Can we move on from Tim Thomas?

I find myself troubled by events of late. It started with the Bruins early departure from the playoffs. Then the whole Tim Thomas saga began. Tim is staying. Tim is leaving. Tim is going to be traded or he is not going to play. He’s going to retire. Tim Thomas is warning us about a global economic disaster.  Ok, everyone… let’s take a second and take a deep breath together.

The press and pundits, bloggers and fans, analysts and ne’er-do-wells have by now all tossed their two cents into a very full fountain. At this point, anything short of Tim Thomas getting the nod from Mitt Romney to be his Vice Presidential running mate wouldn’t shock me. Tim Thomas has always been obvious and clear about his intentions. It is regrettable that in the eyes of some people his actions have taken a decidedly negative spin.

To be fair, a certain amount of this can be laid squarely at the feet of Tim Thomas. His choosing not to go to the White House was seen as a distraction to the team’s play by many fans out there. I think a lot of us were surprised by the “friends, family, and faith” post on Facebook. It certainly threw me for a loop. However, it is one of those Tim Thomas moments you can accept(perhaps even appreciate) once you get to understand Tim Thomas.

What has all this publicity and notoriety(or infamy) accomplished? Tim Thomas played an important role in making Believe in Boston a reality. He was an inspiration, and quite possibly the savior of the series. That was a year ago. Not five, ten, or twenty….. One year ago. That is all it took for a player who was a practical shoo-in to have a bronze statue of himself outside the TD Garden to be turned into

the Kim Kardashian of the NHL.

That is just shameful. The biggest offense that Tim Thomas has caused was the snubbing of the President. This is a presidential election year. We know a lot of people are very likely going to say a lot worse this year. Tim Thomas is a man with strong opinions. I am sure those opinions will baffle and occasionally offend members of Bruins Nation.  All I can ask of Bruins Nation is that we see him as the goalie who had an incredible playoff run that brought the Stanley Cup home.

On a personal note, I lose patience with those who describe the Bruins in a “post-Timmy” era. It might be wrong, and it just makes it sound so final.