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TOM BORRELLI: 1957-2008

NLL Hall of Famer has passed away following injuries from fall

11/20/2008

Buffalo News sports reporter Tom Borrelli passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 51. Borrelli was critically injured after falling down a stairway on November 8 while covering a high-school football game in Buffalo. Borrelli has been the Buffalo Bandits beat writer for The News since '92, and was the first journalist to be recognized by the NLL Hall of Fame for his immeasurable contributions to the sport as a journalist. He was recognized by the Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2005, the league began awarding a Writer of the Year Award, which was named "The Tom Borrelli Award", to be given annually to the league's top journalist.

"Tom was a great guy who meant so much not only to the National Lacrosse League, but to the sport of lacrosse as a whole", said NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings. "He was an inspiration to all of our writers around the league. We are grateful that Tom will have a place forever in the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame, and will always be remembered. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time."


To read the full story in the Buffalo News, please click here.

Borrelli was also a valued contributing writer for Lacrosse Magazine for the past 16 years, serving as the publications main writer on the National Lacrosse League, and covering all aspects of the sport. "Tom was an editor's dream: infinitely knowledgeable about his subject matter, talented at his craft, highly productive and no-maintenance. I never had to worry about what I was going to get from Tom, ever," said Paul Krome, editor of Lacrosse Magazine. "His contributions to Lacrosse Magazine were invaluable over the years, as was his 'steady-Eddie' approach. I'm very saddened by his passing, and my prayers go out to Tom's family and friends. May his memory be eternal."