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Brian Burke would make a very Brian Burke-like career counselor

Brian Burke

All you wide-eyed kids out there who dream about working in pro sports – you probably won’t.

That’s the wisdom Leafs general manager Brian Burke imparted in a characteristically straightforward article he wrote for the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment website.

First and foremost, I advise anyone attempting to get into this field to be prepared to fail. The number of young people who seek to enter the field of professional sports is vast. However, the number of applicants who successfully find employment in the area of sports is tiny. Therefore, I hereby tender to you the best advice you will get. Assume you will fail, and make sure you have developed expertise in another area or areas. You must be equipped to be successful in another profession in the event you are unsuccessful in finding employment in the area of sports.

For those who weren’t too discouraged to read on, Burke went on to differentiate between the “talent” and “business” sides of pro sports – “Jobs on the business side outnumber those on the talent side by a ratio of 4:1 or better” – and concluded by wishing everyone good luck and confirming he isn’t actively shopping Luke Schenn.

PS -- If you’re truly desperate to work in sports, you could always become a blogger.

PPS -- As long as you’re cool with being a disappointment to your family.