No Problem With Tim Thomas

I thought the biggest non-story of the week involving something named Tim would have been the publicity being given to the fact that Tim Hortons has unveiled new sizes of cups. OMG!!!!  I was wrong! Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas has gotten everyone into a lather over the fact that he made a political statement by not going to the White House with his teammates to have their Stanley Cup win celebrated by President Obama.

First off, let me say this. Should Thomas have gone with his teammates for the afternoon and the ceremony. Yes! Does he have every right not to do so? Absolutely! In this country and in the U-S, we can do whatever we want because we have the freedom and liberty to do so. If Thomas doesn't want to go, he has every right to stay away. Its just like you have every right to shop at Sobeys, but if you want to spend your grocery money at Safeway or Co-op, you can do it without repercussion. If you don't want to eat at Chili's, but you would rather frequent Applebees or Earls or Montana's or whatever, you have that choice. Why is this any different? Someone said to me on Monday night, he had to go because the Bruins own him. Really? Does that mean when I worked for RAWLCO that I had to frequent this business and that business and the same when I worked for the SJHL. No! I can do what I want, how I want and when I want. Yes, there are some things you don't do, but the bottom line is they can not tell you how to live your life.

That being said. There are some questions that Thomas does need to answer.

1) If you are going to make a statement of this kind, you can not just put it on Facebook and then say you will not answer questions about it anymore. That won't work Tim. You need to have a one time only media gathering to allow questions to be asked and answers to be given. Saying you won't say anything only means the pressure to comment will keep coming.

2)What does this decision, if anything, do to team unity? Thomas was the only member of the team that did not go which means he stands on an island. If the Bruins start to slide in the standings, the question will be asked if Thomas' stunt proved to be divisive amongst his teammates. You can't tell me that all of his teammates stood by the decision

3)Why do sports teams need to be lauded by the President? Its just a photo op and its a chance for the Prez to get a jersey. (What happens to those things anyhow?). Drew Remenda asks the question "Why should the national anthem be played before a sporting event?". At one point I disagreed with him saying its respect to the country in which you live to have the anthem played, but after seeing many like Steven Tyler butcher it, I am starting to wonder why there is the need for an anthem. All nationalities aren't represented (especially in hockey and baseball) so is it needed? Would not playing O'Canada or The Star Spangled Banner make us less patriotic. I doubt it. It would cure us of getting rid of these anthem singers that try to make a spectacle of themselves like the idiot in Boston and fat boy opera singer in Vancouver

I'm sure Tim Thomas will hear his fair share of boos as he goes into visiting rinks for the next couple of months, but with the reputation the Bruins are getting, he might have gotten that anyhow. I think he should have been with his teammates, but I fully respect his decision not to go. Its his right and its his belief and are we supposed to criticize that. We can debate it all we want, but to chastise Thomas for his actions is simply wrong.