son. Loupe might not even have a PG

CALGARY -- One of the NHLs biggest personalities vows to work in the background for the Calgary Flames. Veteran hockey executive Brian Burke was named the teams president of hockey operations, a position the Flames created for him in an effort to return to the playoffs after a four-year absence. Burke will "assume overall responsibility of the sport side of the Calgary Flames." General manager Jay Feaster will report to Burke, while Ken King remains president and CEO of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. In addition to the Flames, the company encompasses the American Hockey Leagues Abbotsford Heat, the Western Hockey Leagues Calgary Hitmen, the Canadian Football Leagues Calgary Stampeders and the National Lacrosse Leagues Roughnecks. Burkes description of himself on Twitter is "a dash of truculence". Hes brutally honest and unfiltered, so reporters both love and loathe him depending on the day. "I dont intend to be front and centre," Burke said Thursday during a news conference at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "That would be a nice break after being front and centre and getting into a lot of little scraps in the media. "I know people think I need to be driving the bus all the time. Im actually a pretty good teammate. "The guy you should talk to every day should be the coach. The transactional guy, if you make a trade . . . the guy that should explain it should be the guy that pulls the trigger on the trade and thats Jay." Flames owners arent normally present at team announcements, but chairman Murray Edwards and others in the ownership group sat in the front row of seats Thursday. Burke was fired as president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in January. He had been working as a part-time scout with the Anaheim Ducks since February. Reporting to Burke instead of King is the only change Feaster expected in his job description. "To be able to bring somebody in who has won a Stanley Cup, who has taken a team to that lofty level and who has been in the game in as many capacities as Brian has been throughout his career, to be able to tap into that wealth of knowledge on a daily basis, its a great thing," Feaster said. "I endorse it as the GM." A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Burke sits on the board of directors for Rugby Canada and is the director of player personnel for the American mens hockey team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He was general manager of the U.S. team that won Olympic silver in 2010. He also won a Stanley Cup as GM of the Ducks in 2007. "Brians worked pretty hard in our game to do a lot of different things," Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf said in New York. "Obviously Ive seen first-hand what he can do. Im happy that hes back to work and Im sure thatll make him happy." It took some convincing by King for Burke to accept the Flames job because he wasnt clear on what it entailed. As part of his research into similar pro sports management models, the 58-year-old lawyer said he consulted Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. "This is a relatively new structure in professional hockey," Burke said. "There are two teams in the NHL that have this type of management structure. There are a number of teams in the National Football League that do, a number of teams in Major League Baseball that do and a number of teams in the NBA that do. And it works effectively. And its going to work here." Burke will be an adviser to Feaster. "Im not the general manager of the Calgary Flames," he declared. "Jay Feaster is. He is going to be in charge, but with my guidance. "I think I add a value. Ive been able to fix just about every team Ive worked for, sometimes quicker than others." Burkes contract with the Flames doesnt have a set term, but is instead an open-ended work agreement. "Theres a long runway here for Brian," King said. "He can do this job for 10 years, maybe longer than that. Hes got that sober second-thought opportunity to take a long view, a long vision, to help Jay, who by nature has to have a shorter vision." Burke plans to embrace a job where hell be on the road less after scouting the world junior championship in Ufa, Russia, in January. "I didnt enjoy that. I got as sick as a dog. The food was awful," Burke said. "I was saying to myself This was not a good use of my time. "This job allows a guy of my seniority to do less the grunt work, the day-to-day stuff, but still be involved." Flames coach Bob Hartley said his club will benefit from Burkes sheer passion for the game and his hockey knowledge. "There will be no grey areas with Brian," said Hartley. The coach said he doesnt feel any extra pressure with a second executive above him. "Any time that you can add a gentleman like Brian Burke to your team, and teamed up with Jay Feaster, I feel that Im very well surrounded as a coach," said Hartley. "We know one thing about Brian: The roles will be clear, and the expectations will be well put there. At the same time, he always backs you up." Also Thursday, the Flames promoted John Bean from CFO and senior vice-president, finance and administration to chief operating officer. After graduating Harvard Law School in 1981, Burke was a player agent until 1987 when Vancouver Canucks general manager Pat Quinn asked him to become the director of hockey operations for the franchise. Burke held that post for five years, until the 1992-93 season when he became the GM of the Hartford Whalers. He stayed in Connecticut for a year before moving to the NHLs head office, becoming commissioner Gary Bettmans executive vice-president and director of hockey operations. In 1998, Burke returned to Vancouver to become the GM of the Canucks. He drafted players such as twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin, as well as centre Ryan Kesler. Team management elected to not renew Burkes contract after the 2003-04 season. After spending time as a TV analyst, Burke returned to management, becoming the GM of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2005-06 and winning the Stanley cup a year later. He stepped down from the Ducks in November 2008 and two weeks later was hired by the Maple Leafs. The Leafs didnt make the post-season during Burkes tenure. "There was a lot that needed to be done in Toronto that took longer than I thought," Burke said. He believes the Flames are on the right path, but isnt imposing deadlines on the hockey teams re-build. "I remember when I was a rookie GM, I called Harry Sinden and was complaining about my team. He said When you take over a non-playoff team, you inherit a leaky ship," Burke said. "Its hard in a cap system