Something is Chapping My A**......

.....and I need to get it off my chest!

OKAY, so lets start with this. Brian Burke and Kevin Lowe haven't been the best of buddies. Brian Burke was incensed by Lowes offer sheet to Dustin Penner last year. The offer made it impossible for Burke to match. Lowe offered Penner 5.5 million dollars. If Burke wanted to keep guys like Getzlaf and Perry he had to let Penner walk.

OKAY! Burke was PEEEEEEE'OD. I can understand why. Lowe had also offered Sabres forward Tomas Vanek 7+ million a year and Buffalo matched it. Lowe was fishing for something. I don't care what anyone says. He had a terrible year and was losing players left and right. He needed to make an impact...somehow. This was his only option. I don't agree with it. You offer outrageous contracts to players who don't deserve it...yet...or maybe ever, and force the current teams to pay out there butts if they want to keep the player. I know its allowed, it just doesn't sit well with me.

OKAY. Lowe got Penner. Burke was torqued and fired some words Lowes way. He made some comments a few times through out the year. And then last week, Burke went at Lowe again. This time Lowe fired back. Yes Burke should have shut his mouth. And he should just forget about it, move on. However what torques me is Lowes comments back and ALL THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP SAYING BURKE IS A TERRIBLE GM!!! AND HOW LOWE IS SOOOOO MUCH BETTER!

"The reality is, Rick Nash's contract a number of years ago, and (Patrice) Bergeron's and (Ilya) Kovalchuk's; that sets the standard - that's been going on for decades." - Kevin Lowe.

Right it has been going on for decades. But how can you compare Penner with Nash, Bergeron or Kovalchuk? Lowe is raising the lower level players contracts, so when guys like Nash and Kovalchuk are due for a contract and they were making 7+ million a year and a player of lesser talents is making 5-7 million a year, those players go, HEY, if I am a superstar, shouldn't I be making a lot more then these guys? Thats how it starts. Its not the only case. You get a GM who offers a guy like Mats Sundin 10 million a year. Lowe isn't out of the hot seat as far as i'm concerned.

"He's an underachieving wanna-be in terms of success in the NHL. He won a Stanley Cup? Great. I've won six Stanley Cups, you want to count rings?" - Kevin Lowe

Right you have won 6 rings...AS A FRICKEN PLAYER!!! Brian Burke NEVER played an NHL game in his life. How can you compare a players success to a GM? Its like comparing apples to oranges. Yes Kevin you do have 6 rings. Do you have any as a GM? Burke does. No matter how sad of a GM, Lowe or any of you think Burke is he has a ring, AS A GM. What has Lowe done as a GM?

-Lowe has been GM of the Oilers since 2000.
-Of the 7 years as GM, the Oilers have made the playoffs 3 of those years.
-Missed the playoffs 4 times.
-Got knocked out of the playoffs in round 1 two of the three years.
-The one success was getting to the Cup Final in 2006.
-Stupidest move as GM: Letting Ryan Smyth go, then offering Penner the same money that Smyth wanted.

What Burke has done as GM.

-Burke was a GM in Hartford for one year in 1992. He was hired by Vancouver in 1998. He was let go by the Nucks in 2004. Burke went to Anaheim and is currently there.
-In Vancouver for 6 years, they made the playoffs 4 times, missed twice.
-In Anaheim for 2 years, they made the playoffs both years and won the Cup in 2007.
-Of the 6 years in the playoffs, his teams lost in round 1 4 times, round 2 once and won a Cup.
-Stupidest move as GM: I'm gonna say trading Andy McDonald for Doug Weight.

So if Burke is "an underachieving wanna-be in terms of success in the NHL", then what does that make Lowe?

I'm gonna let you guys answer that.

So I compared the only numbers you can COMPARE fairly. Looks like Burke and Lowe are pretty even.

Let the stats talk, its like the evidence in a murder case. You can say what you want but the numbers talk.

I am just sick of people out right being jerks about this. I'm pretty sure I've seen a number of you all say a few years back Burke was a great GM. So because Burke can't let go of it, and Lowe fires back with some insane comments, everyone writes off Burke? Oh right. I forgot, there are a ton of sports fans who just go the way of whats "popular" consensus.

Here are some comments I have been seeing about Burke.

"Which is so true. We're floundering cause our farm is not very deep and we had a number of bloated contracts that are finally starting to come off the books. All thanks to Burke!!"

"At least when Burke jumps ship to Toronto he won't leave the Ducks in that situation. He'll have almost nobody signed."

So which is it? Sounds like no matter what he does it isn't good enough?

"He certainly has made a lot smarter moves in Anaheim than he did while in Vancouver; signed Getzlaf, signed Perry, trader for Pronger, did not match Penner offer, all good moves."

Seems to me like Burke has come to the same level as the Maple Leafs. Anytime the name is mentioned there is joke or some demeaning comment towards it. There are people holding him to one bad move....the Bertuzzi signing. SO WHAT! Did he pay him too much money, yeah, did he take care of it this year, yeah, he bought him out. As for leaving Vancouver with nothing, I am unsure of what he did to leave them with nothing. This also reminds me of the Bertuzzi situation with Moore how everyone just wrote him off and he was the worst thing since Satan. Look at the situation, IN FULL.

I don't really feel better, but atleast I got it out. I'm sick of fickle sports fans.

The ONLY people I don't mind hating Burke is the Oilers following. They are only supporting Lowe and there team. BUT PLEASE pull your head out your a** and really look at it.

I'm not doing this because I have something against the Oilers or Lowe, I happen to like the Oilers.

Thanks for reading. Sorry if I offended anyone.