CHICAGO (AP) – The Stanley Cup has been used to baptize kids, as a feed bowl for the Kentucky Derby winner and traveled to places as far flung as strip clubs and a combat zone. In yet another first, the most macho piece of hardware in sports will make its first appearance in a gay-themed event, the city’s Gay Pride Parade. Call it a sign of the times if you want, but the back story is so sweet it can stand on its own. Recently traded Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel was looking for a way to pay tribute to his friend, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke and Burke’s late son, Brendan. Not long after Chicago won the Stanley Cup last month, Sopel knew exactly how he planned to spend his day with the 35-pound, 3-foot-high polished silver trophy that arrives with its own white-gloved handler. Brendan Burke, 21, was killed in an auto accident in Indiana on Feb. 5, three months after the Miami (O …

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