Brendan Burke: Difference between revisions
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==References== |
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==Further reading== |
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ESPN,com: [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=4685761 John Buccigross, "'We love you, this won't change a thing'," December 2, 2009], accessed February 7, 2010 |
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Revision as of 00:47, 9 February 2010
Brendan Burke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brendan Burke December 1988 |
| Died | Error: Need valid birth date (second date): year, month, day[2] |
| Cause of death | Automobile accident[2] |
| Alma mater | Miami University |
| Occupation(s) | Hockey management Hockey goalie |
| Years active | ? - 2010 |
| Employer | Miami University |
| Known for | GLBT activism[4] |
| Parent | Brian Burke[2] |
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
Brendan Burke (December 1988[1] – February 5, 2010) was an openly gay athlete and the youngest son of Brian Burke,[3] general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and of the US Olympic hockey team.[5] In November 2009, he made international headlines for coming out and speaking out about tolerance and homophobia in professional sports.[2][4]
Early life
Burke was born in December, 1988 in Vancouver, BC[1] and was the youngest of four children of his father's first marriage.[4] His parents divorced in 1995 and in 1997 he moved with his mother to Boston, Massachusetts.[1]
Burke played hockey as a goaltender on the high school varsity team,[1] but quit because he worried that his teammates would discover that he was gay.[6] He graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts,[1] and often returned to speak on tolerance.[2]
After high school, Burke couldn't decide between going to law school (after completing college), or a career in hockey management.[2] He interned on Capitol Hill in the summer of 2009 for U.S. Representative Bill Delahunt.[2] He became a student manager and played hockey as a goalie at Miami University.[6]
The Burke family lives in Canton, Massachusetts.[2]
Coming out
Imagine if I was in the opposite situation, with a family that wouldn't accept me, working for a sports team where I knew I couldn't come out because I'd be fired or ostracized ... people in that situation deserve to know that they can feel safe, that sports isn't all homophobic and that there are plenty of people in sports who accept people for who they are.
— Brendan Burke, ESPN.com
On December 30, 2007,[1] Burke came out to his father after attending an Anaheim Ducks game in Vancouver.[4] Brian was accepting of his son's sexuality.[4]
In November 2009, Burke told the Miami University hockey team, of which he was also the video coordinator, that he was gay. The story was leaked to ESPN.com.[4] The Burkes appeared on the Canadian sports channel TSN, where Brendan Burke said he hoped his story would give others the confidence to come forward. Burke was a former goalie, who analyzed video and did stats at Miami.[1] The team's coach, Enrico Blasi, and the rest of the team first learned of Burke's homosexuality after the Frozen Four NCAA mens hockey championship in 2009.[1] His team was accepting of his sexuality.[6]
Death
Burke died February 5, 2010, at the age of 21 in an automobile accident.[3][2][4][7] While driving in heavy snow near Economy, Indiana,[3] his 2004 Jeep Cherokee slid sideways into the path of an oncoming Ford truck, killing him and his passenger, Mark Reedy, a Michigan State University athlete[8][3][4][2].
A moment of silence was observed prior to the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators game on February 6, 2010.[5][9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Buccigross, John (2 December 2009). "'We love you, this won't change a thing'". ESPN.com. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Algarin, Renee Nadeau (7 February 2010). "'Fearless,' he changed hockey's view of homosexuality". Boston Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "UPI News - Sports". UPI. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Maple Leaf GM's 21-year-old son killed in car crash". National Post. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Son of Toronto Maple Leafs, U.S. men's hockey GM Brian Burke killed in car accident". The Star-Ledger. Toronto: New Jersey On-Line. Associated Press. February 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c Pollak, David (6 February 2010). "Sharks update: Tragic tale dampens Boyle's special trip". MercuryNews.com. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Brendan Burke, 21; raised awareness by coming out as young, gay athlete". The Boston Globe. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ^ News - Sports "Bloomfield Hills native Mark Reedy and Brendan Burke, son of NHL general manager, die in car crash". 6 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help); Unknown parameter|publishers=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - ^ Both Burke men demonstrated courage
Further reading
ESPN,com: John Buccigross, "'We love you, this won't change a thing'," December 2, 2009, accessed February 7, 2010