The KPD insinuation that irked me the most was that if Thomas shouldn't have represented the USA at the 2010 olympics if he felt this way which is utterly bogus. So you shouldn't represent the country you love if you don't love the leader? Stalin would be proud.
- Cape Breton Bruins

KPD is the most arrogant, annoying, "my poopy doesnt stink" journalist out there. remember him bashing the bruins in the finals? god i hate that guy.

Too bad athletes didn't have the same 'convictions' when the last corrupt POS President was absolutely ruining this nation.

I really can't stand Obama to be honest as he has failed on his promises to deliver real effective change, but our nation didn't fall into the abyss in the last 3 years. Obama was handed chicken poop and has made chicken poop out of it.

I guess Obama should manufacture some mission accomplished photo op, thump a few bibles and wave lots of flags. That seemed to work for the last President (where speaking out against his government got your career vanquished).

My only question is: What else is Thomas doing to promote change beyond skipping a presidential photo op?

He doesn't like what's going on in his country? Good for him, but I would hope a guy who makes a good living playing a game is making a greater contribution than a Facebook post.

So he is OK to say that the US goverment is out of control, but it is ok for him to go the bank and deposit his oversized cheque he got for playing a game that has seen its costs on the fans become so expensive that the true fan can not afford to go to a game and in some cases, watch it on overpriced cable/satelite?

Yes he has the right to his opinion, but events like this are more about celebrating what the TEAM has done and getting the sport in front of more Americans who do not watch sportcenter, if he wasn't already enjoying his "15 minutes" I would say he was looking for it,

He put himself above his team, that is not a great hockey move no matter how I look at it, Bruins, Leafs, Ducks, no matter what team he is on, You gotta be a team player. What would people be saying if Steve Yzerman or Gretzky made the same comment and didn't go???? That is right, the americans would have been up in arms ready to kill all Canadians

There is a time for everything, a TEAM event is not the time for a ONE MAN show....no matter what team you play on
- HABZROCK

dumb statement by a dumb person that cheers for a dumb team.

ya, the guy who won the vezina twice, conn smyth and cup single handidly is just looking for his 15 mins of fame???

think of it this way, if saddam was still alive and there was an iraqi that didnt want to go to team celebration at his headquarters because he was a murdering crook that didnt care about his homeland or people in it would you blame him for not going and putting a smiley face on? because the states have been doing the same thing for decades.

Tim Thomas can do what he wants.

But the whole 'this isn't political' is stupid.

It's either political or Thomas has no idea what irony is.

Mind you, he's a big fan of Glen Beck, so there's probably a good chance he has no idea what irony is.
- leafsrealist

I tend to think that was a poor choice of wording, what it seems like he was getting at was that it wasn't partisan rather than not political.

I tend to think that was a poor choice of wording, what it seems like he was getting at was that it wasn't partisan rather than not political.
- Double_A

Agreed, I don't have a problem with his stance, i just think he would have been better served just saying that he wouldn't go and it was no one's business why.

There have been many teams with right wing (and left wing) idiots that have done well. At the end of the day, this will blow over and the Bruins will get back to defending their Stanley Cup. Most pro athletes are fairly young so they don't know a hell of a lot, others are so engrossed in their sport they have little time to develop their world view, and there are a few with strong convictions with evident intellectual direction.

Mark Chmura snubbed Bill Clinton and Dan Hampton snubbed Barack Obama. Steelers James Harrison snubbed Obama (his reason was comical however..."he'd have invited the Cardinals if they had won") Life went on. And this will pass.

Unfortunately, there is a cloud cast over this honor to the Bruins. I am very glad this non-sense didn't occur when the Blackhawks won it all and I am sure at least one of their players is no fan of the president.

So let me get this straight... Since he's good enough to make a great living at something he should sell out his beliefs? Should all the people in America that don't agree with the way the ship is headed, have to leave? When the sheep follow the Sheperd without questioning the motives or destination they eventually end up at the slaughterhouse.
- I-own_da-Northwest

NO, what I am saying is he says the goverments are out of control with the way they handle the country while at the same time he is not afraid to cash his cheque where he gets paid to play a game that is run like a small country. The league and players, the goverment, are out of control salary wise, prices of tickets, concessions, soveniers which are the taxes, health care and general needs of the public of the NHL fans.

