Hey FOLKS!! It's been an interesting week for sports fans. On one hand, you had the possibilty of Peyton Manning return to Indiana, until yesterday. Yesterday or the day before Peyton Manning launched into criticizing the ownership and the direction the team was going in. Not smart for a guy whose been out all season with a possible career ending injury. Yesterday the team owner made comments about Manning saying "He's into politics, instead of being on the team". Then today the Colts owner blasted Manning again, saying "Manning put himself before the club, and he does not speak for the horseshoe family", as well he should keep his inhouse comments to himself.
What ever happened to players just being quiet. I can list a ton of professional athletes who consistenly have ran their mouths about a team paying their bills, and etc. Manny Ramirez? Mike Camalieri, Mo Vaughn, just to name three. Everyone knows the story of Manny. Mike Camalieri? He opened his mouth about playing for the Montreal Canadiens, who at the time(and incidenatally) still is. He went to the press, accusing his team of "not caring, and rolling over, giving up.) Nevermind the fact that he hadn't scored a goal in twenty something games. The result? The Canadiens traded him inbetween the 2nd and 3rd period of a game he was playing in. He was told shortly before he came on the ice. Did they send him a flight back? Nope. They told him to beat it, and off he went to Calgary. Mo Vaughn? Overpaid, complainer and whiner. Nothing happens faster than getting your ass traded out of Boston if you comitt that type of offense. This brings me to TIM THOMAS, Boston Bruins Netminder, who last season won the Conn Smythe Trophy, and STANLEY CUP.
Tim Thomas came from obscuirty into the NHL. He was not a touted rookie(drafted 217th overall by Quebec Nordiques-1994), nor was he really noticed until a few seasons ago. He spent time in the ECHL, IHL, AHL, and in Europe before cracking with Boston's AHL affiliate the Providence Bruins. He eventually cracked the Bruins lineup, but didn't become their starter until a rash of shitty decisions, and injuries put him in the role at age 32, when most goalies are still in their prime, but winding down. Age only plays a factor when their are signs of it. However, the age will factor in into my opinion.
He is NOT Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, hell he isn't even Andy Moog, or Tommy Barrasso for all I care. Timmy T, as he is called, came out of knowhere, and landed with a team, that had a great supporting cast of players. The Bruins have been notorious the last 12 or so seasons of trading damn good players, and getting shit in return. I think in terms of the deals that have brokered, the only other team that could match them is the horrid NY ISLANDERS. But let's not go there.
When guys like Marc-Andre Fleury, Martin Brodeur, are drafted high, their are expecatations on them. That they will play above and beyond. Often times they do. This is why they are taken quickly in the draft. Timmy T was drafted then discarded. He attended UVT(University of Vermont) and had a record of 81-43-15 with a GAA of 2.70, with a save percentage of .927, which is impressive. In being fair here to Tim, I will say that many times your stats are great, but your timing and what the big clubs need are two different things. Mainly drafted players end up in the minors and they work their way up the ladder. This is what Tim did, but it was more by circumstance than talent.
He came up to the NHL, won the job and has been there since. He has a Conn Smythe trophy to show for it, along with a STANLEY CUP RING. However, that being said, any respect I had for him, and adulation I may have engaged in, ended this week. Anytime a team wins the Stanley cup(especially if it's an AMERICAN TEAM) they are invited to the White House, to celebrate their achievement with THE PRESIDENT. BIll Clinton did it, George Bush did it, and Obama has done it. That being said, the Bruins were invited to the WHITE HOUSE this week by Barack H. Obama. It's a standard photo op, with the President telling them, congrats. No bing thing right? WRONG!
Tim Thomas refused to go. This is the first time a player(an american player at that) refused to go. His reasons were motivated by a rant he vomited all over his twitter and facebook account. "The gov't I believe is out of control, and I am excercizing my right to say NO". Well in theroy that is acceptable. The fact that he's a stanch republican has more to do with his choice than anything. How quickly he forgets that George Bush is the one who brought the Patriot ACT into office.
This is America, land of the free, home of the brave, and we are protected by our right to free speech. I don't care what his political views are, he is entitled to have them. The issue I have, is that he should have gone, kept his mouth shut, and been a team player. Instead he has chosen to vent(which is the stupidest thing he could have ever done) and chose to do what he wanted to do. Their is no "I" in team. Never before has a player ever done this. It insulted the NHL, THE BRUINS, and the NATION. I'm not saying he has no right to his opinion, he does. But when you make your opinion known, then I as a fan, and former hockey player have the right to throw my own shit at you.
That being said. The principle owner came out, and said the action was "unfortunate". Cam Neely, former player and General Manager of the Bruins came out and said "I think it's sad, it's an honor to meet with the President, and I think he made err in judgement." And nobody worked as hard as Cam Neely did in his playing days. When ownership, and Mgt comes out and disagree's, then you have a foul smell coming from your garter belt.
Now, Tim Thomas is scheduled to be a free agent this spring. He obviously will want a large contract for a short amount of time. But as I said earlier, he will be 38 this summer, and he is approaching an age, when teams may rent him out for a playoff run, but nobody in the NHL will sign him for a ton of money nor will they sign him for an extended stay. All this coming off the heals of him letting in 12 goals in 3 games, and pulling the Washington crap. Tuukka Raask is playing well, and he is young. He is the Bruins future. So if Boston is looking to rid themselves of their static, their only move would be to trade Thomas. He will not be back in a Bruins uniforum next season. No way they can afford to keep him with the cap for next season, so their only option is to rid themselves of the cancer.
So, the whole point to this article is to point out, that sometimes you do things you don't want to do, because it's a team thing. It's not about your opinions or personal goals. Last time I checked the guys who thought they were the best and bragged about it, often found themselves traded, isolated, and had a very short lived carreer. It's unfortunately for Tim Thomas, because he was a cinderella story, which has now got stuck to the bottom of Bostonians shoes. How quick before they grab a stick and wipe it clean remains to be seen.
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