Tim Thomas...meet Barack Obama.....not so much...
Whether the Boston Bruins actually had scheduled Tuukka Rask to start last night’s game against Washington or not is a moot point. After a recent brilliant run of goaltending he looked ordinary last night ( January 24th) and despite Boston tying the game on two occasions they couldn’t pull it out and were beat by a depleted Caps lineup including the omission of the latest biggest baby in hockey, OV. More on that in a moment.
I have to admit, I was shocked at Thomas’s decision to not attend the White House ceremony with his teammates. I certainly didn’t put any stock in Bobby Holik’s call to not attend the event in ’95 with the Devils. Perhaps I should have but given he is a Czech born player, it just didn’t seem as big a deal. This one did. Thomas is an American; this is their countries highest office. I mean the White House for God’s sake, if for no other reason go for the history of saying you were there let alone that it was a team event to honour your squad for your incredible achievement and on top of that you were voted the MVP of that particular playoff run.
Thomas has long been regarded as guy who is a bit ‘out there.’ I’ve heard that from my sources on the Bruins for several years now but who cares as long as he’s stopping the puck. As I reflected further on this decision which I feel is not just going to go away quietly, I felt I needed to source out another opinion for my blog.
18 months ago I had the pleasure of getting to know a NY Ranger season ticket holder named Marcie Braverman. She is an astute hockey fan, she is called upon to offer her thoughts on various NYC media outlets and she maintains a very vibrant facebook page that is typically dominated by NY Ranger discussion. In addition she is a very proud American and I asked her for her thoughts on Thomas’s decision. With her permission I’ve printed some of them here.
“I’m not an Obama Supporter by any means. However, that does not mean that I would disrespect the Oval Office and what it stands for. A distinction should be made between the man and the position. You don’t have to support a war to support the soldier. Thomas can respect the position of the office of the American president without being an Obama Supporter.
She went on to add,” at the end of the day, sports and politics will never mix. It was a selfish move because instead of the focus being on the fact that the team received the prestigious honour of visiting the White House, all anyone will be discussing is how Thomas snubbed the president. The Bruins were invited to meet with the American president because they are an American team that won the Stanley Cup. This is not the time to be partisan; whether it was Bush or Obama in office, he should have gone to support his country and his teammates and not have made it about himself. And since there are only two Americans on the Bruins roster all the more reason why Thomas should have showed face. If he wants to exercise his Constitutional right to oppose his president it would have been more appropriate if he had done it in a different set of circumstances outside of the Bruin organization.”
I feel those comments are a perfect snap shot of the view point that I also share regarding Mr. Thomas’s decision. Thank you Marcie.
OV’s decision a further example of the inmates running the asylum
Alex Ovechkin received the longest suspension of his NHL career several days ago, three games, for his run at Zbynek Michalek. It was totally deserved and hopefully a signal that his reckless play which granted has not been as prevalent in the past twelve months might be further curtailed. I love a guy who plays on the edge and his game does seem somewhat suited to being a virtual train wreck on the ice in terms of his physical play but we know he’ll never answer the bell in terms of a fight, he’s already been accused of spitting and clearly there’s been a disconnect with his play and that of his teammates not only through the end of Bruce Boudreau’s tenure but even since Dale Hunter took over. There has been a small surge upward in their most recent spate of games but the bottom line is the league, the Board of Governors, Gary Bettman, et al, needs to apply some sort of logic as to what the rule is or isn’t re the annual scrimmage known as the all-star game. Lidstrom and Selanne want to decline, okay; I think we all get that. Healthy, younger players who are needed to continually sell the game should have to attend. If you’re going to present the game in the format you do then at the very least you give the fans the best possible product in terms of a lineup. You can’t do it with the game itself; it’s become a laughing stock so at least ensure the best personnel are there.
6 comments
Todd Gunter
January 25, 2012 at 3:22 pm (UTC -5)
Hi Liam! So did Ovechkin pull out of the AllStar game in retaliation for his recent suspension or some other reason?
Liam Maguire
January 26, 2012 at 7:03 am (UTC -5)
75% because of his suspension Todd and the remaining 25% because it gave him an easy out to just go relax somewhere. Once you’ve played in this game a couple of times it means absolutely nothing to 99% of the players unless it’s their home town or there’s some other connection, junior hockey, other family in the vicinity, etc., OV pulled the chute and it should not have been allowed in my opinion.
Colin Reid
January 31, 2012 at 9:42 pm (UTC -5)
Regarding Thomas you and Marcie nailed it. What a selfish act! As you rightly point out he is one of only two yanks on the team. It must be said, a Canadian would never do that in our country or the U.S.
As for OV. He has gone from one of my favorite players to a punk!!! Way to arrogant for my liking.
Enjoying this site Liam!
Liam Maguire
February 1, 2012 at 11:48 am (UTC -5)
Colin Reid- Carleton Golf and Country Club Carleton Reid, 1970′s Colin Reid??
Good call on Thomas pal, obviously we are in full agreement and I truly found Ms. Braverman’s opinion bang on also and value it greatly because coming from where she sits- that really said it all. OV has some major adjustments to make to his hockey life if he’s to be the force he was when he first broke in and the ensuing 3-4 years. We’ll see how he plays after this suspension. I think the playoff disappointments have added up and the constant checking which all stars have to go through has added up and he’s seeing what’s it’s going to be game in and game out. I still think he has more talent in his finger than half the league has in their bodies but that’s a whole other matter to bring it night in and night out and he has not. Frankly he has been a major disappointment to hockey since Canada absolutely hammered Russia in the 2010 Olympics. Drop a note anytime buddy, great to hear from you.
colin reid
February 2, 2012 at 11:36 am (UTC -5)
Yeah dats me!! lol! OV will end up like Lindros if he doesnt change his game. Although I love him the most when he is crashin and bangin!!
Liam Maguire
February 13, 2012 at 1:48 pm (UTC -5)
I think he has his head up a bit more than Lindros does but if he continues to run around recklessly cheap shoting guys you can bet he’s going to get his Colin, of that I have no doubt.
Liam