Jan. 24, 2012
It might have been Tim Thomas' right as a citizen to skip a White House
appearance Monday during which President Barack Obama honored the Boston
Bruins for winning the 2011 Stanley Cup. But when Thomas finally
released a statement explaining himself, he lost most of his
credibility.
In the third paragraph of that four-paragraph
statement, the Bruins goalie wrote: "This was not about politics." Yet
in the opening two paragraphs of that same statement, he wrote:
"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."
We’re going out on a limb
here and suggesting that those two paragraphs are all about politics.
It’s one thing to exercise your rights. It’s another to exercise them
well. Thomas’ execution didn’t even approach the level of play he has
turned in the past few seasons for the Bruins, which makes you wonder if
he has a well-thought-out opinion on the topic.
Bruins GM Peter
Chiarelli said Thomas would not be suspended for skipping a team
function, but that doesn't stop the Bruins from levying some form of
internal punishment that might never go public. Team president Cam Neely
made his feelings plain on Thomas' decision in his own statement:
"As an organization, we were honored by President
Obama's invitation to the White House. It was a great day and a perfect
way to cap our team's achievement from last season. It was a day that
none of us will soon forget.
"We are disappointed that Tim chose
not to join us, and his views certainly do not reflect those of the
Jacobs family or the Bruins organization. This will be the last public
comment from the Bruins organization on this subject."
By
skipping the White House event, Thomas clearly missed the point of the
function, which was to celebrate the team's accomplishment. But here’s
another thought to chew on: What message does it send
to Bruins fans, especially children, when one of their heroes won’t meet
with another man, face to face, because of perceived differences?
Aren’t we supposed to teach our kids to talk through their problems, to
accept differences, to respect others and try to work through
disagreements with dialogue?
Unfortunately, Thomas chose to make a
figurative statement by skipping Monday’s anything-but-political event.
Then he followed it up with a real statement. Both made him look and sound
foolish.
-- Craig Morgan
