Last Monday, I watched with great pride as the Boston Bruins visited the White House to celebrate their 2011 Stanley Cup victory. As is customary, President Obama made some remarks and received a Bruins jersey. As I watched the ceremony I couldn’t help but notice Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was not on stage. Former Bruins Tomas Kaberle and Shane Hnidy were present, but not the man who had shutouts in Game 7 of both the Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup finals. Later that evening, Thomas released a statement on his Facebook page on why he chose to skip the event. What followed was a firestorm of reactions, both positive and negative (and downright idiotic) toward the two-time Vezina Trophy winner.

As Thomas wrote on his Facebook page, his disagreement was not necessarily with President Obama, but rather what he perceived to be the massive growth of the federal government under both parties. Reading his rather vapid statement, it’s fair to assume Thomas is a faithful Tea Partier, which would put him in ripe position for media scrutiny. While my political beliefs don’t necessarily align with those of Tim Thomas, I really don’t have a problem with his decision to skip the event. As he says, it’s his “right as a Free Citizen”. What I do have a problem with is how Thomas has handled the decision.

With the exception of his short Facebook statement, Thomas has been virtually silent. If you’re going to make a bold decision to eschew meeting the President, than you better be ready to face the heat. Hiding behind team PR reps is a rather cowardly way of handling the situation. Thomas should have made himself available for questions, or at the very least made a statement acknowledging that he had no desire to cause a distraction for his teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization (without Thomas, the team looked pretty sloppy in a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals the following night). It also would have helped if Thomas had announced his intent to skip the event before it occurred, so as not to take the focus away from his team’s accomplishments.

Tim Thomas is one the great stories in the NHL. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1997, Thomas played in Finland, Sweden, and many a city in the American and Canadian minor leagues, before finally joining the Bruins organization in 2002. Since that time he has made multiple All-Star Game appearances, won two Vezinas, the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy and was able to represent the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympics. His journey to the top of the NHL mountain has been long and arduous, and his story should serve as a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance. While Bostonians will always be grateful to Thomas for helping bring the Cup back to Boston, he may have permanently damaged his standing amongst many other NHL fans. It would be a real shame if NHL fans remember Thomas more for his decision to snub President Obama than for all of his on-ice heroics.

The post Tim Thomas’ White House Snub: Patriotic or Foolish? appeared first on The Campus Companion.

No related posts.

Love him or loathe him, Tim Tebow has already won. He’s a Marvel superhero. A last-ditch hope for failing presidential candidates. ESPN just released a poll naming Tebow America’s favorite active pro athlete. He’s also setting records in the social media world. After his game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in last Sunday’s Wild Card game, it seems everyone’s Twitter feed was clogged with tweets simply saying “TEBOW!!!!!!!”. On Monday Twitter announced the Broncos win lead to a record-setting 9420 sports tweets per second. Beating the favored Pittsburgh Steelers in your first playoff game is one thing, but causing the Twitter world to explode is an entirely different accomplishment.

In a sense, whether the Broncos can upset the New England Patriots this weekend in the AFC divisional playoff is irrelevant. Tebow’s football detractors will always criticize his lack of throwing fundamentals, pocket presence, accuracy, and unorthodox playing style. Yet somehow Tebow and the Broncos still find ways to win even if he sometimes gets more credit than he deserves (Here’s to you Marion Barber, Nick Novak, and Ike Taylor). This season Tim Tebow has proved he belongs in the NFL, and despite seeming at times uneasy with the prospect of moving forward with Tebow as their franchise quarterback, it seems the Broncos are now on board.

Now no discussion of Tim Tebow would be complete without addressing his outward displays of religiosity. For many his Tebowing, “First, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” press conferences, and pregame music of choice, are simply too much to stomach. If I’m going to see someone that openly religious, I’d prefer for the individual to be a man of integrity and conviction, like Tebow. From what we know, Tebow walks the walk as much as he talks the talk. In the summers you and I spent during college sitting on our coaches and binge drinking, Tebow was in the Philippines helping the needy or speaking in prisons. I realize I sound like some culture warrior on Fox News, but it’s the truth. It’s much more nauseating to see someone with Ben Roethlisberger’s past give praise.

The wild ride that has been the Tim Tebow Experiment may come to an end this weekend in New England. The Patriots are the better team, the Broncos are dealing with a number of significant injuries, and the advantage of playing in the altitude of Denver is gone. If the Patriots win, Tebow haters will no doubt use the game as evidence that God doesn’t exist. If the Broncos win his supporters will likely attribute Tebow’s faith as a key to the victory. Regardless of where you stand, in just four short months Tebow has become the most celebrated, criticized, and talked-about athlete in the sports world. It’s highly unlikely either his game or faith will ever drastically change, so expect it to remain that way in the future.

Weigh in with your opinion below.

The post Tebow Time is Nigh! College Students Weigh in on the Mile High Messiah appeared first on The Campus Companion.

Related posts:

1. Google Plus Vs Facebook, College Students Weigh In
2. How College Students Use Their Time
3. iGIFT Thanks, The Perfect Holiday Iphone App For College Students