous I'd bet a paycheck the Luongo situation is the cause of his firing. So, if that was the case, then logic says what happens over the next week or so will tell us which way Burke was leaning.

@DamoSpin: Only in freakin' Toronto would idiots say 3 1/2 years is time enough to build a good team from scratch.

If they were going to fire Burke, they should have done it months ago. This is not the right time to do it.

So hey has anyone seen the movie Looper??  I thought it was awesome.

.. oh were y'all discussing something?

@DamoSpin: Been covering Leafs for 24 years. This is 9th GM change. No patience in this town from fans or ownership. Team is chasing its tail.

@The Shrike Nice dream but to much of a player guy.

@The Shrike Id be good with that!!!