Brendan Burke

SOMEBODY NOMINATE BRIAN BURKE FOR FATHER OF THE YEAR…
NO!!!
MAKE THAT FATHER OF THE DECADE…
TODAY ESPN BROKE THE NEWS THAT BURKE’S SON BRENDAN IS GAY…
IT WAS BRENDAN’S DECISION COME OUT…AND EVEN THOUGH BRIAN WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF HIS SON DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE IN PUBLIC BECAUSE OF HIS FEAR OF THE NEGATIVE REACTION…
BURKE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT HIS SON…
IN THE WORDS OF BRIAN BURKE…“I STAND BESIDE HIM WITH AN AXE”…
THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS STORY…THE MORE YOU HAVE TO BE IMPRESSED WITH THE COURAGE OF BRENDAN BURKE AND THE SUPPORT HE HAS RECEIVED BY HIS ENTIRE FAMILY…ESPECIALLY FROM HIS FATHER…
SO MUCH SO…THAT LAST SUMMER…
BRIAN AND BRENDAN ATTENDED “THE PRIDE PARADE” IN TORONTO…
BUT DO NOT KID YOURSELF…
THE CULTURE OF HOCKEY AND SPORTS IN GENERAL IS…HOMOPHOBIC…
JOKES AND SLURS ARE STANDARD IN EVERY DRESSING ROOM…
AND BRENDAN IS CURRENTLY THE STUDENT MANAGER OF THE HOCKEY TEAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AT OHIO...
UNLIKE ADAM LAMBERT PERFORMING AT THE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS ON SUNDAY NIGHT…OR BRITNEY SPEARS AND MADONNA KISSING AT THE MTV AWARDS IN 2003…
THERE IS A DIFFERENT STANDARD OF TOLERANCE IN SPORTS…
WHICH MAKES THE DECISION BY BRENDAN BURKE TO “COME OUT” EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE…
HE PLANS TO GET HIS LAW DEGREE…AND ODDS ARE GOOD…HE PLANS TO BECOME A PLAYER AGENT…
OR WORK IN THE FRONT OFFICE OF AN NHL TEAM…
WHO KNOWS…PERHAPS ONE DAY HE BECOMES AN NHL GENERAL MANAGER…
WHATEVER HE DOES…IT WILL NOT COME EASILY…
THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS NEVER IS…
BUT IF THERE WAS NO JACKIE ROBINSON…THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO REGGIE JACKSON…AND NO DEREK JETER…
PERHAPS HIS FATHER PUT IT BEST…
“I HOPE THE DAY COMES…AND SOON…WHEN THIS IS NOT A STORY”…
AMEN!!!