"It wasn't the first time and probably won't be the last when Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner was boo'd this past weekend. A lot of people have popped up to defend Gardiner saying that he doesn't deserve it.Those people include former Maple Leafs' general manager Brian Burke. Burke has been very vocal this year about the Leafs and he piled on with the Gardiner incident while speaking on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. "I think a fan who buys a ticket has the right to boo or cheer, he or she has the right to express themselves in any appropriate way. They're not entitled to use racist or homophobic language or profanity but short of that they can boo or they can cheer" Burke said. "So the notion that a fan has to behave a certain way, I don't buy that. But the notion that you're going to boo Jake Gardiner, like boo the guys that don't care, boo the guys that don't try, boo the guys that don't get it done""But don't you dare boo Jake Gardiner, I was so embarrassed watching that, I think it's an absolute disgrace". Burke said he felt the same way when Dion Phaneuf was boo'd. "It's a small number of morons, and then people kind of chime in and jump on their backs to me it's a disgrace". Burke also talked about how Gardiner was originally a forward for the majority of his time as a teenager and defended him. He aded that anybody who boo'd Gardiner should be ashamed of themselves.
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