Semantics, A Big Mouth and Burke

With all due respect to those reporting on the Burke story, this has become a joke. Any of these folks who call themselves journalists should be ashamed. Also, someone, or someones within either MLSE or the Burke camp clearly can’t keep their mouths shut.

Let’s review some basic principals… A deal is not a deal until you have three key elements, an offer, an acceptance and some form of consideration. Until those things are present and on paper in this case, an agreement for employment, THERE IS NO AGREEMENT… Until Burke has a piece of paper which offers him the job, for a certain amount of money and he has signed that offer irrespective of anything that has been said THERE IS NO AGREEMENT….

When the Toronto Star headline said Burke a Leaf Finally (or some iteration) the other day it was total bullshit. There was no signed agreement. The Star changed their headline later that night…

Tonight, two different sources are reporting that a deal is done…

Kypreos on Sportsnet has said there is an agreement, but he hasn’t said it is “signed”….do we need to review again??? “The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Burke have agreed to terms on a six-year deal to become the team’s next president and general manager, Sportsnet has learned.” They may have agreed, but has the deal been signed????? They just said on Sportsnet in between the 2nd and 3rd that Kypreos says that Burke is poised to sign…… Once again, THERE IS NO AGREEMENT

Over at TSN things are being said a little differently “Sources tell TSN the major points of a contract to make Brian Burke the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been settled. Burke says he’s been told the deal is done, however he hasn’t reviewed or signed the contract as of yet. Burke is in Boston with his family for the American Thanksgiving holiday.” OK- so his lawyer says its good to sign, but guess what??? THERE IS NO AGREEMENT

Over at the Globe, David Shoalts has the same story…. “The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Burke have reached an agreement on a contract, which is still not official because he has not signed it, and he could be presented to the hockey public as the team’s new president and general manager on Friday.” THERE IS NO AGREEMENT

Over at the Sun, Steve Simmons is reporting something totally different “It is now official — Brian Burke is signed, sealed and delivered as president and general manager of the Maple Leafs. The contract was signed this afternoon while Burke was home in Boston cooking Thanksgiving dinner, Sun Media has learned.” If that is the case then THERE IS AN AGREEMENT….

So the question is….what’s the story. Burke, Peddie and Kirke aren’t saying a whole hell of a lot. For certain no one is saying that he has signed a contract. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter provided he does actually sign the deal. Here is what is disturbing. Why is this so hard to keep quiet and for the story to be kept straight. Cliff Fletcher used to get blamed for being too open with the press. Give the guy a hell of a lot of credit as his recent deal with St. Louis was not reported anywhere (not even Hanky) of being discussed. All parties said it had been in the works for months. Why can’t the folks around the Burke deal keep their traps shut? Why is it so hard to say no comment?? Publicly, the Leafs have been saying that. Who knows what they are saying off the record. As it sits right now they all look ridiculous. This easily could have been avoided if only they could keep their traps shut.