Brendan, son of Maple Leafs President Brian Burke comes out of the closet

Why are you wasting your time here? Surely 21 has some errands for you. Run along.

 

I presume since you started the thread that you wanted response. Your non denial speaks volumes about your motives.

 

I don't interpret JR's motives as being anything other than trying to gauge reaction. Believe me, if there were something insensitive in the wording of the subject line, I'd know it.

How sad is it that someone's sexual orientation is even worthy of mention in the news? I long for the days when we can meet that without praising someone's courage, but instead with the same reaction we'd give to someone announcing he'd bought a new coat.

 

+1

 

Pretty much what Brian Burke said, that it'll be great when this isn't a story

 

+2

 

Isn't this only a story because Brendan Burke and his family agreed to let John Buccigross write a story?

"I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." -- Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke

I saw this story and thought "who cares", and it seems the Miami team felt the same way. I liked the story, but personally I don't think the son of a GM coming out of the closet is a story.

But, I can't begin to fathom how difficult it must be to come out....hopefully with homosexuality becoming so mainstream it makes it easier for people and I'm willing to bet the most people will respond, "I still love you" and "so what".

I'm sorry, but the "I hope for a day when this isn't a story" line just bothers me.

 

I was a little stunned at how big a story it became north of the border.
It's Burke's son, for pete's sake, who doesn't even play anymore.
I applaud Buccigross for writing it and the Burke's for telling it, but to me it was a human interest story about the relationship between father and son, not an "issue" story.
This isn't Sheldon Kennedy revealing pedophilia in junior hockey

 

Yes, it borders on the ridiculous but I don't think anyone up here is all that suprised. That said, I think that unlike other stories, this one has a pretty short shelf life. It's probably done by now.

Burke's the most highly visible sports exec in Canada and president of a team in the largest hockey market in the world.

Add to that four Toronto dailies, three all sports TV stations and two radio stations and you answered your own question. This is a town where people debate the back-up goalie's back-up and who should play the point on the second power play unit.

He and his son were interviewed between periods of the Leafs/Lightning game last night