Richard Peddie gives Brian Burke high marks
The CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Richard Peddie issued high praise for Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, while unveiling a new project on Thursday. Peddie was asked about Burke’s progress after the GM gave himself a low grade
on a recent sports talk show.
Burke was asked about the job he has done so far with the Maple Leafs and to give himself a grade, which represented his body of work thus far. Burke responded, “We finished 29th, I don’t know how I can give myself anything other than a poor grade.
You’re dealing with sophisticated sports fans in Toronto, to be honest. We haven’t had any success, hopefully it starts (Thursday) night.”
The Leafs will host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday at the Air Canada Centre in the first game of their 2010-11 season. Many Leafs fans are hoping their team will qualify for the post-season for the first time in five years.
This recent culture of losing has many Toronto fans bothered, as MLSE now owns three sports teams, the Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors and the Major League Soccer franchise Toronto F.C., all of which have performed poorly
over the past two years.
Nonetheless, Peddie praised his hockey GM on Thursday, stating. “I’ve never seen a GM that had a really clear vision of what kind of team he wanted. I’ve worked with seven of them, which might say something about the longevity of GMs at our place, but he’s
got this clear, clear vision. Goalies, defence, four lines, all that. I’ve never heard it, basketball, soccer, hockey, as clear as him.”
However, Toronto fans do not quite buy into the excitement, as they have been waiting since 1967 for a Stanley Cup parade, leading a plethora of Leafs fans to joke that the club is better at making money than winning.
MLSE answers back that they would much prefer play-off games, which would increase their revenue, stating they have had to cut back without play-off runs. However, Peddie made this announcement while opening a new $500 million real estate project, which
features two condo towers, a hotel, office space, an apparel store and sports bar.
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