The Boston Bruins paid a visit to the White House on Jan. 23 to celebrate the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship.
But the man who perhaps played the biggest role in them winning their first title in 39 years decided to pass on the invite from President Barack Obama.
Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was not on hand for Monday’s ceremony, a decision he made months ago due to his political and ideological differences with the current administration.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Thomas explained his choice, saying:
"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.
This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT"
In the Bruins' 2011-12 media guide, Thomas, a Republican, cited conservative TV pundit Glenn Beck as the person he'd most like to have dinner with.
"Everybody has their own opinions and political beliefs. He chose not to join us," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "We certainly would have liked to have him come and join us. But it's his choice. It's obviously not a choice most of the guys ... well all of the guys came except for Tim. But it's his decision and his choice."
Thomas, a native of Flint, Michigan and one of only two Americans on Boston’s roster, registered a .967 save percentage in seven games against Vancouver, stopping 238 of the 246 shots he faced. The effort earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The political statement didn’t change the celebratory mood for the afternoon. Obama tossed around some New England slang, saying he knew the Bruins were all “wicked happy” to be there.
“The Bruins, the Sox, the Celtics, now the Patriots. Enough already, Boston,” Obama said. “What’s going on, huh?”
Obama praised the team’s unity through the grind of the NHL playoffs.
But after his White House snub, Thomas could not escape the flood of attention and was constantly asked about his personal views in post-game scrums.
The Bruins said they supported his decision, adding that his statement did not reflect the views of the team, but one source called him a “[expletive] selfish [expletive]” in the Boston Globe later that week.
More information:
Boston Globe: "In his absence, he stole his teammates’ spotlight. Win as a team. Lose as a team. And when asked to stand up and take a bow, then stand up there and suffer if need be, even if you don’t like the setting, the host, or any of the political trappings and tenets that come with it."
0 comments:
Post a Comment