Gord Kirke has been legal counsel to the Toronto Blue Jays since 1976, and prepared the original documents which led to the team's foundation.
41 Facts About Gord Kirke
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Gord Kirke was involved in contract negotiations in the Eric Lindros trade, and later became a player agent representing 45 National Hockey League players.
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Gord Kirke teaches law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and the Osgoode Hall Law School.
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Gord Kirke later became the first Canadian director of the Sports Lawyers Association of America, and served as its first Canadian president.
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Gord Kirke regularly appeared as a commentator on Off the Record with Michael Landsberg and on Sportsnet 590 The Fan radio with Bob McCown.
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Gord Kirke grew up in Toronto, wanting to become a cowboy.
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Gord Kirke's father worked in a coin-operated machine business, and his mother was a stay-at-home wife.
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Gord Kirke was proficient in martial arts, and played football and baseball while in high school.
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Gord Kirke was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs as a youth.
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Gord Kirke graduated from the University of Toronto in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in literature and languages.
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Gord Kirke earned a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1969, was called to the bar in Ontario in 1971, and earned a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1977.
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Gord Kirke was given an honorary Juris Doctor from the International Bar Association in 1992.
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Gord Kirke was introduced to sports and entertainment law, working under Herb Solway who had ties to the Labatt Brewing Company, which was active in 1977 Major League Baseball expansion discussions.
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Gord Kirke prepared the original documents which led to the foundation of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1976.
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Gord Kirke remained as legal counsel and negotiated player contracts on behalf of the team.
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Gord Kirke worked out a compromise where Alexander would collect money while hurt, "only if he was following all hunting regulations and wearing an orange hunting jacket".
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Gord Kirke began a teaching career as a professor of sports law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1985, and has taught the Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws courses at the Osgoode Hall Law School since 1987.
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Gord Kirke has been a guest lecturer at other schools in Canada and the United States, and has been published in journals and authored legal articles.
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In 1991, Gord Kirke became an advisor to Eric Lindros after Lindros was chosen first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.
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Gord Kirke was involved in negotiating the player's lucrative contract after the Eric Lindros trade to the Philadelphia Flyers.
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Gord Kirke's research included interviews with teachers, social workers, psychiatrists, police, and prison inmates.
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In 2001, Gord Kirke co-founded KSR Sports Representatives Incorporated, and began working as an agent for professional athletes.
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The contract which Gord Kirke negotiated on behalf of Nash in 2002, was the most lucrative contract for an NHL rookie at the time, valued at 1.2 million USD per season plus bonuses and incentives which ranged from 8 to 12 million USD.
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Gord Kirke later established his own barrister and solicitor practice in Toronto.
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Gord Kirke became the first Canadian director of the Sports Lawyers Association of America, and later served as its first Canadian president.
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Gord Kirke represented the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2007 George J Mitchell investigation into performance-enhancing substances in baseball.
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In 2008, Gord Kirke joined Global Resolutions, which specializes in arbitration and mediation.
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Gord Kirke represented the Toronto Maple Leafs in recruiting a new president and general manager, and the signing of Brian Burke to fill the role.
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Gord Kirke has regularly appeared in media as a commentator on Off the Record with Michael Landsberg on The Sports Network, and Sportsnet 590 The Fan radio with Bob McCown.
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Gord Kirke is a frequent guest on television and radio networks which include ESPN, NBC, CBC Sports, CTV Television Network, SCORE, and Sportsnet.
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Gord Kirke served on the board of directors for the 95th Grey Cup, and has a recurring role as the chairman of the Memorial Cup site selection committee.
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Gord Kirke has acted as legal counsel to professional and amateur athletes in other sports besides hockey and baseball.
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Gord Kirke represented Olympic athletes Donovan Bailey, Elfi Schlegel, and Tara Teigan.
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Gord Kirke then agreed to be his lawyer and they became good friends.
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Gord Kirke represented teams including the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Argonauts, and Indianapolis Colts; and sports groups including the Canadian Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and World Wrestling Federation.
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Gord Kirke has been referred to as one of Canada's top sports lawyers by The Globe and Mail, Hockey Canada and York University.
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The Canadian Lawyer Magazine said that Gord Kirke was "Canada's sports lawyer extraordinaire".
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Gord Kirke was listed number 21 on the "Top 25 in Canadian sports" in 2000 by The Globe and Mail, and appeared on the same list three times total.
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Gord Kirke was married with two children, and resided in Rosedale, Toronto, as of 2006.
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Gord Kirke has served as a volunteer director for charitable organizations including, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports, Children's Aid Society, Easter Seals, Prostate Cancer Canada, Scarborough Distress Centre, Scarborough Health Network, Special Olympics, and Tennis Canada.
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Gord Kirke went to Kandahar with the Canada men's national ice hockey team to provide entertainment to Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.