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Don Cherry Blasts Brian Burke: Leafs General Manager Criticized On Coach's Corner (VIDEO)

First Posted: 03/ 3/2012 8:46 pm Updated: 03/ 5/2012 5:12 am

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Hockey commentator Don Cherry has elevated his running feud with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke.(CP/Getty)

TORONTO - Hockey commentator Don Cherry has elevated his running feud with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke.

Cherry ripped Burke during his Coach's Corner segment on Saturday's night "Hockey Night In Canada" broadcast.

He called out Burke on various issues, from not having enough Ontario-born hockey players on the Leafs to attempting to get Cherry fired from the CBC.

"Every team in the National Hockey League has a guy from Ontario except one — it's Ontario's Toronto Maple Leafs," said Cherry.

"If you want Americans, you got the team. It's the only organization in Canada that cheers when Canada loses and it's an absolute shame.

"There's 40,000 kids in the GTHL ... (Tyler) Seguin, (Jeff) Skinner, (Jason) Spezza — they all come from the GTHL. This guy (Burke) has none. He has all Americans, he has American college guys who play for him right now and I could go on and on."

Cherry's rant comes a day after Burke fired Leafs coach Ron Wilson and replaced him with former Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who was born in Sudbury, Ont.

Burke had complained in the past that Cherry was being too critical of Wilson during his CBC segments.

"Here's what kills me — Burke goes to my bosses and says I'm a bad guy and I said something 'vicious' about his coach," said Cherry. "Two weeks later he fires him. Figure that one out folks."

Cherry listed various NHL teams and counted the amount of Ontario-born hockey players on each one. Vancouver (four Ontario-born players), Pittsburgh (six), St. Louis (nine) and Boston (nine), he listed as examples.

"And here's another thing that bugs me. We pay his salary from Ontario. We are the fans from Ontario. We are the only ones who would put up with going four years ... to not make the playoffs three years, probably not four, and not have one guy from Ontario, that's a crime as far as I'm concerned," Cherry said.

Cherry, who made news recently when he joined social media site Twitter, became more animated as the broadcast went on, challenging Burke to come after him and his job.

"If he wants my job, if he wants to get me fired, like he tried to do, go behind my back with my bosses and try to get me fired," he continued, "not only that he went to the governors and said it too. You want to get me off? You want to take me on? 'Oh Brian Burke, I'm shaking in my boots.'

"Do your best."

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TORONTO - Hockey commentator Don Cherry has elevated his running feud with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke.Cherry ripped Burke during his Coach's Corner segment on Saturday's night "Ho...
TORONTO - Hockey commentator Don Cherry has elevated his running feud with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke.Cherry ripped Burke during his Coach's Corner segment on Saturday's night "Ho...
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Baker123
4 Fans
09:46 AM on 03/05/2012
Fire Burke! I don't think he ever met a microphone or TV camera he didn't like!
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JJJSchmidt
25 Fans
08:05 PM on 03/04/2012
The thought that Burke adores US born hockey players has been spoken about by the media for the past couple of years now. He is especially fond of the college kids. I'm not sure if anyone put any thought into whether the Leafs players came from Ontario or not before last night's segment of Coach's Corner. I guess if Montreal can put their squad under the microscope to make sure that Quebec players are on the roster then I suppose it is okay to be critical of the Leafs not having anyone from Ontario. In both Montreal and Toronto, their fans couldn't care less about where their players were born so long as they are winning and right now that is a problem as Montreal and Toronto aren't winning.
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bogey1
524 Fans
10:33 PM on 03/04/2012
but if the leafs are ever to regain some respect by their players, it might be a good idea to hire players that actually grew up watching the team

the fish stinks from the head, down

players come to toronto for the pay cheque and who should blame them when ownership cares not for wins, but for profits
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deeegeee
72 Fans
05:42 PM on 03/04/2012
Cherry's the Burke ! What a bag of wind he is!Apart from himself does anyone else listen to his ravings ?
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LilPuppy
Canadian conservative,still left of a democrat
364 Fans
06:35 PM on 03/04/2012
his segement is the highest rated program the CBC has and is the only money maker for the network...so yeah alot of people listen to him
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bogey1
524 Fans
10:34 PM on 03/04/2012
i don't my tax dollars going to pay a bigotted canadian espousing his bigotted views on national tv
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
johnnycanuck
62 Fans
05:40 PM on 03/04/2012
Burke = Jerk .
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bogey1
524 Fans
10:35 PM on 03/04/2012
Burke = Jerk = Cherry
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
All Seeing Guy
Center of the storm
440 Fans
03:55 PM on 03/04/2012
Burke is a baby, he'll go running to daddy Bettman when things get too hot for him.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
dclintn648
Conservatism is dread
2918 Fans
 
