Burke reacts to fans upset with Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Some fans pointed fingers at athletic director Morgan Burke for the dilemma that happened with head men's basketball coach Matt Painter.

Burke addressed those frustration from fans at a press conference Thursday morning.

"My back is pretty strong. At the end of the day, like Matt said, you keep your eye on what is important. I didn't become distracted with people telling me things about what was being said. If you allow the distractions to get in your way, you won't get there," Burke explained during the press conference. "I think it is great because what it has done is it has shown is we don't have a lethargic base. It is hard to do a negotiation in the media. As much as I wanted to answer questions, you can't do that. You see things go on and you just have to stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish. At the end of the day, we have great fans. If I hadn't seen that passion, I would be disappointed."

Burke even took the hit for the letter John Purdue Club members received earlier in the week from Senior Associate Athletic Director Nancy Cross. Some sid the email blames them for not donating enough money to keep Matt Painter at Purdue.

"I accept full accountability," Burke said after the press conference. "I'm the captain of the ship and the buck stops on my desk. Let's put it this way, the message was awkward. Once we realized the awkwardness, we came out and said 'You know, we are sorry.' That is all you can do."