McCown: Rogers/Bell "Unholy Alliance Will Not Last"

[TOGuy14]

Not sure how the Burke firing proves this at all. That means the BOG voted on it and unanimously decided to fire Burke. Which means they worked together to get rid of him.. What am I missing here??

Cox (who I don't really like) wrote an article that said it was the Bell representative who wanted Burke out and had been arguing with Rogers for months to get him gone.

I am curious to see what happens when the HNIC contract comes up and CBC / TSN (Bell) / Sportsnet (Rogers) are all bidding on that deal. I strongly doubt that the CRTC would let Rogers and Bell make some sort of deal to split the games, and I don't think the NHL would want their strongest brand having alternate premier slots. This will likely be the biggest source of upcoming tension in their relationship.

 

[Kessely Snipes]

Meh, don't care what Bobcat has to say about anything hockey related.

 

[masarume]

This might be just me, but 10 years down the road, I can see a 2nd team in the GTA.
Bell will own one with Rogers owning another.

 

[Darylman]

Are you guys serious? Bob explicitly says, and Nonis agrees, that the three of them have been out for beers many times. He even makes a crack about how much Burke loved his beer, at all hours.

Of course the Kadri + Gardiner request is true, and of course it was denied.

 

[Leafs12232]

and Burke will run team #2.


George Cope should be vaporized off this planet. Burke swore in a presentation and he gets his panties all bunched up. What a punk. Die of cancer you low life *****.

 

[Drugstorecowboi]

i doubt Bob has any real sources. he just spews **** out of his mouth, especially when it comes to hockey. his opinions on hockey are laughable
the hockey guys on the station pretty much laugh at his opinion

he's the only one reporting that the asking price for Lu is Kadri+Gardiner. Never heard anyone else report this.

He's a much better broadcaster/insider than you. It's ok to dislike someone but no one cares about your "expert" opinion -- you have no clue if the hockey guys on the station "pretty much laugh at his "opinion"....and you are in no position to criticize anyone on a professional level. Can you provide any proof of this claim you've made on bobcat? Let's just stick to the facts.

I highly doubt Bobcat -- or any other broadcaster would make a statement about the Leafs ownership without some insider knowledge.

 

[Drugstorecowboi]

i doubt Bob has any real sources. he just spews **** out of his mouth, especially when it comes to hockey. his opinions on hockey are laughable
the hockey guys on the station pretty much laugh at his opinion

he's the only one reporting that the asking price for Lu is Kadri+Gardiner. Never heard anyone else report this.

Can you provide any proof that he doesn't have any real sources... that's a bold statement... would love to hear and see where you are getting this from.

 

[Drugstorecowboi]

source?

you don't provide any sources when you make bold claims about broadcasting professionals....

 

[masarume]

and Burke will run team #2.


George Cope should be vaporized off this planet. Burke swore in a presentation and he gets his panties all bunched up. What a punk. Die of cancer you low life *****.

Had a bad day?

 

[Drugstorecowboi]

okay oilers fan

oilers fan is correct. why do you have to act like a ******?

 

[Drugstorecowboi]

and Burke will run team #2.


George Cope should be vaporized off this planet. Burke swore in a presentation and he gets his panties all bunched up. What a punk. Die of cancer you low life *****.

super classy to wish cancer on someone. super classy.

 

[tp71]

sure, it's possible but where's the proof?

all the connected hockey guys (ie. hockey central) said it had nothing to do with luongo

cope not liking burke has nothing to do with meddling owners (what bobcat is accusing). i believe the whole board doesn't like burke
that, and his poor performance

but, of course, bobcat throws everyone in a frenzy saying owners wanted to have their fingers in the trade market

Cope is on the Board, is the CEO of Bell Canada. Bell partly owns MLSE. The MLSE in which Cope sits on the Board for, which made the decision to fire Burke.

If this was about poor performance, there are a few things that would have happened. He would have already have been fired. It wouldn't have taken August, September, October, November, December for them to figure out his poor performance should get him fired. Also, Bryan Colangelo. If it's about poor performance in any way shape or form, that guy is also out of a job right now. Alas, it's not.

Cope not liking Burke and getting rid of him for just that, has a lot to do with meddling owners. Again, if they came out and said his record, it would be a different story, but they didn't. The didn't get into specifics during the presser and umed and ahed their way through an interview with McCown. That to me says right there they had no actual really good reason to fire him, other than someone at the top just didn't like him, and convinced others on the Board to just not like him.

When it comes to Bob McCown's and Burke's relationship as well, they're friends outside of this realm we follow that is hockey and sports. McCown attacked MLSE, not for firing Burke, as he has said many times you could justify, but for the how and why, which is as thin and whispy as any wet piece of paper to try to write on.

 

[SteveV*]

McCown has more sources and inside information than you could ever hope to have.

Ya, like him saying Burke was almost 100 percent fired because of Luongo, and EVERY other person close to the team, including the new GM's relative, saying it was complete bunk! What I find hilarious, on the Fan all these insiders mocking the Luongo angle as pure crap, and it started with the Fan and McCown!

 

[tp71]

Ya, like him saying Burke was almost 100 percent fired because of Luongo, and EVERY other person close to the team, including the new GM's relative, saying it was complete bunk! What I find hilarious, on the Fan all these insiders mocking the Luongo angle as pure crap, and it started with the Fan and McCown!

Well, they do all work for a network owned by Rogers. It might come from the top as to what they should say about it. They might care about losing their jobs. Bob McCown isn't the kind of person who would care.

