Thomas the Tool

[DMT]

Why do you? Because you hold the position in high esteem? I see him caring enough and being convicted not to go. I dont agree with it but I certainly respect his right to do it and dont find his actions do be that of a tool. I dont remember anyone saying he was a patriot but a tool? Not because of this action.

I don't know, think about trying to tell this story to your grandchildren. "Yes, your grandpa had the chance to meet the President but instead I refused because government is out of control." I'm sure the kids will have a new, equally pejorative, term running through their heads.

[Steve]

You know, patriotic or not, if the TEAM is invited, you go IF you are a part of the TEAM. There is no I in team. (Although, there is a ME if you scramble it up.)

I don't know how is not going really "does" anything - except draw attention to this guy. If I was invited to the White House, I'd go even if I disagreed politically with the administration. I post here and there are people who post here who I disagree with, but I'm glad they are here. I have friends from high school who I still see and consider my closest friends, but we disagree on several things I can thing of with religion being the the first. I think I may have digressed a bit. Just because you disagree, doesn't mean you can't share the planet.

[B-Fly]

yes as an American he does have to go.

When the president of the united states asks you to meet with him - you do.

No, because this is America and he is American, he does not have to go. However, also because this is America, we are all free to let him know how we feel about his exercise of his liberty in that regard. That's what makes this a pretty great place.

[revo]

same thing happened earlier this year when the '85 Chicago Bears were invited to the White House (they were supposed to go in Jan. '86, but it was cancelled due to the Challenger disaster). Steve McMichael declined to attend, but he said he "didn't like the guy in office." Now that was classless.


Thomas is a tool because he knew his action would become news, and now this has overshadowed the real reason for the visit. He had to have known this would become an embarrassment to the Bruin organization and his teammates, but yet chose to selfishly do it rather than put on his big boy pants and suck it up.

[Cobain's Ghost]

why is everybody hung up on the "patriot" angle? he never claimed to be a patriot. he made his statement, and said he would make no further comment. does that sound like a guy who is trying to play himself off as a hero?

[Mithrandir]

i'm not sure i understand what's wrong with a guy not wanting to be used as a political tool for a feel-good photo op. we're not their puppets, we don't have to dance for them. good for him.

HELL YEAH!! What Cobain said..

[Mithrandir]

It's a question of respect for the highest office in the country you love - what the founding fathers created. Who the current president is has very little to do with it. Plus, he's one of only two US players on the team! This has nothing to do with politics or a feel-good photo op. Its a question of respect for your country. I put it as akin to not standing and removing your hat for the national anthem.

Many of us, myself included, haven't felt this way about our country and its' leaders for a long time.

[Mithrandir]

I don't know, think about trying to tell this story to your grandchildren. "Yes, your grandpa had the chance to meet the President but instead I refused because government is out of control." I'm sure the kids will have a new, equally pejorative, term running through their heads.

Maybe the kids WILL understand and agree with what grandpa did. Just like any other person, the President should EARN our respect.

[Long John]

I'm not particularly hung up on the patriot angle. And he does have the civil right to choose to not attend. However, like anything else in life, there are consequences to the choices we all make.

1) He has embarrassed himself.
2) He has embarrassed his team.
3) He has embarrassed the NHL.
4) He has embarrassed his country.
5) If his train of thought had any legs of getting done, that has been substantially reduced.

I feel the choice he made was a selfish one. He's old enough and reasonably intelligent enough to have thought out the consequences of his decision. In fact, he could have used the opportunity to talk to the President in a calm and rational manner WHY he feels the way he feels. You know - intelligent discourse. In his eyes, he sees a problem with the way government is currently run. The only way to get that changed is by someone within the government already. Why not use the opportunity to make an attempt to engage the highest leader in the land in intelligent discourse? Would he have been successful? Probably not. But he'd have been in a better position now and maybe, just maybe, the President would have had something to think about.

Plus, not going doesn't stop the photo op. It doesn't make our government "get back to work" any quicker. So why not use the opportunity to express yourself in an intelligent manner?

[Bob Kohm]

I'm guessing he mixed unprescribed Vicodin with weed just before making this decision. He is, as John so aptly put it, a tool.

[Cobain's Ghost]

I'm not particularly hung up on the patriot angle. And he does have the civil right to choose to not attend. However, like anything else in life, there are consequences to the choices we all make.

1) He has embarrassed himself.
2) He has embarrassed his team.
3) He has embarrassed the NHL.
4) He has embarrassed his country.
5) If his train of thought had any legs of getting done, that has been substantially reduced.

i guess i don't get where all the embarrassment is coming from. i'm not embarrassed. some dude doesn't want to meet the president. so what? that's no reflection on his team or the nhl or the country, imo. it's just how he feels about it. :shrug:

I feel the choice he made was a selfish one. He's old enough and reasonably intelligent enough to have thought out the consequences of his decision. In fact, he could have used the opportunity to talk to the President in a calm and rational manner WHY he feels the way he feels. You know - intelligent discourse. In his eyes, he sees a problem with the way government is currently run. The only way to get that changed is by someone within the government already. Why not use the opportunity to make an attempt to engage the highest leader in the land in intelligent discourse? Would he have been successful? Probably not. But he'd have been in a better position now and maybe, just maybe, the President would have had something to think about.

i think confronting the president at a photo opp would be more disrespectful than just not going.

Plus, not going doesn't stop the photo op. It doesn't make our government "get back to work" any quicker. So why not use the opportunity to express yourself in an intelligent manner?

do you think obama really cares what a hockey player thinks about his performance? i doubt some meaningful debate would unfold.

[Roto Rooter]

He's not a Patriot he's a Bruin, duh.

[B-Fly]

Whatever happened to Joe the Plumber?

[Gregg]

Does anyone here look down or hold accountable the NHL or the Bruins for his actions? I would hope not. What do they have to be embarrassed about?

He made his decision, now he will have to live with the consequences.

[Judge Jude]

I think the most interesting point is that he apparently didn't think the country was "out of control" at the time he played in the Vancouver Olympics, but he does now.
If that truly is the case, then I can respect his sentiments. If not.....