Showing posts with label Thomas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thomas. Show all posts
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Tim Thomas' facebook update
Friday, June 01, 2012
Thomas and Schultz rumblings.
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| Goalie Tim Thomas, NHL Hockey player for the Boston Bruins (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Tim Thomas' OptionsThe Justin Schultz sweep stakes are a month away, it will be interesting to see where the highly sought after offensive defenseman goes.
LeBrun: We know the Boston Bruins may potentially try and trade goaltender Tim Thomas when his no-trade clause evaporates on July 1 but among the other options I'm told Tim Thomas is considering is maybe not playing next season. I'm not saying that's going to happen for sure but I was told today that he's thinking about maybe taking the year off. It's been a stressful year for the 38-year-old, we all know about the White House controversy, and the Bruins have a #1 goalie-in-waiting in Tuukka Rask. [TSN.CA]
Dealing With Schultz
McKenzie: It's going to be very difficult for Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray to make a deal involving defensive prospect Justin Schultz. He's certainly out there trying to make it happen and there's lots of teams interested. Every NHL team will want this guy when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, which is likely to happen before July 1 but I can see the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers among others being extremely interested. But it's going to be tough for Murray to get anything for Schultz. It looks like he's going to unrestricted free agency.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Ron Borges sticks his foot in his mouth
I am getting sick and tired of people ripping on Tim Thomas; he's a solid American and one of the best American goalies in the game of hockey. I wish people would also realize that Tim Thomas failed to go to the White House because of his political views not because he is racist.
If you look at the comments that are connected to this article you will see that the readers weren't very impressed with Borges' comments either, this guy is probably lucky to still have a job with the Boston Herald. [Click to view]Ron Borges, Boston Herald --- Few would argue that among the very rarest of things in North American team sports are hockey players of color, although Grant Fuhr was among the greatest of goaltenders, and certainly Willie O’Ree and Anson Carter acquitted themselves with distinction during their years with the Bruins.Lastly, the team that sent Thomas home was, of all teams, the Washington Capitals, the team representing the city where Barack Obama lives and works ... apparently not to Thomas’ satisfaction.Karma, in case you are unfamiliar with the concept, is considered “the sum and consequences of a person’s actions during the successive phases of his existence, regarded as determining his destiny.’’So what struck me was this karmic notion: Thomas refuses to go to Washington, thus snubbing the first black president in our country’s history, and is a few months later eliminated by a black hockey player who had only six goals all season — and only that one in the seven-game playoff series.It didn’t strike me as racial, it struck me as ironic.
Lastly, the game and series winning goal was scored by Joel Ward - who is a hockey player.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
More hating on Timmy Thomas?
First off, if you cover hockey or watched it for more than a minute you will know that goalie are weird ducks. You have to be odd to stand in front of a rubber disk that is going 85-95 miles an hour. Like my buddies kid said once, there is no team in goalie but there is a big friggen "I"... In other words, goalies are basically in their own worlds and the game starts with and revolves around them. Think about it - a lot of times when things are going bad, goalies are the ones that the fans focus their attention on and a lot of times they get blamed when their favorite team's loses.
Of course there are some in the Boston Media that have hung on ever word that Tim Thomas has said this season, the Facebook posts brought some unneeded attention his way and you can tell by reading some of the articles in the Boston Media that there are some that want to run Timmy him out of town.
Then there were the references to the rest of the Bruins team as “they” at least five times during his postgame interview. If one were a conspiracy theorist it sounds like there is a clear separation of State and Tim Thomas going on.Thomas would not be the first professional athlete to feel the wrath in Boston, it's a tough city to play in for professional athletes if you catch the ire of the fans, just ask Bill Buckner and Bob Stanley of the 1986 Red Sox, it's not quite as bad as Montreal but it up there.
"What it says about our guys is that they’re battlers and they’re still champions," he said. "They gave everything they had to the bitter end. Unfortunately this is sports and they fell short this time."
The remarks were consistent with Thomas' tendency to paint himself as an individual. [Joe Haggerty, CSNNE.COM]
Sifting through the debris one day after the loss
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| Goalie Tim Thomas, NHL Hockey player for the Boston Bruins (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Last night the Bruins were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in game seven in overtime by a score of 2-1. Before the T.D. North Bank Arena was empty, the hockey pundits were also discussing Tim Thomas’ future/fate.
With the Bruins loss, the NHL has only one high seed left in the East in the New York Rangers, whose season could come to an end at the hands of that Ottawa Senators.
I wonder if NBC execs love the prospects of a possible match-up between the Florida Panthers and the L.A. Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals as all of their pretty match-ups have gone by the wayside. None the less, I will still be watching no matter who is playing.
Who would have thought that Detroit, Vancouver, Boston, Chicago Pittsburgh would all be out in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Most of those teams were built to go deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs and are now golfing.
So after one round the in the Stanley Cup playoffs we have lost Gary Bettman’s team the Penguins, who bowed out gracefully in game six against the Philadelphia Flyers – the defending Stanley Cup Champions the Boston Bruins, who went down with a thud to the Washington Capitals. Finally the Presidents’ Trophy winner the top seeded Vancouver Canucks fell on their nose quicker than Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler in full dive mode, as they were eliminated last week by the eight seed the L.A. Kings in six games.
