- The White House
Yesterday the 2011 Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins made the annual NHL championship team visit to the White House to meet and celebrate with U.S President Barack Obama. One person was notably absent and that was the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and the only American player on the Bruins roster, Tim Thomas. He decided to decline the invite due to political reasons.
Now I personally feel that is ridiculous. People don’t get invited to the White House everyday. Thomas shot down the opportunity to represent his country, which proudly preaches values of liberty and freedom, to his teammates with class. Instead he did the exact opposite. And for what? Because he doesn’t support the political party that U.S President Barack Obama is a member of or his agenda? How juvenille! I was always taught in life you will at times have to be in the presence of people or do things you necessarily don’t want to do. This was one of those times for Thomas. He could have been professional, put his political differences aside and just stood there in the background for the team picture with the President, perhaps shake his hand and make small talk if Obama started conversation, and that was it. Instead by refusing to attend he made an even bigger deal of the situation. Plus he made himself and his political opinion bigger than the team.
Prime Minsiter Stephen Harper is not my favourite Canadian Government leader, however I would jump at the opportunity to meet him. Even former Bruin Tomas Kaberle, who has since played for two teams, attended the White House visit. The Bruins players from Canada, Europe and other countries represented themselves and their places of birth with pride, class and respect. Maybe the Bruins will repeat as Cup Champs this year and Obama won’t get re-elected in 2012. Then Thomas will be able to say “I told you so.” However if this doesn’t happen, this decision could be one he regrets for the rest of his life. For the chance may never come again.
What do you think?
…and that is the last word.