to turn your team around. You have unrestricted free agency obviously, but in a cap system, its a slower process. "I think fans can be patient as long as they see a plan thats in place and being executed and faithfully stuck to. I think theres a plan here and I think the fans can see it." NHL rookie camps are underway with main camps scheduled to start Sept. 11. The Scotiabank Saddledome is undergoing restoration from massive flooding in June. The Flames main camp will be held at another facility, but the first exhibition game Sept. 14 is scheduled to be at the Saddledome. -- With files from Stephen Whyno and Monte Stewart Rhett Ellison Jersey .Y. -- The "for sale" sign is up at the Buffalo Bills with the hiring of financial and legal advisers who may begin talking with prospective buyers within the next month. Patrick Omameh Jersey . New York then missed its next six shots and scored only two points the rest of the night. The Los Angeles Clippers defence and the Knicks general ineptitude both played a role in the unsurprising finish to a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions. http://www.officialnewyorkgiantsfootball...stomized-womens. Needing to bulk up on both sides of the line, the Falcons agreed to terms with guard Jon Asamoah, defensive end Tyson Jackson and defensive tackle Paul Soliai. Asamoah and Jackson played last season with Kansas City, where Asamoah lost his starting job. Janoris Jenkins Jersey . 1 player in the world. So Duval gutted it out Thursday at the Byron Nelson Championship despite the pain from a muscle issue in his right elbow, a day after his stepson had to drive him because he couldnt even use that arm. Andrew Adams Jersey .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback.PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Andrew Loupe knows how one week can change everything. He can only hope his 8-under 63 in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is the start of another one. Loupe had to wait three hours to tee off because of rain Thursday, and then he played bogey-free on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula. That gave him the lowest score among those who finished their rounds. Rain soaked the Monterey Peninsula in the morning, which was great news for an area desperate for rain, not so much for the tournament. Puddles quickly formed on the greens at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, forcing play to be stopped on all three courses. Monterey Peninsula played the easiest, and Loupe took advantage. He never had to scramble for par, missed only one fairway and only two of his birdies were over 10 feet. This was his first trip to the area, and it was everything he imagined. "This place is amazing," Loupe said with a smile as wide as a fairway. The 25-year-old from Louisiana hasnt made the cut in five starts his rookie season. Loupe might not even have a PGA Tour card except for his tie for sixth in the last event of the Web.com Tour Finals. He had missed the cut in his previous three "Finals" event. Stuart Appleby, Jim Renner, Richard Lee and Scott Gardiner had 65s at Monterey Peninsula. Phil Mickelson, a four-time champion, was at 5-under par through 15 holes when the round was stopped because of darkness. Pebble Beach played the toughest, though the weather was not nearly bad enough to make that much of a difference with only a cool breeze and no rain the rest of the day. Jimmy Walker, already a two-time winner this season, got up-and-down for birdie on the 18th for a 66, the best score at Pebble. Jordan Spieth, playing with country singer Jake Owen, had the best round at Spyglass Hill at 67. He picked up birdies on all but one of the par 5s, stuffed one close on the uphill second hold and escaped with par with a long pitch from short of the sixth green. "It was more of an effort just to really play safe on the harder holes," Spieth said. "The par 5s you can take advantage of out here. I three-putted the first par 5 for par, but bounced back on the other par 5s. And then I finally made some putts on the back nine. We picked a great day to have Spyglass." Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner of this event, had a 68 at Spyglass Hill playing with his future fatheer-in-law, hockey great Wayne Gretzky.dddddddddddd "More happy with the fact he was 4 under today and its a tough course," Gretzky said. "Im here for fun. Hes here for work." Johnson had to work hard for his birdie on the ninth hole. His approach struck the pin and bounced back some 40 yards off the green. He chipped that in for his third straight birdie, and then picked up another birdie on the par-5 11th. He closed with seven pars for what he believes was his first bogey-free round at Spyglass. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., shot a 1-under 70 at Monterey Peninsula. Ottawas Brad Fritsch turned in a 5-over 77 at Spyglass Hill. Graeme McDowell, back at Pebble Beach for the first time since he won the 2010 U.S. Open, opened with a 71 at Spyglass Hill. He has to wait until Saturday to play Pebble Beach with his father, Kenny. Defending champion Brandt Snedeker had a 72 at Spyglass Hill. Loupe kept reminding everyone that his 63 was only one round, though it sounded as if he was reminding himself. He is thrilled to be on the PGA Tour, and it really hit him a few weeks ago at Torrey Pines when some of the biggest stars began showing up. This wasnt the start he imagined, however -- one round out of 11 that was under par, five weekends off. He wasnt about to panic, either. "I really just stick to the plan and I know that my group is good. I have 100 per cent trust in my swing coach, my family, my trainer," he said. "I guess when youre in those ruts, I just kept telling myself, Youre supposed to be here, youre going to play good, just keep playing. This is just one round, guys, but I feel good. "I did miss a few cuts coming into Sawgrass and played good," he said of the week that secured his card in the Web.com finals. "And I just knew that I could do it again. Would I like to play more consistently? Yes. But I just want to keep this rolling." DIVOTS: Davis Love III was 2 over through 15 holes, but at least he had an amateur. Kelly Slater won the Volcom Pipe Pro 2014 on Wednesday at the Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, scoring a perfect 10 on one ride. He arrived at Pebble Beach about 5 a.m. Thursday. ... Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley opened with a 67 at Pebble Beach. ... Jim Furyk, in his first PGA Tour event since September, opened with a 70 at Spyglass Hill. David Duval made his first start of the year and shot 72 at Pebble Beach. 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