I can only imagine that the NHL front office is probably pulling For New Jersey and or the New York to win their game sevens tonight so the NHL doesn’t have to face the possibility of having the Panthers and the Senators in the Eastern Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Elephant in the room
So the re-emerging theme that didn’t want to go away during the second half of the station was the Tim Thomas snub and him failing to go to the White House to see the President with the rest of the game back in January. One of the questions to immediately emerge in the locker room after the game was whether the Boston Bruins are behind their former Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas.
“I think he’s a great goalie,’’ Johnny Boychuk said. “He’s saved our butts a lot throughout the year. Throughout the series, he made plenty of saves and you know he’s going to be battling for you every night. And when you have a guy like that behind you, you don’t have any worries.’’Some of the reports don’t sound so good coming out of the Boston Bruins Locker-room. There seems to be a bit of a of a disconnect between Thomas and his fellow teammates; or this story is being manufacturing in the media? It's hard to tell because a few of the Boston media guys have failed to let Thomas live down the "famous" White House snub last January.
The issue now, though, is the long summer ahead. [Boston.com]
While I admire Tim Thomas for making a stand personally and holding true to his core beliefs, I sometimes wonder if Thomas would have been better off just going to the White House with the rest of his teammates.
"Our best players, we probably needed more out of their game," said Boston coach Claude Julien, referring to a number of Bruins. "I didn't think our team was in tune as much as it was this time last year."This little tidbit from the Obnoxious Boston Sports fan, apparently Tim Thomas referred to his fellow teammates as they. Boy what a difference a year makes and how soon they all forget, last year the fans and media in Boston were singing Tim Thomas’ praise as he was leading the Boston Bruins through the Stanley Cup playoffs. What have you done for me lately?
And with that, a year in which Boston's season was at least partly defined by Thomas' refusal to visit the President in the White House with his teammates in January ended with some degree of irony. Some Boston reporters said Thomas walked on the sacred Bruins logo after the game; there is speculation that the divisive former Vezina winner will be on the market this summer. And it was Ward and the Capitals who sent him there. [Montreal Gazette]
With the Bruins' exit, Thomas will be freed up to focus on Mitt Romney's choice of a running mate. Thomas, who played good but not great, will draw the ire of plenty of fans and others, who will continually make the mistake of linking his Facebook posts and political edicts to the fact that his GAA ballooned to 2.14 in the playoffs this season and his save percentage tumbled to .923. Tuukka time was likely going to arrive whether or not Thomas went to the White House and appears even more likely with Thomas' use of the dreaded "they" word while discussing his teammates last night. [Boston.com]
‘Capitals GWG shouldn't have counted’ - per Kerry Fraser
When I watched the Washington Capitals score the game winning goal I thought that the refs blew that call and while the officials can't review that goal, the rules should be tweaked to allow a review. I thought there was some interference on Thomas by Mike Knuble. According to Veteran NHL Officials Kerry Frasier that goal shouldn't have counted.
Last night in Boston reality struck when the series ended with a Game 7 overtime goal that was manufactured by Mike Knuble in another example of goalkeeper interference. After taking a backhand shot from close in that Tim Thomas saved Knuble continued on his path entering deep into the goal crease and made sufficient physical contact with the Bruins goalie to knock him off his set position and back toward the goal line. The undetected rebound was shot past Thomas as he attempted to pull his head out of Knuble's midsection and right arm.
It would defy logic to maintain that rule 69, as it is written, was not sufficiently violated for the referee to disallow this goal.
Rule 69.1 — "Interference on the Goalkeeper...Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease.
"The overriding rationale of this rule is that a goalkeeper should have the ability to move freely within his goal crease without being hindered by the actions of an attacking player. If an attacking player enters the goal crease and, by his actions, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed."
[Kerry Fraiser TSN]
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Jack Todd is dead wrong
Wow!!! So this is supposed to be journalism? I want to make sure I read that right. If you disagree with the president of the United States Barrack Obama you're a racist? So Jack Todd is suggesting that Tim Thomas is a racist for not attending the White House Celebration? What a buffoon. David Webb who is a leader in the Tea Party that happens to be black, talked about this subject on his radio show recently.
Jack Todd, Montreal Gazette --- Thomas’s decision to skip a team visit to the White House because he buys the garbage pumped out by Glenn Beck and his ilk was bad enough. But then, having pulled a highly public stunt to call attention to his whacko politics, Thomas blamed the media for paying attention.
Look, if this cretin wants to stand outside the White House and spew his drivel, that’s free speech. But standing up the president? All that does is show that Thomas has the class of a swamp-rat.
What’s worse, you know Thomas would not have done this with the liberal Democrat Bill Clinton in the White House. Truth is, he felt free to dis Barack Obama, because Obama is black.
