Rest in peace, Brian Bluhm
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 18, 2007 
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As word of the Virginia Tech shootings spread, my first thought was for David Wright. His brother Stephen is an engineering student there and I knew David spent a lot of time in Blacksburg during the offseason.
Thankfully, Stephen Wright was not in the area at the time.
Now comes word that was one of the victims was Brian Bluhm, a 25-year-old Tigers fan who was a regular on the Motown Sports message board. He posted under the name Estrepe1.
I don’t know Brian but he was a probably a lot like us in that he had something to say about his favorite sport and he went on the web to say it.
Were I a better writer, I could put this into some kind of perspective. For now, here’s hoping the Tiger fans find a good way to remember one of their own.
dare to say, if we were better people… and I undeniably and unequivocally include myself in that… we wouldn’t have to be eulogizing Mr. Bruhm at this time.
I was in a small town in northwestern Wisconsin this past weekend. We’re talking, hundreds of people in this incorporated area. Went to church, like a good Catholic. Stayed at a cabin. Appreciated the solitude.
saw on a blog that a student from Virginia Tech is from that same area. I’m fairly certain I worshipped with those people this past weekend.
as much as I appreciated the solitude, I appreciate even more the intimacy that this event that happened at a distance has brought into my conscience.
my thoughts and prayers are with all of us right now.
may we each move forward with peace and strength.
thank you, Pete.
Words can’t possibly describe the gravity of this tragedy.
As more time passes, and we now get to see names, faces, and personality traits of those senselessly killed, the depth of this event really sinks in.
Just a horrifically sad and senseless tragedy.
nice post, pete.
what sj44 said.
For me, one of the best parts of baseball is the simple joy of it – it’s a great and absorbing game. We learn it from our father, uncle, brother (or mom, aunt or sister) so it’s a family heirloom too. It’s a retreat from the rat race, a haven for focusing our abilities and intelligence on something other than making money, a multi-faceted thing to share with friends and sporting rivals alike. It’s a great topic to unite friends or make small talk with strangers to pass the time. Our shared interest in the game reminds us that we are all more or less the same and thus should treat each other well. It’s a shame that someone like Brian Bluhm who appreciated all the things that baseball is met with such a tragic, unnecessary and early death.
i saw this on BTF. just too horrible for words.
RIP
He was a regular on John Sickels’ minor league ball as well:
http://www.minorleagueball.com.....11203/6306
Such a sad story, and I only hope that Brian and all the other victims are in a better place.
It was horrible to begin with, but it hurts even more when you have a link to one of the victims — even if it’s just through the internet.
The Tigers, and Curtis Granderson especially, have done a great job recognizing one of their best fans, and I pray that Brian has been able to see how many people care about him and that he’ll still be able to watch and root for his Tigers. RIP.
There are no adequate words to express the sorrow, both for the victims and for their families. I hope they can find some solace in all our prayers.
My daughter is going away to school in the fall. It was a heartbreak for me to have to tell her that I could not promise her that this could never happen to her. Although your mind knows that you can’t guarantee the safety of your loved ones, it is awful to be reminded of that in such a graphic and horrifying way.
RIP Bri. Just a senseless way to die.
Cut down by a coward of a person. Who didnt have the self respect to eat his own gun before shooting 30+ innocent people.
A special place in hell is reserved for you, Cho.
This is such a terrible thing. My heart goes out to all the families who were touched by the tragedy. I don’t even know what more to say, i’m not very good writing things at times like this.
Feel what you are feeling. But, spirit doesn’t die, it just moves out of the body. Brian will be back, probably playing shortstop for the Tigers. Hope this comment does not offend anyone.
Peter,
The writer who can win 50 Pulitzer Prizes and be inducted into the writing hall of fame, doesn’t know how to put this in perspective. It’s sad, our thoughts and prayers goes out to the families
Kyle made reference to Curtis Granderson’s recognition of Brian, but just to be more specific, he posted an entry on his blog on espn.com discussing the tragedy and answered a question in memoriam that Brian had previously emailed him. This whole thing just sucks…