A True Hero

Putting professional athletes on a pedestal and calling them heroes has never sat well with me.  They get paid millions of dollars to play games, and in many cases, they turn out to be arrogant, rude, and the obvious result of never having been held accountable for their actions.  I’ve always felt like those who make sacrifices for others – soldiers, cops, firemen – and those who dedicate their lives to helping others ought to be looked upon as true heroes.  And I still feel that way…sort of.

I mean, in a sense, Lebron had it right: no matter what these guys do, our lives are still pretty much the same if they win or lose.  Sure, we can bask in the glory of their accomplishments, but they only have meaning if we choose to become emotionally invested.   Was my own life really any different after the Sox made the final out in St. Louis, or after Vinatieri’s kick sailed through the uprights in New Orleans?  Aside from being able to say, “I’m a fan of a championship team”…not really, no.

Before I go any further, I should admit: despite being a Masshole from birth and a die-hard Sox and Patriots fan, my hockey team is the Flyers (I can explain why later, it’s not really important now).  So I see the Bruins a lot, especially since my wife is a B’s fan, and I’ve watched this run from the get-go.  Last year was bittersweet….of all the teams, the Flyers had to do this to the Bruins?  This year, though…I could tell there was something special about these guys when they came back and won the series against Montreal.   Their sweep of the Flyers was hardly a surprise and well deserved. 

I’m rambling.  My point is, I’ve come to respect this Bruins team.  A lot.  And if there’s one guy who exemplifies what this group is all about, it’s Tim Thomas.  Was his play this year heroic?  Was he a hero as a hockey player?  Again, I get uncomfortable with that kind of talk.  And I’d bet Tim would be just as uncomfortable with being called a hero…which is why, as a person, he truly is one.  I have a son who’s five now….when I think about what qualities I want him to grow up having – persistence, determination, selflessness, confidence without arrogance, courage – I see that Tim shows all of those in everything he says and does.  Isn’t that how we ought to define a hero?  Someone who is the type of person we want the people we love most to be like?  The type of person we ourselves want to be?

Watching Tim receive a well-earned Conn Smythe trophy last night ought to be special, not just for Bruins fans, but for anyone who loves the game, anyone who values the dogged determination to make it - even after they are told their dream is out of their reach, anyone who values sacrifice and humility and teamwork.

I’m happy for my wife and all the B’s fans, for the city of Boston, for Mark Recchi (who I loved as a Flyer and who deserves to go out a winner), for Cam Neely (who brought a winning attitude to this team, just like Schilling did for the Sox), and for all the B’s players.  But the respect I’ve come to have for Tim Thomas will be the one thing I remember most about this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.