Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Apparently Boston Bruins Tim Thomas hates "The Troops" - VIDEO


There is a great moment in the seminal mini-series ‘Band of brothers’ where Captain Sobel attempts to march past Captain Winters without acknowledgement due to his personal distaste for the latter. Winters stops him and says, with authority:

‘Captain Sobel, we salute the rank, not the man’.


Apparently Tim Thomas has never seen ‘Band of brothers’.

The Boston Bruins were bestowed the great honor yesterday of meeting the President of the United States at the White House yesterday, to celebrate their fine Stanley Cup victory last season. Tim Thomas, Bruins goalie extraordinaire, chose not to attend due to his political beliefs. Every single other Bruin attended, no matter what their beliefs.

This was a day to celebrate with his team mates. This was a day to enjoy the camaraderie that anyone who has had the luck of being on a team for any protracted length feels.

Instead Tim Thomas made a woeful decision and selfishly turned it into a day about him. Those same team mates had their day in the sun hijacked by someone ignorantly putting themselves first ahead of their band of brothers. That’s the worst thing you can do in team sports, put yourself ahead of your team mates. Not only did Thomas choose not to celebrate this fine achievement with his brothers, he stole the moment from them with his poorly thought out, selfish and ill conceived decision. He has insulted his team mates and he has insulted hockey. He has come out and said, 'My archaic, angry and divisive beliefs are bigger than my team mates and the game of hockey'.
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Thomas made an enormous mistake in not attending, and he did so on a fundamentally simple principle. Respect is respect, respect shouldn’t be a variable in any situation. No matter who is sitting in the Oval Office, one should respect them. Choosing not to attend shows a simple lack of respect by Thomas. Lack of respect for the station of the President of the United States, lack of respect for his team mates, lack of respect for the game of hockey and lack of respect for the United States.

It should be noted that Thomas was a silver medal winner with the United States hockey team. If he wants to make a statement, well then give the medal back. If you disrespect the President of the United States, you are disrespecting the country as a whole, no matter what turgid, redundant political ‘spin’ you try to put on it.

There will be plenty of clowns who ignorantly blather ‘But hasn’t he got the freedom to do that, freedom of speech and so forth’ yes of course he does, but do so in a respectful and dignified manner.

Make no mistake, Thomas’s action is a despicable course.

One would assume Thomas is a big part of the ‘respect the troops’ ideology that is currently sweeping the States. If that’s the case, Tim Thomas has directly spat in the eye of all the armed forces of the United States. The President is the overall commander of those same troops, and Thomas has gravely disrespected the Office of the President.

To use the dangerous, vitriolic rhetoric of the right wing goons Thomas has now forever associated himself with, apparently Tim Thomas hates the soldiers of the United States. Those same ‘freedom fighters’ he would so quickly have you believe he worships. Well, it turns out he hates them. Hate the commander, hate the troops.

Tim Thomas has tried to pull a Captain Sobel. He has tried to march past The President of the United States without saluting. It is every single United States citizens duty to their country to take him to task on that. No matter what your particulat political beliefs, salute the rank, not the man.

Massachusetts is the home, the birth place, the origin of so much that is good in the United States 'set up'. Brilliant men and minds originated from there. Sadly today it is the home to a selfish, disrespectful, backward thinking goalkeeper who cares more about his stagnant political beliefs than camaraderie, honour, team and respect.

And we're not talking about Tuukka Rask.



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Friday, January 20, 2012

Patriots travelling to London again? Might be. Rams potential 'hosts'.


Word on the proverbial street is that the NFL game in London next season could be Patriots @ Rams (the latter officially serving as hosts). Initial word pinballing around the Internet was Rams v Jets, however that soon changed to Rams v Patriots. That appears to be common consensus as we speak early Friday morning.

One St Louis paper went as far as to say;
‘’ League sources told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday night that the team will play an AFC foe — believed to be the New England Patriots — during the 2012 regular season in London.’’

So, that kinda looks official, no?

Actual official word is coming later today. You can keep your eyes on this site

As soon as we at Boston Irish find out what the actual game is, and if it is indeed going to be Patriots @ Rams, we will tweet it from here, so, there’s that.

This is fantastic news for the legions of Patriots fans in Ireland and England. Personally speaking, my brother and I travelled to the Patriots v Tampa game and had a whale of a time. Rams fans, meanwhile, seem somewhat less than delirious about the potential news, if there online forums are anything to go by.

Take this angry fellow;
‘’Such a bunch of garbage that we have to lose a home game over this. Have an exhibition game there. Quit screwing with the actual NFL schedule.’’

Some people just can’t take ‘change’ (Even this is actually ‘continuation’, not ‘change’ per say)
How about this chap;
‘’That is what really annoys me most. How can they expect to play a game that matters in really off time zone. Sure both teams get the effect, but then it's just two teams playing like cr@p. Totally unfair to both teams.’’

Thankfully, there are some positive Rams fans out there
‘’been to london a few times
I will be there’’



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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Irish figure heavily in stunning Sunderland win over Manchester City


The weekend just passed saw a number of shocks in the English Premiership, none bigger than Sunderland’s shocking 1-0 win over Premiership behemoth Manchester City.

Sunderland, given absolutely no chance by the bookies or TV pundits, are a famous, proud old club but even with owner Ellis Short ploughing some £80 million of his own money into them the last couple of seasons, they are complete minnows when up against Manchester City and their £650 million transfer money outlay, and £700 million annual wage bill. However, on the day, Sunderland matched City in every department, Lee Cattermole was absolutely immense, winning every single tackle he went in for, and frankly playing much more illustrious City players off the park.
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--------------- There were three strong Irish elements to the superb win.

John O’Shea, the Irish defensive veteran, playing in his first season at the club, was an absolute rock at the back. After less than 10 minutes his center back partner Wes Brown had to leave through injury and O’Shea had to help seldom used Matt Kilgallon through the remaining 80 minutes whilst also doing his job. O’Shea won every header and kept multi million pound star City striker Edwin Dzeko in his back pocket most of the day. A brilliant showing from O’Shea, which augers well ahead of the 2012 European Championships. O’Shea was absolutely immense.

Sunderland have now won three out of Irish manager Martin O’Neill’s first five matches in charge of the club. O’Neill has performed a minor miracle in changing the fortunes of the team, previously mired in nothing short of a deep depression. O’Neill has the team working hard and looking very organised and well drilled. The confidence the side showed against the Premiership leaders was fantastic.

Perhaps most excitingly of all, from an Irish perspective, O’Neill bravely chose to give a full debut to 22 year old ex Derry City starlet James McClean. The young Irish winger repaid this faith with a hard working display, full of promise. McClean looks skillfull, tough, willing and well able to compete at the Premiership level. If he gets a decent run in the side it could mean a full call up to the Irish side, and McClean would bring a very lively, fresh new look to the Irish attack. Giovanni Trapattoni, take note.




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