Tributes Continue as the News of Brendan Burke's Untimely Death Sinks In

We're still trying to come to grips with the news of Brendan Burke's tragic passing, but we're heartened at the news coverage and the many tributes to his brief but important life.

Boston.com has a wonderful obituary that focuses on how important Brendan's coming out was, a fact reiterated by his brother:

Mr. Burke "packed more into those 21 years than most people do in a lifetime," said his brother Patrick, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers. "He left his mark on so many people in so many ways."

OxfordPress.com has an article about the reaction of Brendan's Miami University hockey team the RedHawks:

"Brendan was more than a student manager," Miami assistant athletic director Josh Fenton said. "The guys in the locker room considered him basically a teammate. They were really, really close to him."

"Brendan had such an infectious personality," he added. "When he walked into the room, it was a big smile. Everybody loved him. Everybody gravitated towards him."

Another touching moment occurred before the Toronto Maple Leafs game Saturday night, as they asked for a moment of silence in memory of Brendan. Hockey fans can be a rowdy bunch, but there was not a sound heard during those few moments. It was both heartbreaking and uplifting.

There have been several Facebook pages setup for both Brendan and the young man who was killed with him, Mark Reedy.

Mark Reedy with Brendan

It's not all heartwarming and uplifting, though. In fact, sometimes it's insulting and infuriating. There's a major controversy going on about Brendan's Wikipedia page, which some people want to delete because it's "Not Notable".

You can see the discussion here and participate if you like, but I'm afraid if I try, I may breach the Wikipedia guidelines for etiquette.