An Ode to Shawn

On Monday, Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli informed 36-year old winger Shawn Thornton that the team would not re-sign Thornton in free agency. The news came as no shock, given the Bruins’ salary cap woes and Thornton’s age. There’s no reason the Bruins should re-sign a fourth line winger at the age of 36. Though the decision makes perfect business sense, it doesn’t soften the blow of losing one of the city’s most beloved athletes.

Shawn Thornton was an enforcer for the Bruins for the past eight seasons and a staple of the team’s fourth line. I’m not here to get into the debate about whether or not the enforcer-style player belongs in the league. I’m just writing to pay tribute to a guy who did absolutely everything that was asked for him for eight seasons and left everything he had on the ice game in and game out. Shawn Thornton defined the term “team player.” He never backed down from a fight (literally and figuratively), stuck up for his teammates any time the situation called for it and gave 110% effort every time his blades hit the ice.

There was never, never, a time in Thornton’s stint with Boston that he was accused of taking a shift off or gliding. Whether he was charging in on the fore-check, hustling to get back on defense or breaking into the zone with the puck on his stick, his head was up, his eyes were wide and his feet were moving as fast as they possibly could. There are players in every professional sport who lack the talent, skill and speed of the other players in the league, yet they make their way with pure determination and heart. Shawn Thornton is the model for every one of those players. He’s not that fast, he’s not that big, he’s not a sniper, but he’s earned himself a spot in the NHL with hustle and a willingness to do whatever he’s needed to do.

He was a loyal teammate, a protector of anyone donning the spoked B, and a mentor to the younger players. He always brought a positive attitude to the dressing room and could energize a whole building with one shift. He was the first guy reporters went to for a quote after the game because he always good for a laugh or some brutal honesty. I won’t remember him for his fights (though he had some classics) but for those shifts when he would hop over the boards and fly around the offensive zone, smashing defenders into the glass and giving the top lines a break while he single-handedly kept the pressure in the offensive zone. He could lay an opponent out, take a few punches and dazzle the arena with his quick hands all in one game. He never complained, even when he was taken out of the playoffs in favor of a 19-year old prodigy named Tyler Seguin.

Off the ice, Thornton is even more lovable. He dove head first into the Boston community, and began changing it for the better. He bought a home in Boston in his early seasons with the Bs and has made it his permanent residence. He has no plans of leaving the city and will spend his offseasons here, even when playing for another team. While not on the ice he runs his own charity, the Shawn Thornton Foundation, dedicated to combatting Parkinson’s disease and cancer. He’s also known for being the centerpiece of other charitable events, like the Boston Bruins Foundation’s “Cuts for a Cause” and “Putts and Punches for Parkinson’s,” along with countless others. Though he can be a menace on the ice, he’s a model citizen off of it.

This city couldn’t have asked for anything more from a fourth line player both in the arena and in the community. He is an effort player, a great teammate, and, above all, a beloved Bostonian. So farewell 22; we wish you nothing but the best the rest of the way.

Golf’s Toughest Test

With the U.S. Open starting tomorrow, I’ve been hearing the same words uttered over and over again: “I don’t really care if Tiger’s not in it.” That statement seems to sum up this PGA season for the casual fan. If Tiger Woods isn’t playing, the fans don’t care. He’s that important to the Tour. However, while most viewers have been tuned out, the PGA Tour has been both exciting and unpredictable this season. So here’s my pitch for why you should watch the U.S. Open, even without Tiger Woods.

I’ll start with the tournament itself. Sure the Masters has its traditions from the beautiful Augusta National to the green jackets that live in immortality. But the Masters is played at the same course every year, and there are no surprises for the players. The U.S. Open, however, changes courses every year and is specifically designed to be the most difficult golf tournament in the world every year. The host course will often undergo massively expensive renovations to makes holes longer, include more hazards and make the rough thicker and deeper than ever before. This tournament throws curveballs at the competitors that they’ve never dealt with, making for an extremely competitive field with many lead changes. With the difficulties of the courses, no lead is safe, and maintaining a lead is almost impossible.

In the last seven years, the winner of the U.S. Open has finished better than -1 just twice, with four champions finishing over par. Comparatively, the Masters has been won with a score over par just once in the past 57 years. You will see the majority of the field finish over par, which is astounding considering the competitors are the best golfers in the universe. This year the tournament is taking place at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, where the U.S. Open has taken place twice previously. Those two years (1999 and 2005) the winners were -1 and even par respectively. This is one of the most storied courses in the in the United States and never disappoints with its challenges. Birdies will be at a premium, and the leaderboard will be changing constantly.

If you’re the type of fan that wants a particular player to follow in Tiger’s absence, there’s one that you can’t miss. His name is Jordan Spieth, and he’s twenty years old. Yes, twenty. Spieth busted on to the professional scene in 2012, when he earned an alternate spot at the U.S. Open as an amateur and finished as the top amateur in a tie for 21st overall. That finish earned him the distinction of being the top amateur in the world at the age of 19. The title was nothing new to him, as he had been the top junior golfer in the world just a year and a half prior. At 19 he decided to turn pro in December of 2012, forgoing his NCAA eligibility at the University of Texas, and joined the professional ranks. In July of 2014 Spieth won the John Deere Classic in a playoff with Zach Johnson and David Hearn. The win made him the fourth youngest winner in the history of the PGA Tour and the first teenager to win on Tour since 1932. Not even Tiger Woods won at that age.

The win granted him full status as a PGA Tour member, and he would prove that it was no fluke. He finished the season as the 2013 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, ranking 10th overall in total earnings for the season and was ranked as the 22nd best golfer in the world. He had started the season ranked 810th. This season, he has only continued to improve. In this year’s Masters, he entered the final day tied for the lead with Bubba Watson, and even held a two stroke lead on the field at one point during the final round. He eventually finished second, becoming the youngest runner-up in the history of the Masters, and the highest finish for a player under 21 at the Masters. He has six top-5 finishes on Tour this year and has finished outside of the top 20 in just four of the 16 tournaments he has played in.

Aside from his success, he is just a fun player to watch. He is actually one of the worst players on Tour at hitting the fairway with his tee shots, meaning he leaves himself difficult second shots out of the rough. The result is that he makes spectacular shots to rescue himself and keep his score low. You’ll see him drop his club and swear at himself after one errant shot, then stick it a few inches from the hole on the next swing. When watching golf this year, it’s been impossible to take my eyes off of his game. Oh yea, and did I mention he’s twenty? Anyone who has ever taken a swing knows how difficult the game of golf is and it can take a lifetime to perfect your game. He can’t even get a beer at the clubhouse yet but is the 10th ranked golfer in the entire world, one spot ahead of Phil Mickelson, an all-time great more than twice his age. So tune in this weekend to watch golf’s toughest tournament featuring the best golfers in the world, and don’t be surprised if you see a 20-year old on the leaderboard.