In a statement posted on his Facebook page after Monday’s event, Thomas described his absence as a protest against government encroachment, saying the federal government had “grown out of control, threatening the rights, liberties, and property of the people.’’
Thomas blamed both parties for “the situation we are in as a country.’’ Thomas declined to comment yesterday.
For most fans, Thomas’s political views were beside the point. The ceremony with President Obama was meant to celebrate the team’s success, they said, not serve as one player’s political platform. And Republicans and Democrats alike said it was disrespectful for Thomas to slight the president.
“Just stick to hockey,’’ grumbled Billy Norton, 57, a construction worker from Weymouth.
The team has known for several months that Thomas did not plan to attend the White House ceremony, and some saw his absence as predictable, describing Thomas as a me-first maverick who often puts himself ahead of the team.
Thomas’s snub marked the latest controversy stirred by an athlete’s political stance.
Last September, former football star Dan Hampton declined an invitation to a White House reception for the 1985 Chicago Bears, saying he was “not a fan of the guy in the White House.’’
Two years ago, Phoenix Suns basketball players wore “Los Suns’’ jerseys during a game to signal their opposition to Arizona’s new immigration law. The team’s general manager, Steve Kerr, said the team felt a responsibility to take a stand.
“Some people may think that it’s not our job to take a political stance, but we feel like because we’re in the public eye and in the nation’s eye, it’s important to raise the issue and do what we can,’’ Kerr said at the time.
In 2006, several athletes, including quarterback Kurt Warner, appeared in a television commercial opposing a Missouri amendment favoring embryonic stem cell research.
