Goaltender Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins has openly snubbed President
Barack Obama. In celebration of the team’s
2011 Stanley Cup victory, President Obama was to present Thomas with an
official commendation. Thomas instead
chose to remain home. Thomas later wrote,
“the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights,
Liberties, and Property of the People” which was posted on his Facebook
page. He continues, “This is about a
choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.”
Tim Thomas isn’t alone though. NASCAR
stars such as Tony Steward and Carl Edwards also failed to show during White
House ceremonies. Hall of Famer Dan
Hampton declined an invite celebrating the 1985 Chicago Bears
championship. Hampton was quoted as
saying, “I’m not a fan of the guy in the White House.” Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen also
opted to go on vacation rather than visit George W. Bush at the White House
after his team won in 2005.
Although Thomas isn’t the first to decline an invite to the White
House, he is the first make it obvious it was for political reasons. At the risk of alienating himself from his
fans and sponsors, Thomas has stood up for his beliefs. Greg Wyshyknski of Yahoo writes, “Its’ a
moment in which a professional athlete uses his fame, his influence for
something believes in, and does something that wont be popular among fans or
media. Sean Avery did the same thing:
Potentially alienating his teammates by taking a political stand on gay
marriage.” Wkyshynsky continues with a
poignant question, “If he’s celebrated and Thomas is demonized, what does that
say about our real tolerance of free speech?”
