RIP Brendan Burke, son of Brian

This is definitely not the time and place for a Heathers reference.

 

Kevin McGran from the Star is a better writer than that. The fact that his editors didn't kill that is pretty pathetic.

The Globe & Mail's Sarah Boesveld and James Mirlte have a much better story

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/brian-burkes-son-killed-in-auto-accident/article1458392/

This is in the second graf of their story:

Burke, a student manager for the NCAA hockey team at the University of Miami (Ohio), had made headlines around the hockey world earlier this season when he announced that he was gay.

Nothing wrong with that because it was a story.

The Star should be taken out to the woodshed for their lede

My condolences to the Burke family and RIP Brendan

As a father of three sons this is too much to bear

 

Something most of us can agree on, apparently.

Tonight, he's a son and a son only.

How many deskers did this slither through at a paper like the Star?

 

We can't even be sure it's the writer's fault and not the desker's/editor's.

 

That's actually the way it read to me. That it had been added in. I don't know why.

I clicked on 'report error' at the bottom and filed a complaint. I basically said that the way that story is was so disrespectful to Brendan, to Brian and the Burke family as well as Brendan's friends. Marginalizing him that way flew in the face of what his coming out was meant to do.

 

Yeah, except there's another story on the accident on the Star website

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/761498--brian-burke-s-son-brendan-killed-in-car-crash?bn=1

Here's the lede on that one

Brendan Burke, the youngest son of Leafs president Brian Burke, is dead after an accident in Indiana.

I seriously doubt that the editors would have added "gay" to the original McGran story. Or maybe I'm missing something because I'm not in the biz--but I doubt it.

 

Word for word.

 

Does the Star have but one desker/editor on shift on a Friday night? I realize there have been severe cutbacks in the industry but that seems tight for a major metro.

Presumptions, suppositions and possibilities. They matter neither here nor there. It was disrespectful as Ms. Girl pointed out and the staff of the night should be roundly admonished for the slight.

We wish Mr. Burke and his family our deepest sympathies and we will that they have the strength to understand such a tragic occurrence.

 

A few weeks ago, I was heartened to read about Brian Burke's unconditional acceptance of Brendan after the young man wrestled with and ultimately decided to come out to his father and reveal a painful secret.

It looked like Brendan Burke would go on to have a very happy, productive life in or out of hockey because he had the support and love of his entire family. A family that made it clear that nothing changed in their eyes because their son, their brother, their loved one, was gay.

And now this. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose your son in such a senseless fashion, particularly with his entire life ahead of him. My grandmother had to bury her daughter when my aunt died over 10 years ago, but my aunt was 50 and had been having health problems.

This is a kick in the gut. This is a cruel reminder that life isn't always fair.

RIP Brendan. I wish I could find better words than these poor ones I've just typed.

My condolences to the families of Brendan Burke, both his families by blood and marriage and his hockey family and his friends.

 

Side note, I can't believe the Globe and Mail would get the name of the school wrong.

RIP, Brendan and condolances to the entire Burke family.

 

Yeah, and by clicking on "report error", she made them aware of it? Why the attitude? Isn't that what it's for?

 

The story has not been fixed.