NHLSports & Politics

Anonymous Member Of Bruins Organization: Tim Thomas Is “[Expletive] Selfish [Expletive]” For Skipping White House

It wasn’t a secret in the Boston Bruins organization that goalie Tim Thomas, whose superb play keyed the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup win, wouldn’t partake in the White House visit that victory enabled. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said he’d known for months that Thomas wouldn’t go, thanks to extreme philosophical differences with the “federal government.” And while the Bruins weren’t thrilled with Thomas’ decision to skip out (“disappointed” was the word team president Cam Neely used), their public stance was that they respected his views.

But just because that was their public stance doesn’t mean their were no private views in the Bruins’ organization that sounded a little less respectful. One, from the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa:

“[Expletive] selfish [expletive].”

One of the main criticisms of Thomas’ presidential snub (aside from the underlying politics of it, which seem just a bit extreme) was that it took away from what was supposed to be a big day for his entire team and made it all about him. And it seems at least one person in the Bruins organization agrees.

This is where the whole “freedom of speech vs. speech without consequence” issue touched on here comes into play. We were okay with how the whole story played out because it was a pretty good showcase of freedom of speech: Thomas took his stand, and people responded in all sorts of different ways, as was their right. Fine by us.

But when you take a controversial stand, it’s others’ right to get pissed off. In Thomas’ case, the consequences are that for some people in the Bruins organization, that’s exactly what happened. Our guess is that he’s fine with this, and ultimately, if the worst that happens is someone anonymously curses about you to the local paper, those consequences aren’t so bad. But judging by some of the apparent unrest, such a public stance like this might be something Thomas can only get away with (as a Bruin, anyway) once. If the Bruins ever decided Thomas’ outspokenness wasn’t worth his puck-stopping ability anymore, that would be a real consequence.

[h/t Bruce Arthur]

Getty photo (by Jamie Sabau)