All I said is he shouldn't be talking about the state of goverment when the state of hockey (which he is part of) is run the exact same way, out of control, people just hoping things are good enough, until they make their money and get out.

This was not a political event, it was american PR and as much as TT has the same rights as every other american to do and say what they want, this was the wrong stage for him to attempt it, When your payed to be part of a team and EVERYONE ELSE on the team goes, you go, NO ONE IS BIGGER THEN THE TEAM, NO ONE!

I love how liberals go ape $hit whenever someone famous expresses his/her dislike of Obama. It's like a scandalous thing.

Had this been a Republican president the media would have cheered and stood behind Thomas.

I don't remember the media, and fans, making such a big deal about Richter calling GW Bush disgusting when he said, after 9/11, that Bin Laden is wanted dead or alive.

People applauded Sean Avery for making that political statement of being openly pro gay marriage, pro gay everything.

But, a player doing or saying anything against this president? SCANDALOUS! How COULD he!?

Now, my personal opinion is that Thomas should have gone to the White House. I think he ought to keep his personal political opinions to himself. Would i deny him of those rights? No. If he chooses he can say what he wants, but personally i do not like it when players, artists and so forth, make political statements during their careers.

They isolate fans, create unneeded controversy and can further divide fans. What Thomas did was wrong, i believe, but i respect him for it.

Who i think is the real jackass in this situation? Left-leaning people who are so upset about this only because it is a Democrat president in the WH. Had he been a Republican president, they would not have cared. Hypocrites.

I love how liberals go ape $hit whenever someone famous expresses his/her dislike of Obama. It's like a scandalous thing.


Who i think is the real jackass in this situation? Left-leaning people who are so upset about this only because it is a Democrat president in the WH. Had he been a Republican president, they would not have cared. Hypocrites.
- HTRmikster

Yea, you never see Republicans go ape-poop when something is said about one of their own. I submit the Dixie Chicks. The right-wing backlash against that was so comedic it bordered on parody.

Hypocrites indeed.

Yea, you never see Republicans go ape-poop when something is said about one of their own. I submit the Dixie Chicks. The right-wing backlash against that was so comedic it bordered on parody.

Hypocrites indeed.
- kwolf68

The are gone retarded on both sides. Or all 17 sides in Canada.

The are gone retarded on both sides. Or all 17 sides in Canada.
- Cape Breton Bruins

No argument at all. The manufactured disdain comes from both directions. The Rangers fan who seemed to suggest "Liberals" are the only ones for the capacity to employ a double-standard inspired me to respond with the Dixie Chicks thing, because that was total clownery by the right wing.

Hey Ty. Why no thoughts on that monster of a game on Sunday with Philly?

I don't remember the media, and fans, making such a big deal about Richter calling GW Bush disgusting when he said, after 9/11, that Bin Laden is wanted dead or alive.


- HTRmikster

Considering the dimbulb Bush went from "dead or alive" to "I don't care about Osama" in the end Bush WAS proven disgusting. 9/11 was used to advance American imperialism and not necessarily to bring those responsible for 9/11 to justice. Bush was scum and Mike Richter was right all along.

Considering the dimbulb Bush went from "dead or alive" to "I don't care about Osama" in the end Bush WAS proven disgusting. 9/11 was used to advance American imperialism and not necessarily to bring those responsible for 9/11 to justice. Bush was scum and Mike Richter was right all along.
- kwolf68

Ironic that he exercised this right to not attend in protest of big government, yet when the Federal government was pouring money into Vermont to assist with hurricane recovery efforts he had nothing to say. Instead- as the NHL network has shown, he was in Vermont rightfully commiserating with those in need, which was the right thing to do. But I am often amazed at those who rant against government but then call for its assistance in time of need.

Its not like they were gonna talk politics at the white house or debate government, you think Obama wanted to spend 15 minutes with the Bruins? F-no.

