Maybe he should ask NBC who wants to see the US play?  And why they’re not getting prime time slots…the thing is though, Canadian fans will watch the games at 3am if they had to, so maybe he’s just a little jealous, or likes to hear himself talk.

Posted by greg on 02/14/10 at 10:35 PM ET

Somebody call the waaaaaambulance!

Posted by Hippy Dave from Portland by way of Detroit on 02/14/10 at 10:49 PM ET

Burke’s going through a tough time, so that comment can’t be taken too seriously.  The real joke is NBC deciding to air the game on MSNBC.

Posted by cs6687 on 02/14/10 at 11:04 PM ET

Shut up, Burke!  Sure, he’s going through a tough time, but he’s also infamous for such stupid comments, and has been throughout his years in Vancouver, Hartford, Manhattan, Vancouver (again), Anaheim, and now, Toronto.

Posted by Harrald the Red on 02/14/10 at 11:39 PM ET

Burke’s going through a tough time, so that comment can’t be taken too seriously.

I hope you don’t expect THAT comment to be taken seriously.  He’s just suffered through a very sad event so he can be excused for being himself?

The real joke is NBC deciding to air the game on MSNBC.

No, the REAL joke is the niche market that is the US hockey fan being delusional enough to think that there was any way in the world that hockey would be on NBC.  NHL hockey is cheaper for NBC than even Leno, and they’ve relegated it to Sunday afternoons, with half their broadcasts going up against the juggernaut that is NFL football.

Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to think that NBC even gave more than a passing consideration to putting hockey on the main network?  In fact, the person who suggested putting hockey (At least, non-gold medal hockey) on the main network probably got fired on the spot for doing that.

Posted by Garth on 02/15/10 at 12:25 AM ET

NBC’s coverage in general is bad - lack of live coverage in particular.  I don’t think that it is outside the realm of possibility for the hockey people to think that their sport might be on NBC, as the regular season is (sort of).

Besides, the article notes that the particular complaint was made in a half-serious way, because of course every team is “screwed” on the schedule compared to Canada.  I like his quote about Yzerman’s comments intended to take some of the pressure off of Canada by painting Russia as the overall favorite, myself. 

“Steve Yzerman’s a real smart man,” said Burke. “He’s trying to take some of that pressure off Canada, which I might mention in passing is glacial and unremitting and unrelenting. I can’t imagine how they’re going to function in this environment, but they’ll find a way, I’m sure.”

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/15/10 at 06:21 AM ET

I’d feel better if Burke actually had a clue what he was doing. I mean trading for Phil Kessel was bad enough but how do you put Komisarek on the Olympic team? He suxs. Then he puts his washed up coach in there as well? When was the last time Toronto won a hockey game? I don’t feel good about this team at all….As for TV all the hockey games are live on MSNBC. Everything on NBC is taped. What do you want a live event or a taped event?..I do think there should be a way to put the USA games on TV in the evening…It’s Pacific time…you’re telling me that these games are going to start at 9 am out there? That’s stupid. Living in the East I expected most games to start at 10 pm EST like all west coast events do….Do they only have one hockey rink in Vancouver? I think the Canadian organizers are screwing things up big time. They already killed one guy. Nice going Canada….

Posted by kevin from boston on 02/15/10 at 07:20 AM ET

I have to believe the NHL is done with the Olympics after this one. You shut down the NHL for two weeks to play games that no one with a job in the US is going to be able to watch? Shouldn’t Buttman have insisted on prime time start times for the USA team at the very least? I mean I wasn’t able to watch any USA games from Turin and it looks like nothing is going to change even in Vancouver. So the Olympics means nothing to me…....

Posted by kevin from boston on 02/15/10 at 07:31 AM ET

You’re a smart one, aintcha, Kevin?  Given that the US hockey team draws flies in the ratings, as compared to Canada, where 18 million people of a 32 million nation will be watching, it seems obvious, no?  Also, I seem to recall the Americans giving their own athletes prime starting opportunities in Salt Lake in 2002, as well as a horribly biased referee in the women’s hockey final and yet, Canada still won.  So maybe you should think before you speak, Kevin, my boy.  Otherwise you just look like the ignorant, dumb Masshole that you are.

Posted by Harrald on 02/15/10 at 08:03 AM ET

Kevin’s right.  There’s no tangible benefit to the NHL’s participation in the Olympics, not when the games aren’t even going to be on ‘free’ TV in the USA, which is the market they are trying to expand in the first place.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 02/15/10 at 08:28 AM ET