 

[Brewsky]

my memory is we had a break from toxic ownership situation from post-ballard death (91) until quinn was demoted to coach only (03) and then another break during the burke years where he was left alone to run the team, maybe things are bad now, not totally convinced as rogers/bell multimedia interests overlap and it behooves them to make it work, but i must admit i took it for granted it would work, now i am wondering

Oh man what a time...the Gilmour and Clark days all the way to the Sundin and Roberts days.

Still hated the move when Quinn was let go after ONE freakin' season he didn't make the playoffs.

 

[Mess]

I see no problem at all.

If Bell and Rogers are at loggerheads, then its less time to get involved (as some people fear) in the day to day operations of the sports franchises.

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan was far worse for Leaf Nation fans as growing the retirement fund the number #1 priority and the Team performances an after thought.

While an individual owner with a great desire to win a championship is ideal where the bottom line profit wise the secondary concern, a big organization like MLSE is very unlikely to have one investor coughing up billions in purchase price to have a toy for entertainment purposes.

 

[KuleminFan41]

He's a much better broadcaster/insider than you. It's ok to dislike someone but no one cares about your "expert" opinion -- you have no clue if the hockey guys on the station "pretty much laugh at his "opinion"....and you are in no position to criticize anyone on a professional level. Can you provide any proof of this claim you've made on bobcat? Let's just stick to the facts.

I highly doubt Bobcat -- or any other broadcaster would make a statement about the Leafs ownership without some insider knowledge.

So you implicitly believe someone purely because they're on tv or radio? Yikes ,wouldn't wanna be you

 

[NewFang]

I could be wrong, but I think McCown was intimating that either Bell or Rogers will eventually be bought out by the other.

Bell FY2011 revenue: $19.5 billion
Rogers FY2011 revenue: $12.4 billion

My money would be on Bell.

He means one buying the other out on MLSE only.

 

[Oskar The Groucho]

Bob McCowan makes $500'000 a year a signed a 5 year contract back 2 years ago . He has pull in Sportsnet and def has sources within the company of Rogers

 

[Sokil]

my memory is we had a break from toxic ownership situation from post-ballard death (91) until quinn was demoted to coach only (03) and then another break during the burke years where he was left alone to run the team, maybe things are bad now, not totally convinced as rogers/bell multimedia interests overlap and it behooves them to make it work, but i must admit i took it for granted it would work, now i am wondering

post-ballard? ballard was the most toxic of them all!

 

[The Apologist]

I see no problem at all.

If Bell and Rogers are at loggerheads, then its less time to get involved (as some people fear) in the day to day operations of the sports franchises.

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan was far worse for Leaf Nation fans as growing the retirement fund the number #1 priority and the Team performances an after thought.

While an individual owner with a great desire to win a championship is ideal where the bottom line profit wise the secondary concern, a big organization like MLSE is very unlikely to have one investor coughing up billions in purchase price to have a toy for entertainment purposes.

I guess that's why they spent so much money on the team, consistently spent to the cap, hired the best Gms, staff, built expensive facilities, sounds like they wasted a lot of money they didn't have to if indeed they were just looking to make a buck.

 

[egd27]

Ya, like him saying Burke was almost 100 percent fired because of Luongo, and EVERY other person close to the team, including the new GM's relative, saying it was complete bunk! What I find hilarious, on the Fan all these insiders mocking the Luongo angle as pure crap, and it started with the Fan and McCown!

Quote from PTS on Wednesday:
"There are multiple reasons why Brian Burke is no longer the general manager of the TML, but not the least of them is the fact that BB thought the asking price for Roberto Luongo was too high (Gardiner & Kadri).....I can tell you factually the BB was privately counseled that if he didn't do the deal, if he didn't get Luongo, if he didn't make the playoffs this year, he was unlikey to survive."

Given that later in the same show he indicated he had dinner with Burke 2 weeks ago, I would suggest he knows what he is talking about.

 

[Sokil]

Can you provide any proof that he doesn't have any real sources... that's a bold statement... would love to hear and see where you are getting this from.

McGowan was also saying this was about the Luongo trade the other day, the guy just likes to hear his own voice. He has no clue what's going on.

 

[Sokil]

Quote from PTS on Wednesday:
"There are multiple reasons why Brian Burke is no longer the general manager of the TML, but not the least of them is the fact that BB thought the asking price for Roberto Luongo was too high (Gardiner & Kadri).....I can tell you factually the BB was privately counseled that if he didn't do the deal, if he didn't get Luongo, if he didn't make the playoffs this year, he was unlikey to survive."

Given that later in the same show he indicated he had dinner with Burke 2 weeks ago, I would suggest he knows what he is talking about.

He was fired before the trade freeze even opened up. He was fired on the same day the GMs ratified the new CBA. This was happening regardless of a potential trade that Burke couldn't even do.

 

[Calacatz]

Bob McCowan makes $500'000 a year a signed a 5 year contract back 2 years ago . He has pull in Sportsnet and def has sources within the company of Rogers

dumbest post I seen all day.. How much does Burke make and what pull does he have now? McCowan can very well be next...

Also to the idiot that made the comment about George Cope.. not only should you seek help for your choice of words and wishes, but as someone who is in a management position within Bell and have had the priv to meet George a few times, I can tell you he is a very smart dude, well spoken and loves his sports.. Funny how someone of his stature can be referred to as a lowlife..

Larry and Tom pull the big strings for MLSE.. Bell & Rogers reep more the benefits of exclusive content they can utilize within their services and maximized exposure.. They will partner just fine and make a load of $$ in the process..