It wasn’t the highlight of the weekend, but I did dedicate a good 20 minutes to watching the Brian Burke news conference from the Air Canada Centre.
As I was watching, I got a flashback vision to the Spring of 1969 when Punch Imlach was fired from the same position.
The following day in the Star, or maybe the Telegram for that matter, was a picture of Imlach alone at his desk either just before or just after his dismissal. And that was it.
No scheduled news conference, no question and answer, no detailed explanation other than the obvious; the Leafs were swept convincingly by Boston and Imlach was out.
Forty years later, there was Burke, well dressed, well rehearsed, standing in front of the corporate logos prepared to discus his firing.
But in truth, there wasn’t much revealed here.
Burke admitted his teams didn’t win enough- no kidding- he also accepted the decision since that’s the perogative of ownership to employ and make changes, he would jump at another opportunity to be GM and stated he would never change his style.
Other than that, there was quite a bit of ” ask them “, or ” I’m don’t know myself “, plus a potshot swipe at a Toronto writer who I assume potshotted Burke through time.
It was entertaining, but the 20 minute news conference didn’t do much more than the photograph of Punch Imlach in 1969 in terms of clarification.
I’m Fred Wallace