Boston Bruins Visit White House … sans Tim Thomas

– January 23, 2012Posted in: Bob Mand, Bruins, Bruins News, Video

The Boston Bruins visited the White House today and were honored for their 2011 Championship season. The players met President Barack Obama and gave the Commander in Chief a Bruins jersey. The President complimented the B’s on their efforts in winning the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup and also on their organization’s charitable work.

Tim Thomas decided not to attend the event – a move which has been attributed to his political beliefs (Thomas is a staunch conservative) but has yet to be confirmed.

Obama called Brad Marchand a “little ball of hate” and light-heartedly mocked the successful in sports city of Boston: “Enough, already!”

Follow Bob Mand on Twitter at @BobMandBTR

About Bob Mand

Bob is the Editor-in-Chief of Bruins Talk Radio, a regular contributor and co-host of their radio shows and a Bruins Correspondent for The Hockey Writers. A graduate of Colby College originally from Plymouth MA (where he grew up playing), Bob resides in Sterling, MA, with his wife.

Tags: Barack Obama, Boston Bruins, Tim Thomas, White House

Anonymous

hahahah!

Good for you Thomas. I wouldn’t want to meet him either.
He has done more to damage the core values and pillars of this country in 3 years than any president in the history of presidents, and this country.

yeah, i said it. Oh, and i am not a registered Republican, or even Republican at all.

Tim, you are the man. Too bad Tuukka is outplaying you right now… Do what is right and tell CJ to let the kid play…
- http://www.twitter.com/MattAndersonBTR Matthew Anderson
  
  I like your helmet, Glenn.
  - Anonymous
    
    I wear it when i ride the bus. =-)
    - Anonymous
      
      Considering your choice of team to follow, that doesn’t surprise me.
- Bill chamberlain
  
  I can’t say I agree with you, GW Bush did more damage to this country than any president I have seen in my 50 years.
  - Anonymous
    
    I concur, he did plenty fo damage, but not to the core pillars of what the country was built on. his sins lie in a different realm altogether.
    - Bill chamberlain
      
      I’m not sure what “core pillars” you are talking about.
      
      I don’t see it. I have debated with a few Rush Limbaugh followers who take this kind of position.
      
      Unless you mean the core pillars that keep the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer that were really ramped up in the Reagan administration and even a guy like Clinton continued continued to make it easy for the rich and elite.
      
      I would rather read about the Bruins on this site, so I am not going to get into any more of a political discussion here. It’s not the right place.
      
      I also want to admit that TT had every right to do what he did, it just looks and feels bad to many, many people. TT could have said a few words to the president to get his point of view acroos, as a matter of fact it is probably the best chance he ever will get.
      
      It’s dissappointing to me that TT had to stand apart from the team like that. If he wants to take that kind of stand he can’t really blame anyone for loosing a little of the admiration most of us had for TT, it would be the same thing if TT was taking the complete opposite position.
      
      Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but when they make them public, they stand a pretty good chance of alienating a lot of people.
      
      I, like many others, watch sports as a diversion from things like what TT did and I don’t want the two mixed.
      
      Right or wrong, that is how I feel and I am sure there are many others who feel the same way.
      - Anonymous
        
        I respect your view of not mixing the two. I assure you, i am not a Rush supporter, but i do think that many of the policies of this administration are in direct opposition to what the country was built on. My displeasure does not follow partisan lines in the least, there are lots to point with this administration and the the one before this.
        
        Enough said, we can agree to disagree.
        
        My question to you is this: Did TT make this story or did the media make it? What sickens me is that every media-ite out there is treating this like it is a story. TO me, it is hardly worth a mention on the back page of any print publication. I follow the Bruins because i like hockey, and they are my favorite team. I do not care about their personal politics or beliefs. We have Bruins who were born in communist countries, and socialist, country and in republics, and I am sure they all have very differing politics.
        
        Personally, i have no desire to meet any politicians. But i do want to thank them for reading my email askin them not to support SOPA and PIPA. Who knows if we would be here debating this if i hadn’t written that email. =-)
- SoOverthis
  
  Of course, the Reagan administration actively sponsored terrorism – who wouldn’t want to meet the guy behind that!?
  - Anonymous
    
    He was a movie star! that is the motivation there. not the political career! the Gipper!
    - SoOverthis
Feelnos

I have two Tim Thomas Stanley Cup Finals jerseys that are for sale now to then highest bidder. How pathetic to embarrass the Bruins like that and disrespect the United Staes of America in such a selfish way. He better keep winning to keep his day job, because he obviously doesn’t have the brains and patriotism for anything else
- Anonymous
  
  All you people that think Tim Thomas disrespected his team, or his country should check your heads. This country was born from the idea that men be allowed to question government when they don’t understand or agree with it. I agree with every word Thomas spoke. The Government is too big and getting bigger every day. If he doesn’t want to recognize what the White house stands for, that is his right. The whole things is stupid anyway. The president uses it as a cheap media circus to hob nob with champs and for PR. There is nothing “political” about the day at all. And Tim is right, this is non partisan. It is about government in general. The government in this country think that the people are there to serve them and not the other way around. Spend some time and read up on the greatest father of America, John Adams, read his quotes or if you are all too lazy for that, rent the mini series made for HBO.
  
  My opinion of Thomas did not change in the least, in fact i applaud him for standing up and voicing his opinion. That is the same cloth as the men, like John Adams, who founded this country, is cut from.
  
  Keep your jerseys and change your outlook. OR give them away.. if you really think Tim is such a traitor, would it be right to benefit from such a sale? is that American? Oh wait it is!
  - Feelnos
    
    So I’m supposed to change MY outlook? An interesting take on freedom of expression.
    
    And as I look at all the books on John Adams on my shelves that I’ve read, I’d be curious what he’d think of your attitudes . . . and why you feel the need to wear that silly helmet.
    - Anonymous
      
      Ahh, the perils of the English Language, especially in written form. There is no comma in that sentence. Keep the jerseys and change your outlook is all one thought. You follow TT because of his hockey skills, not his political views or leanings. You don’t have to agree with him to cheer on his hockey ability, do you?
      
      I am happy to debate your views, and i would never ask you to change them. I would like to understand how someone who has read about the life of John Adams and the other founding fathers can think as you do about TT’s very patriotic actions of yesterday. Maybe I am missing something?
      
      I wear the helmet to play hockey. =-) the bus comment was a funny.
- http://www.twitter.com/MattAndersonBTR Matthew Anderson
  
  Not agreeing with your country ≠ patriotism. You could argue that in his head, he’s the only one that is being patriotic. The term you were looking for is nationalistic.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=923204 William Barton

I don’t really care either way, his political views have no affect on his ability to play hockey.
Anonymous

At least it can’t be said that he doesn’t stand up for his beliefs. He deserves credit for that. If I were a Bruin I’d be proud of the guy actually. I wouldn’t take it as an insult and I’d respect him even more for it.
http://twitter.com/BillLadd77 Bill Ladd

I admit, it bothers me that Thomas didn’t go to the WH. I respect him for standing up for what he believes in, but I also think he should respect the office of the President, regardless of the politics. After all, it’s that office that makes statements like his possible.