The article makes a pretty good case for hiring Fletcher

So Clarke told Homer to hire hire Fletcher and Homer had to tell Scott to hire and pay him. It was Scotts decision and if Scott just said okay without doing any research then it all falls on Scott.

And if you are desperate, you could blame Homer, just don't blame a man who has nothing to do with the team other than his opinions.
- WhiskeyMan

It is also not Clarkes fault the clown GM seeks his out of touch opinion. Of course he will give when asked.

Who hired Fletcher, Scott who knows nothing about hockey and took the recommendations of hockey people or did Homer hire him?

Yes their opinions were taken but they do not have they much weight.
- WhiskeyMan

Dave Scott is a business guy. The only way he could do his job properly is to have some hockey guys around him. In the end the guy that was recommended to him has not done a very good job. Frankly I think it borders on incompetence. Reading Charlie O’Connor’s piece in the athletic only solidified what has become apparent. If the Flyers do indeed have a plan it requires so many different things to fall their way that it really does border on luck.
Do I think any of the guys that in senior management have anything to do with every day mechanics of the team? No. ….there’s absolutely no evidence of that. But considering the position that Fletcher has moved the Flyers into the guys that were on side of his hiring may not have as much say next time around. The question becomes who is in charge of the decision to fire Fletcher and who’s choice will it be? I assume it’s still Scott and unfortunately if Holmgren (who lead to Hexy’s demise) is now retired it almost seems like a rudderless ship or at least one that has no clear leadership.

Clarke is very much to blame. As is Holmgren and the other members of the country club. This team is not going anywhere until they are all completely removed. Including Scott.
- MJL

Chuck is the President and GM. An alternate governor. He holds all the power for the decisions made on this team. He is to blame. Not Clarke.

Has there been anyone more powerful in the flyers history other Chuck in terms of titles?

Any thoughts on the job Ronald is doing in Pittsburgh?
- hello it's me 2050

If the pens don’t make the Playoffs the Hexy may be free to come back to Philly….lol.

Chuck is the President and GM. An alternate governor. He holds all the power for the decisions made on this team. He is to blame. Not Clarke.

Has there been anyone more powerful in the flyers history other Chuck in terms of titles?
- hello it's me 2050

This is obvious.

This is obvious.
- landros 2

And no…simply because when old man Snider was alive he always held the power.

Clarke turns on those who are not his friends. Such as Hextall. For his friends, he will go to the ends.
- MJL

He didn’t have much trouble firing his buddy Bill Barber. He even fired his friend Roger Nielsen when he had cancer.

He didn’t have much trouble firing his buddy Bill Barber. He even fired his friend Roger Nielsen when he had cancer.
- Dkos

You make a good point. Clarke doesn't have direct hiring and firing power. We also have to consider that this franchise and those behind the scenes believe that injuries are holding the team back.

Yes, Tortorella wants to be the focus and the show.
- MJL

Exactly there is a time and place to bench a guy not in his hometown, that is just a power trip. I get that he needs to play better but it seems too coincidental that he just comes out of the lineup then. Why not say listen if you do not play well in Calgary you are out in Edmonton, pretty simple and engaging instead of a dictator.

And no…simply because when old man Snider was alive he always held the power.
- landros 2

snider let his peeps make the hockey decisions. with the odd exception.

Exactly there is a time and place to bench a guy not in his hometown, that is just a power trip. I get that he needs to play better but it seems too coincidental that he just comes out of the lineup then. Why not say listen if you do not play well in Calgary you are out in Edmonton, pretty simple and engaging instead of a dictator.
- Daceroni

Do you think he knows it’s his hometown? I honestly don’t care about the hometown thing and I doubt it’s on his mind. We also don’t know if Torts has been saying to him he hasn’t been good

You just proved your own opinion to be incorrect. Scott runs the franchise and knows nothing about hockey. Who is feeding him information? Where does Scott get his "philosophies" of how the team should be run? When he held that press conference when Hextall was fired and said he wanted the team to be relevant and be a cap team. That with a few good moves, they could get right back in it. Who handed down the mandate to Fletcher to aggressively try to win and use free agency and trades to do so. Let alone why Fletcher was hired. Scott came up with all of this on his own? The guy you say knows nothing about hockey? It's not hard to figure out.
- MJL

All of these are solid and valid points here. Scott does whatever the voices in his ear tell him that he should do since Scott clearly knows nothing about hockey. If he did he never would have hired fleece me feltcher

Do you think he knows it’s his hometown? I honestly don’t care about the hometown thing and I doubt it’s on his mind. We also don’t know if Torts has been saying to him he hasn’t been good
- ClaudeFather

There is no doubt that Tortorella knows that. Same with Frost. It's not a coincidence.