02:32 PM on 03/04/2012
Don is a character, and he's the most colourful sports pundit out there. I agree that Toronto should at least TRY to put an Ontario kid on the team. What's wrong with that? But as far as the Leafs management is concerned, I remember everyone taking a collective sigh when ol' Harold Ballard was gone because we all figured that we finally had a chance at a decent team. But instead, we have a continuation of the decades long losing streak. I say clean out the ENTIRE HEAD OFFICE!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Arnold Gill
Astrophysicist, college instructor, programmer
32 Fans
02:15 PM on 03/04/2012
Regardless of what you may think about Don Cherry, he is 100% right in this case. Brian Burke played the same game in his stint in Vancouver, going to radio and newspaper owners to try to get reporters and commentators fired who disagreed and criticized him. While there are good sides to him too, just this one act is enough to keep Burke in my bad books. And he doesn't seem to learn either - media owners don't fall for this crap!
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nightfly4257
83 Fans
 
12:21 PM on 03/04/2012
If you take his argument a step further, then the Montreal Canadiens do not have enough Quebec born player or for that matter French speaking. The separatist in Quebec should be rioting at th Bell Centre. May be we should follow the CFL and have an import players rule. My problem with Don Cherry is he is all mouth no action. When Burke get fire, apply for GM Job Mr Cherry.
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GeoToronto
Nik Nak Paddy Wak, Still Ridin' Caddy-Laks
180 Fans
 
12:14 PM on 03/04/2012
Although I can't stand Cherry, he is right.
Burke is the problem.
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bogey1
524 Fans
10:35 PM on 03/04/2012
look higher up as to who hired him and why ken dryden quit
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Cameron Hodge
"Liberal Elitist" ;)
328 Fans
 
11:38 AM on 03/04/2012
You can always trust old Grapes to be a redneck ultra-nationalist.

This guy's act becomes more "confused grandpa" with every passing year...
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MyTake
Release the Hydrogen Economy now!
404 Fans
11:32 AM on 03/04/2012
And just where does the hockey luvin Harpo fellow stand on this issue.

He should be hiring Cherry to give courses to his MP's to teach them how to defend themselves in question period!

But, there is only one way out of this FEUD.

We have to set up a special competition for these two at Maple Laugh Gardens.

The first competition will be modeled on "The Battle of the Blades".

The second competition will be modeled on "The Octogon" cage fighting.

We will bring in Batman Betmen to referee both competitions and who will draw the judges from the pool of SUN Media carnival barkers and selected Conservative MP carnival barkers.

Burke's skating partner for the Blades competition will be Ann Coulter.

Cherry's skating partner will be "The Ethical Oil" girl.

If the skating competition ends in a tie, they move into the Octagon where both will be dressed from preselected clothing from Cherry's wardrobe closet.

If Burke wins, then Harpo will have to cut CBC's budget by 75%.

If Cherry wins, his picture will replace the Queen's on the $20 bill and a 2nd team will be installed in Toronto staffed with Ontario born players only!
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njdanie
old retired nerd
123 Fans
 
11:22 AM on 03/04/2012
Don is well known for his contempt for European players in general and Russians in particular. That having been said, I was disappointed when the Leafs didn't keep Mike Moore...
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MrBinkster
86 Fans
10:49 AM on 03/04/2012
I got to go with Don on this one. His point - if you bothered to listen - was Ontario produces more professional hockey players than anywhere in the world - and their capital's team doesn't have any.
This does seem strange. The Jets for example have a lot of prairie boys - Canadian and American who can at least relate to the place. (I have no doubt that many Europeans for example just want to go home at the end of the too long season and don't feel like six more weeks of playoffs. ) Don's point was now the Leafs, run by an American, are full of players who really don't care about the Leafs and their history (or lack of) as long as they get paid. I think he has a point.
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timberdoodle
1330 Fans
11:11 AM on 03/04/2012
Your point really is team's should be formed and played according to where they were born and according the player's availability or ability. I guess you would prefer watching provincial matches rather than the NHL.
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MrBinkster
86 Fans
11:25 AM on 03/04/2012
Well Ontario would win all the provincial matches. Too bad the Maple Laughs don't have any LOL !!
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DigaPony
3 Fans
11:50 AM on 03/04/2012
So true MrBlinkster. And all those thousands of boys playing hockey in Ontario can quit dreaming of playing for the Leafs. Unless of course they're loaded. Only Americans can get full scholarship for colligiate hockey in the States.
But then again once a prairie boy becomes a millionaire and gets a fancy American wife he no longer wants to play in hokey places like say- Edmonton.
ps- the capital is Ottawa
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MrBinkster
86 Fans
11:52 AM on 03/04/2012
PS - provincial capital is Toronto.
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timberdoodle
1330 Fans
10:26 AM on 03/04/2012
What Cherry said was both sportsnet and TSN who own the Leafs cheer when Canadian teams get beat and he berated every player on the team because of his bigotry and senility.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Stroodle
@upcripplecreek
117 Fans
09:46 AM on 03/04/2012
Does he understand that he's telling each player on the team that they're not good enough because they're not from Ontario? He shouldn't be able to leave his house.

Don't our taxes pay Cherry's salary?
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DigaPony
3 Fans
12:31 PM on 03/04/2012
No what he saying is an Ontario kid wouldn't just be playing for the paycheque. He'd have more pride for the franchise and play with heart. Maybe even win a game!
Your taxes are paying for robocalls
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Stroodle
@upcripplecreek
117 Fans
01:20 PM on 03/04/2012
and his salary. he's a joke who shouldn't be on tv
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