There have been many teams with right wing (and left wing) idiots that have done well. At the end of the day, this will blow over and the Bruins will get back to defending their Stanley Cup. Most pro athletes are fairly young so they don't know a hell of a lot, others are so engrossed in their sport they have little time to develop their world view, and there are a few with strong convictions with evident intellectual direction.

Mark Chmura snubbed Bill Clinton and Dan Hampton snubbed Barack Obama. Steelers James Harrison snubbed Obama (his reason was comical however..."he'd have invited the Cardinals if they had won") Life went on. And this will pass.

Unfortunately, there is a cloud cast over this honor to the Bruins. I am very glad this non-sense didn't occur when the Blackhawks won it all and I am sure at least one of their players is no fan of the president.
- kwolf68

He snubbed Bush also.
Harrison is an idiot.

As many have said, Thomas has the right to not attend just as I have the right to now consider him less than donkey poop.

It is more patriotic to America to voice displeasure with the administration... their choices to bail out crooks on Wall Street while industrial cities like Flint, Michigan that our country was built upon continue their spiraling decline... than it is to act like a sheep and be herded into a room so that a politician who is a major part of this problem can have a photo opportunity.
- JEFF SPICOLI

Speaking of sheep...

You know it was Bush's Republicans that gave the trillion dollar bail out to the failing Wall Street firms, right? With no accountability or oversight either...

Paranoid, vitriolic, and hysterical partisanship like yours is the most destructive force in politics. And we're starting to see that kind of idiocy in Canada too now.

Seriously...
The sky is NOT falling.
The sun WILL rise tomorrow.
The Rapture ISN'T around the corner.
Obama won't make America into China.

Yea, you never see Republicans go ape-poop when something is said about one of their own. I submit the Dixie Chicks. The right-wing backlash against that was so comedic it bordered on parody.

Hypocrites indeed.
- kwolf68

You named one band made up of real idiots. Compare that to the rest of the biased music world that put up tours to "rock against Bush" and what not. Or how about how Hollywood?

Faith Hill supported Obama, by the way, and the right wing country fans, and media, still love her to death.

Considering the dimbulb Bush went from "dead or alive" to "I don't care about Osama" in the end Bush WAS proven disgusting. 9/11 was used to advance American imperialism and not necessarily to bring those responsible for 9/11 to justice. Bush was scum and Mike Richter was right all along.
- kwolf68

Really, he said "i don't care about Osama"? Don't make stuff up. You're making yourself look like a jack ass who is less intelligent than a pubic hair.

As many have said, Thomas has the right to not attend just as I have the right to now consider him less than donkey poop.
- txflyer

Yet you wished you had him over Bryzgalov!

Speaking of sheep...

You know it was Bush's Republicans that gave the trillion dollar bail out to the failing Wall Street firms, right? With no accountability or oversight either...

Paranoid, vitriolic, and hysterical partisanship like yours is the most destructive force in politics. And we're starting to see that kind of idiocy in Canada too now.

Seriously...
The sky is NOT falling.
The sun WILL rise tomorrow.
The Rapture ISN'T around the corner.
Obama won't make America into China.
- jnwood2517

You are half wrong. The first bailout was out of panic and everyone was on board with that, for the most part. The second bail out that Obama gave, was more damaging when you have cases like Solyndra, which he was well warned by his economic advisers that it was bound to fail. Yet, out of his green energy agenda and pandering to environmentalists, he decided to give money to anyway.

And i am not defending Bush here either. I think the guy spent the last three years of his presidency making things worse. Unfortunately Obama didn't turn that around as i hoped.

I couldn't care less about his politics, I completely defend his right to opt out of the event, and I'm glad we live in a place where you can freely disagree with the government.

All that being said, I think it was a dumb decision that drew needless political attention to an apolitical event.
- Dano819

This x100

and your sweeping generalization is so classy, well-thought out and dead on! How you compare Obama a lame duck failure of a president to the most evil man the modern world has ever witnessed is nothing short how much of a ignorant yutz you are.What a terrible representative you are to your country. You should be ashamed and you should go directly to hell.
- glove_was_stuck

you're invading other countries for their natural resources.Everyone else knows it but you.Thomas probably Knows it.whatever bud