When Brian Burke has complaints about something, you’re going to hear about it. When he’s got a beef with CBC’s Don Cherry, that’s grounds for a titanic media blow up.
That’s apparently what’s going on in Toronto now as Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun reports that Burke is tired of hearing Cherry dog his Maple Leafs during his weekly appearances on Hockey Night in Canada. Warmington hears of Burke’s complaints through an inside source and about Cherry’s complaints about coach Ron Wilson in particular.
An insider told QMI Agency Burke is tired of Cherry criticizing his team — in particular, his coach — and he is contemplating asking for a meeting with CBC brass to complain.
Ripping a team and ripping a coach over just about anything would get any team executive rankled. When it’s Brian Burke, that’s a much bigger deal.
As for Cherry, he tells Tim Baines of the Ottawa Sun that the whole feud is “sad.”
“Brian Burke does not like what I say about the Leafs. But what am I supposed to say about them? They haven’t made the playoffs in (seven) years. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I guess he doesn’t like it. But I am what I am.”
Burke says that while others don’t criticize Burke, he tells it how it is. As of the All-Star break, the Leafs are eighth in the Eastern Conference and tied with New Jersey with 55 points. The easiest way to make all this nonsense stop is to have the Leafs make the playoffs and maybe make a run, but for Cherry we all know that won’t stop him from sounding off.