All of these are solid and valid points here. Scott does whatever the voices in his ear tell him that he should do since Scott clearly knows nothing about hockey. If he did he never would have hired fleece me feltcher
- Bob Habib

I just have a hard time buying the Clarke and cronies pulling the strings. Is Comcast that naive that they wouldn’t advise with their own people or group of people outside the Flyers organization? It’s hard to think they came in and just let Clarke bop them on the head and walk around like a mummy

The fault lies with Scott and Scott alone. He made the final decision, he didn't do his job if he just relied on a few people from the organization. he narrative that Clarke has a lot of say in what the Flyers do it pathetic and grasping for reason why they are bad.
- WhiskeyMan

It'd be nice to think it's just one person at fault for the state of the franchise.

There is no doubt that Tortorella knows that. Same with Frost. It's not a coincidence.
- MJL

Idk, I also don’t care if he did. It’s the NHL, if he wants to send an aggressive message like that so be it. But Torts doesn’t strike me as a guy that knows who’s hometown it is

but you really have to hand it to torts he does punish the poop out of the slackers

The fault lies with Scott and Scott alone. He made the final decision, he didn't do his job if he just relied on a few people from the organization. he narrative that Clarke has a lot of say in what the Flyers do it pathetic and grasping for reason why they are bad.
- WhiskeyMan

A pivotal decision was being made and lo and behold Clarke shows up in town to help make it.

Yes, the buck ultimately stops with Scott. He asked for Clarke's input and it led to a bad decision. But the fact that Clarke is still a major voice at the table is undeniable.

I just have a hard time buying the Clarke and cronies pulling the strings. Is Comcast that naive that they wouldn’t advise with their own people or group of people outside the Flyers organization? It’s hard to think they came in and just let Clarke bop them on the head and walk around like a mummy
- ClaudeFather

Whenever this situation comes up, there is always the problem with nuance. I don't believe anyone thinks that Clarke, Holmgren, Barber etc are advising with specific moves made. They're not. However, it is their influence over people who are hired to make the specific moves and the overall philosophy on how the team is run. For example, you want the team to tank. That will never happen with Clarke, Holmgren, Barber etc still involved. The philosophy that the team is going to be aggressive, spend to the cap and try to win every year comes from those sources.

It'd be nice to think it's just one person at fault for the state of the franchise.
- BulliesPhan87

Would be easy to deal with.

Idk, I also don’t care if he did. It’s the NHL, if he wants to send an aggressive message like that so be it. But Torts doesn’t strike me as a guy that knows who’s hometown it is
- ClaudeFather

What kind of guy knows what hometown a player is from? He knows.

I just have a hard time buying the Clarke and cronies pulling the strings. Is Comcast that naive that they wouldn’t advise with their own people or group of people outside the Flyers organization? It’s hard to think they came in and just let Clarke bop them on the head and walk around like a mummy
- ClaudeFather

Nobody has EVER said that Clarke has a hand in the day-to-day. He's there for the big picture, pivotal stuff, like hiring Chuck. Likely he was one of the advocates for firing Hexy, too. And we know he personally hand selected Homer as his successor.

For better or worse, Scott is upholding the "Flyers Family" thing that places Bob Clarke at the center of the Flyers' universe. It was the way things were when Snider was still around. And Scott is simply keeping that tradition alive.

snider let his peeps make the hockey decisions. with the odd exception.
- hello it's me 2050

yet, I vividly remember comments on this very board that the Flyers would never win a cup with Snider alive and at the helm. It was Snider, now it's country club- this board is never short on speculations.

Who hired Fletcher, Scott who knows nothing about hockey and took the recommendations of hockey people or did Homer hire him?

Yes their opinions were taken but they do not have they much weight.
- WhiskeyMan

Of course there are others involved. I didn’t post names of only Bob Clarke, or Paul Holmgren.

The pathetic, and country club atmosphere that preserves throughout this franchise when it comes to the FO, or other departments very much involves those two idiots however.

Whenever this situation comes up, there is always the problem with nuance. I don't believe anyone thinks that Clarke, Holmgren, Barber etc are advising with specific moves made. They're not. However, it is their influence over people who are hired to make the specific moves and the overall philosophy on how the team is run. For example, you want the team to tank. That will never happen with Clarke, Holmgren, Barber etc still involved. The philosophy that the team is going to be aggressive, spend to the cap and try to win every year comes from those sources.
- MJL

If the folks in charge now, specifically Scott can’t see that this team can no longer spend to the cap and “compete” that is on them. You can’t blame Clarke for that. That is what you call complete incompetence, the writing is on the wall of what this team is. I think they are moving away from the spend to cap and “compete”. The letter is an indicator