At least he accomplished one thing: Thomas earned himself a lifetime membership in the MMQB’s zeros section, right next to Jeffrey Loria and David Samson. May he suffer many a groin pull for the rest of his sorry career.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Edit: Welsh choses NCAA over OHL
Recently, Thomas Welsh committed to Penn State Universityand I interviewed his father Mike via email about his son’s decision to join PSU hockey. Thomas Welsh is a high end recruit from Canada that has decided to attend NCAA Division I hockey. Thomas is currently attending prep school at Salisbury inConnecticut. I think you will find the answers to be very interesting.
Q: I would like to know how you and your son arrived at this decision?
Mike Welsh: Coming off of the 2011 Provincial Ontario Bantam AAA Championship and looking towards the next year, Minor Midget, you are at a pivotal time in the Ontario Hockey System. Minor midget year is important as this is your OHL draft year and there is such a hype surrounding this time. League teams are already structured and do not allow for player movement. Ranking amongst league teams, usually remains the same from first to third, as players have already migrated to the top teams. Player development becomes stagnant as it only comes from your team, and your son plays against and with the same players that he has played with in the league for the last 6 years. The cost of development from minor atom to bantam becomes reality, having spent close to $100,000. Finally, there is the focus that the OHL is the next and only step for elite players.
Q: There are a number of reasons we considered USA Prep School vs. Minor Midget.
Mike Welsh: When we considered hockey development, competing in Prep Varsity Hockey at the age of 15 offers an opportunity to play with and against older players up to 19 years of age. It offers a competitive loop, prepares your strength and conditioning in a controlled environment, and gives you the opportunity to experience and learn from coaches at that level. The Founder's Hockey League is constantly being watched by Div 1 schools and various levels of Pro Teams along the Eastern seaboard, not to mention that the number of Pro Players present and past along with many the of NHL coaching staff have kids in the Prep League. As a parent, our interest is as strong for academics as hockey development. So when you look at the complete package, Prep school covers it all. It is the right path for hockey development and academic growth, but also an environment for learning life skills and independence. It offers opportunities to discover new skills, likes, and interests and to try new things. It lays a good foundation to all options that may open down the road. Salisbury Prep School has a long history of traditions, is strong academically, creates a "brother hood" atmosphere, and of course has an awesome and outstanding hockey team.
Q: Why the NCAA over the OHL?
Mike Welsh: We met with Paul Kelly a few years back from College Hockey Inc. He made us aware of the endless possibilities that are available through Div 1 and Div 3 hockey programs for athletes. He encouraged players and parents to look long term and to look at the NCAA opportunities for their son. He covered player development, pro opportunities, education, student life, and the long standing tradition unique to each of these Div 1 schools.
The OHL has a lot to offer in terms of hockey development. It also provides educational incentives but with conditions attached. You have to make these decisions as a 16 year old and in the same summer that you are drafted, you will have to change high schools, you will not be able to do a full academic course load, and the OHL voids or limits any future scholarships through an NCAA path.
Thomas was recruited by several OHL teams and we visited their cities and met with OHL team coaches, managers, trainers, owners, and school advisers. We did our due diligence; however, we decided to take a alternative approach. We like to think outside of the box, and instead of following the traditional path for elite players, we felt more comfortable following our own goals and timelines.
Thomas participated in the final selection for Team Ontario U16, and went to the final selection camp for Team Ontario U17 this past July in Thunder Bay. Roster spots are to be finalized in November 2011 and the Head Coach of the team will be Troy Smith who is currently the assistant coach of the Kitchener Rangers - OHL. The feedback that has been received has been very positive and as a result we know that Thomas's hockey development is at a high level and has not been compromised with being down at the Prep school. Basically, our decision has been reinforced that our path and plan are working for us. Central Ontario Scouting director at the time Rob Kitamura now with Tampa Bay as head scout, came to see Thomas and he acknowledge that Thomas is a AA rated player.
Q: Why PSU? Is it the excitement of playing for a newly formed Big Ten team and league? Also, Is the prospects of getting a high quality education at a school like PSU a major factor?
Mike Welsh: We were invited and visited 10 Div 1 schools (Yale, North Eastern, Boston U, Harvard,Cornell,Michigan,Quinnipiac,Vermont,Penn State, and University of Miami Ohio). When we visited Penn State in September, 2011, we stayed in the city for a couple of days. We got to see the city (HappyValley), toured the campus, went to a pre-game football pep rally, and stayed for a football exhibition game. In addition to visiting the campus and the city, we also met with the Head Coach Guy Gadowsky, and assistant coach Matt Lindsay. There was an immediate connection with the coaching staff when we discussed hockey plans, goals, academics, and sports. When Thomas looked at what PennState had to offer, he was excited about both the courses available, and the hockey opportunities. The education is high quality and the school is well recognized for many of their academic programs. We knew Thomas wanted to enter the NCAA in 2013. At Penn State this would mean that he would be a part of the inaugural year when Penn State becomes part of the Big 10 Conference. The media coverage for the Big 10 is broad, well scouted, and the excitement and buzz around the league has everyone talking. Having a chance to play in such a competitive league is an honor and reinforces the notion that hard works pays off. It also supports the idea that you do not always need to follow the common pathway. You can create your own path. It was a win-win situation all around and we have always encouraged Thomas to "think outside of the box."
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