Brent Burns: The New "Koivu Brothers" Story

Still, in the long run, it matters so very little that it doesn't even matter to the people who write about sports, which ultimately don't matter, or even to hockey fans who love a sport that ultimately doesn't matter even in the sports world. Still, we find the stories, and we make them into bigger stories than they need to be.

What happened? After the jump.

Brent Burns was asked about the game against the Wild. Shocker, right? Of course, there are two choices here for a player who has been traded. One, give the cliche, "Well, obviously there is some emotion, but I'm a Shark now, and I wish them the best, except for tonight" crap we hear from every other player who has ever been asked that question. Then a non story becomes not only a non-story, but a boring, sports cliche non-story. We see none of the personality of the person. Something, I think I have read a time or two, that hockey fans have asked for more of.

Two, he can be himself. He can poke some fun at his former teammates, many of them his very good friends, and do something he used to do every single day when they shared a locker room. Give them grief. He can be human, and show his human side.

He chose the latter. People here in Minnesota and across the NHL leaped on it and ran with it. What did he say?

From San Jose Mercury News:

OH MY GOD! BURNZIE HATES THE WILD!!!!!111 Rain down hell upon his head. Call him a traitor, a turn coat, a bitter former employee that clearly hates every one in the organization. Don't read the rest of the article, it doesn't matter. Brent Burns is a jerk. Burn your #8 sweater in effigy, and weep silently into your pillow about how much you always hoped he would retire in Iron Range Red.

Nope, don't read the rest of the article. Especially the part where it reads:

Burns was kidding. He was joking, people. He was being... well, he was being Brent Burns.

Where did this animosity come from that a reporter sends out a couple of tweets, posts a blog, and our fan base jumps up and down, screaming and yelling about Burns being such a terrible person? Did he do something in his past that would tell you this was anything except him having fun? For the love of everything holy, he posted a picture of himself with some sort of robotic sex pants on.

The guy was having fun. You want more proof? How about this, when I mentioned my take on Twitter, from Wild PR guy Ryan Stanzel:

Burns was visiting his friends, mere minutes after "bashing" them to the media. I'm sure they all got together and discussed how much they hate each other and wish each other nothing but misery. Or... perhaps they got together and gave each other crap like hockey players do. Like friends do.

The rest of the guys in the locker room either played with Burns last year, or certainly learned from him at some point in their careers. They know him. They worked with him. They shot barbs back and forth at each other. They have don't cut your hair bets with each other.

So, we can jump up and down and yell and scream about how much Burnzie hates Minnesota, and criticize him for saying the team didn't want him. Or... we can listen to immortal words of Fog Horn Leghorn.

I say, I say, it's just a joke son.

I enjoyed the comments. They made me laugh. Just Burnzie being Burnzie.

Big game tonight. Stay focused. We can talk about how crazy it is that the Koivu's play each other on Sunday. How nuts is THAT?!?