14 sports february 01, 2011 - Over the Edge Thomas Says “No” to White House V Boston Bruins Goalie Snubs Barack Obama JARROD WEISNER UNBC LIFESTYLE he American tradition of inviting national championship winning teams for | a day trip to the White House has been recognized as the ultimate honour for any sports team, and serves as a sign of respect for excellence in sports. Recently this past week, the Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins team and coaching staff were invited for their fifteen minutes of fame, yet one player chose to remain behind because of his strong political beliefs. Tim Thomas published his feelings on Facebook: “T believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level,” he argued, “and this is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal gov- ernment.” “Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.” Although his statement was a clear expression of self, sports commentary and political commentary have banded together in a voice of opposition against Thom- as’ bold voice. NHL Deputy Commissioner Billy Daly was quick to defend the goalie’s rights, releasing this statement: “While we do not agree with Tim Thomas’ pos- ition, the National Hockey League respects and supports his right to have a political view, and his right to express that view in the manner in which he chose.” Fans and members of the Vancouver Canucks know all too well the vola- tile and sometimes deafening sports journalism chatter that occurs in major hockey markets, and Boston is no excep- tion. Referring back to statements Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo made regarding the Bos- ton net-minder during the Stanley Cup Final, and the misconstrued context in which Thomas took these comments, it would appear that he isn’t afraid of expressing his mind without an afterthought as to the true intention of the task at hand. Besides the typical dramatic fashion in which NHL star play- ers choose to express them- selves recently, one thing for sure remains, Thomas will not be receiving another invite for the annual White House Easter egg hunt. i Tim Thomas thinks big ONLINE SOURCE —f __- Tim Tebow wears Jesus and his religion under his eye Religion in Sports Does It Have a Place? ADRIAN CLARKE CONTRIBUTOR ig names in sports such as Tim Tebow would suggest that the path B through life that guides us all begins and ends with one word: God. Others would suggest that if religion has a role in sports, it certainly didn’t bless Tebow with enough to catapult him a lifetime sup- ply of humility or even a good throwing arm. Now, the idea of religion and sports are the things that even make up entire post-secondary degrees, so let’s get this straight and take a stand: Who is it hurting? Putting faith into a higher belief and standing firmly for something that you believe aids you in your game can be seen as a very positive thing, and it is the media that blows it out of proportion. With the introduction of the aptly named “First Bad Quarterback Backed by Jesus”, Tim Tebow is a prime example of how a personal struggle with faith can be easily adapted into game-winning decisions and plays. Now, you may say, “But the Broncos lost! They’re out of the playoffs!” Well, of course they lost. They were playing the Patriots. This was only inevitable. But you can’t deny that the kid has had a style that has even transformed the game in some pretty interesting ways. “The Tebow Rule” While the NCAA denies any one person being responsible for dis- allowing messages on football eye paint, you can be led to assume that Tim Tebow’s face was the poster boy for anything recent involving a mes- sage that can be seen on the cameras or on the field. Famously dubbed now as “The Tebow Rule”, it is making reference to the biblical verses seen painted on his face during games that inspired him enough to help propel his team to victory. The NFL already has a similar rule because of past players already doing the same thing, so little more has been said about the issue regarding Tebow specifically, but this has sparked more debate on how much of a person’s beliefs and traditions should be al- lowed into an organized sport, namely Christian values. Being the good homegrown American that he is, Tebow has stressed his belief in God through everything he does and wears his faith on his sleeve (and on his face) for the world to see. So really, who does this harm? Though someone may take the stand that it could be seen as endorsement of a specific religion by a business or corporation, and yes, a business such as the NCAA or NFL should definitely have this rule, I can’t help but also see that it’s physically harming nobody. With any sport, you have to take what it is you like about it, and save the rest for blogging or berating your friends over.