As most championship teams do during their first visit to Washington the season after their title, the Boston Bruins visited the White House on Monday. However, the team was without one of its stars.
Goaltender Tim Thomas, the 2011 Conn Smythe Award winner (given to the MVP of the playoffs), was a no-show.
Thomas posted this statement on his Facebook account:
“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”
His Boston teammates did the predictable thing and said they had no problem with it, and that it is a free country and he has the right to do, or not do, whatever he pleases.
I agree.
This is the United States of America, right? If you don’t want to go meet the president, then don’t. There is nothing morally wrong with not wanting to go to the White House, either. Thomas didn’t decline a trip to visit a children’s hospital. I apologize if that’s insensitive, but it’s true. The man wanted to make a statement, and he did.
I read blogs Monday that absolutely bashed Thomas for this, which blows my mind. Apparently, this act “put himself above the team.” Did it get him in the headlines? Yes, it did. But he’s Tim Thomas. When it comes to the NHL, he’s in the headlines anyway. He doesn’t agree with the current politics of the federal government, and he chose to not visit the White House with his teammates. Let’s all move on.
Thomas is one of two Americans from the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship team.
Ovechkin suspended
Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin was suspended three games without pay Monday for his hit on Pittsburgh’s Zbynek Michalek in a game Sunday.
I watched the video, and I don’t get it. There wasn’t even a penalty called on the play. Granted, it should have been called a two-minute charging penalty because Ovechkin left his feet to make the hit. But with all of the violent hits that have been happening recently, to suspend Ovechkin three games for this one is absurd.
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