Written on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 9:53am by Alan Bedenko | 10 Comments

RIP Tom Borrelli

The Buffalo News sports writer has been in ICU since November 8th, when he fell down a set of metal stairs leading from the press box at All High Stadium, which is owned & operated by the Buffalo city schools. According to the News, he was going up the stairs when he struck his head on a steel girder and fell backwards down the dozen or so steps. He died earlier this morning from complications from his injuries.

The accident had left him paralyzed from the neck down, and he had been breathing with the assistance of a respirator since the fall. My heartfelt condolences to his family, and to the News, which has suffered more than its share of personal tragedy this year after the loss of John Bonfatti earlier this year.

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10 Comments

  1. hank says:
    November 20, 2008 at 11:31 am

    BP, thanks for posting this.

    Tom was a classmate of mine all 4 years at what BP refers to as “That School on Kenmore Avenue”. My memory isn’t what is was so I called the St. Joe’s alumni office today to verify, but after seeing the picture I was pretty sure.

    He was deeply involved in the sports programs, but was not your average “high school jock”. He was quiet, reserved, and worked hard for his grades. He was in several of my classes, and I can’t ever remember anyone talking any trash about him.

    May he rest peacefully.

    Considering BP didn’t grow up in Buffalo, I’d someday like to see a post by him on why he has such a big boner for my High School. It’s facilities now FAR outweigh Canisius, and provides the best college prep education that money can buy in WNY.

  2. Buffalopundit says:
    November 20, 2008 at 11:39 am

    Hank – I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know or care one whit about either St Joe’s or Canisius HS.

  3. Ward says:
    November 20, 2008 at 11:40 am

    This is so sad.

    Tom Borrelli was a top-notch sports journalist who richly deserved the national respect and recognition he’d gained, especially in pro lacrosse. The fact that one Saturday afternoon he was covering a semi-significant high school football game in a rat-hole Depression-era stadium tells us that he was still paying his dues to his profession.

    He will be missed for all of that.

  4. mike says:
    November 20, 2008 at 11:55 am

    Hank voter for Palin what did you expect?

  5. Jon Splett says:
    November 20, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    Truly a tragedy.

    Hopefully this will force the Buffalo public schools to remodel that death trap of a press box so this never happens again.

  6. Andrew Kulyk says:
    November 20, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    The entire sports media community walks today with a heavy heart. Tom was just a terrific guy and we will miss him terribly.

    @hank… what kind of imbecilic nonsense is that to post here? You really look like a total ass.

  7. Terry says:
    November 20, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    Didn’t know the guy and couldn’t understand why someone like him was covering the game as opposed to an intern (but I attributed it to an idiot editor at BEN, perhaps wrongly)…in any event, a true tragedy. What a mess.

  8. Dan Meyer says:
    November 20, 2008 at 2:44 pm

    God Bless Tom and his family. What a horrible tragedy.

    I expect some really good columns/commentaries to be published in The Buffalo News over the next few days about Tom, his life, what he really loved to do in his spare time and how his colleagues are dealing with the loss of a great friend.

    My heart skipped a beat when I heard about Tom’s death this morning while driving to work.

    I echo what Andrew said and slightly modify his statement – the entire Western New York media community (print, television, radio, Internet) – walks today and for the next few immediate days with a very heavy heart.

  9. Pat Murray says:
    November 20, 2008 at 3:33 pm

    Tom was a true professional and an outstanding human being.

    I got to know Tom well while covering the Bandits for the Tonawnada News and the Niagara Gazette and I respected and admired him.

    I’ve also bumped my head on the girder near the press box at All-High Stadium. It was an accident that was waiting to happen, and unfortunately it happened to a great person. They need to remedy that situation now before another tragic accident happens.

  10. Dan Meyer says:
    November 20, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    Just one of the online items featuring the thoughts and feelings of someone who personally knew Tom:

    http://www.nllinsider.com/2008/11/20/remembering-tom-borrelli/

 

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