Clarke absolutely gets major input on the direction of the Flyers. He has the ear of Dave Scott, not Fletcher. - StepfordSam
Tired of arguing this. You are wrong. I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but I have much, much closer to direct knowledge here. Also, Clarkie stays around because Chuck wants him to, as an old friend and someone he values personally and for his iconic status in the organization. Clarke is NOT close, personally or professionally, with Dave Scott. He did consider Ed Snider almost like his second dad.
The GM shouldn't even have his number. Maybe the GM's secretary should have it to schedule golf outings and charity/alumni events. - StepfordSam
The Alumni Association runs itself quite well, thanks. It is independent of the Flyers, although many of the directors also work for the Flyers. Brad Marsh is a fantastic president. Clarke comes to some events to lend his name and support but has zero role in any decision-making, events scheduled, financial management, etc. He does not even serve on the board of directors. Homer is on the Alumni board, along with Bob Kelly, Danny Briere, Todd Fedoruk, and Brian Propp with Marshy as president.
Flyers Charities is a division with the Flyers organization. Cindy Stutman directs the department. Their work overlaps at times with the Flyers Community department (which Marshy directs along with Hound) but the Flyers Alumni Association itself is a separate entity.
[Quote] You're underselling the Clarke endorsement. It was a big factor. Dave Scott knows zero about hockey. Zilch. So he went with what he knew. And it was the wrong hire. A competent executive would've viewed Fletcher's past GM experience as a disqualifying factor.
I have been privy to a lot of behind-the-scenes information, on and off the record, about the GM hire. Clarke's personal endorsement of Fletcher was only a secondary factor as far as Dave Scott was concerned, although Homer was also quite comfortable with it and he hadn't retired yet as team president. The team president's seal of approval carried more weight than the semi-retired senior VP (whose role by then was largely ceremonial in similar fashion to Keith Allen's latter years).
You are correct that Dave Scott is not a hockey person. Bill Barber's advisory job is to explain the language of hockey ops and within the game itself in layman's terms to keep Dave Scott in the loop. (Billy does not advise -- or even want to at this point -- as far any direct hockey ops decisions).
Whether Fletcher (or Bill Zito) was the wrong or right hire is a whole separate topic. What I'm discussing here is trying to set you and others straight on how the organization actually works on the hockey side versus how some erroneously insist it does. The one senior advisor who is actively engaged in weighing in on Hockey Operations matters is Dean Lombardi. Not Clarke. Not Holmgren. Not Barber.
The key word you seemed to have missed is "IF". And who the hell cares if Chuck asks Clarke. Clarke will just give an opinion. Just let it go! - WhiskeyMan
Tired of arguing this. You are wrong. I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but I have much, much closer to direct knowledge here. Also, Clarkie stays around because Chuck wants him to, as an old friend and someone he values personally and for his iconic status in the organization. Clarke is NOT close, personally or professionally, with Dave Scott. He did consider Ed Snider almost like his second dad.
The Alumni Association runs itself quite well, thanks. It is independent of the Flyers, although many of the directors also work for the Flyers. Brad Marsh is a fantastic president. Clarke comes to some events to lend his name and support but has zero role in any decision-making, events scheduled, financial management, etc. He does not even serve on the board of directors. Homer is on the Alumni board, along with Bob Kelly, Danny Briere, Todd Fedoruk, and Brian Propp with Marshy as president.
Flyers Charities is a division with the Flyers organization. Cindy Stutman directs the department. Their work overlaps at times with the Flyers Community department (which Marshy directs along with Hound) but the Flyers Alumni Association itself is a separate entity.
I have been privy to a lot of behind-the-scenes information, on and off the record, about the GM hire. Clarke's personal endorsement of Fletcher was only a secondary factor as far as Dave Scott was concerned, although Homer was also quite comfortable with it and he hadn't retired yet as team president. The team president's seal of approval carried more weight than the semi-retired senior VP (whose role by then was largely ceremonial in similar fashion to Keith Allen's latter years).
You are correct that Dave Scott is not a hockey person. Bill Barber's advisory job is to explain the language of hockey ops and within the game itself in layman's terms to keep Dave Scott in the loop. (Billy does not advise -- or even want to at this point -- as far any direct hockey ops decisions).
Whether Fletcher (or Bill Zito) was the wrong or right hire is a whole separate topic. What I'm discussing here is trying to set you and others straight on how the organization actually works on the hockey side versus how some erroneously insist it does. The one senior advisor who is actively engaged in weighing in on Hockey Operations matters is Dean Lombardi. Not Clarke. Not Holmgren. Not Barber. - bmeltzer
Where the disconnect is Bill, is that people aren't saying that they're actively engaged. Don't have to be actively engaged to have influence. The evidence is overwhelming that the Flyers are stuck in the stone ages and haven't evolved with the modern day NHL. Until the old guard is removed and those who are influenced by them. The Flyers will not succeed.
Location: “How many times is she gonna ask this f'n question?”, NT Joined: 12.09.2006
Jul 7 @ 2:07 PM ET
They don't. Yes Fletcher and Clarke are close . That doesn't mean Clarke gets major imput. That is a myth. He is not one to interfere or force his opinions on the GM. He didn't do it with Homer, was barely even around during Hexy's tenure and he doesn't do it with Fletcher either.
If ASKED for his opinion, he gives it. Straight up, no hedging or apologies.
The Flyers hired an outside agency to oversee the candidate pool for the coaching vacancy. Neither Clarke nor Homer sat in on a single interview. Fletcher, Flahr and Briere were only hockey ops people involved in first interview round. Those three plus Dean Lombardi (the least mentioned senior advisor yet the only one who is involved in higher end stuff anymore) were the ones in the room for the second interviews.
Fletcher was hired because, to Comcast Spectacor, being a Harvard grad, former agent and longtime NHL GM whom they felt could relate to the business side as well as hockey fit what they wanted. Clarke's personal endorsement was down on the list but a bonus. Zito (Yale grad, prolific former agent, Columbus AGM) was the runner up for the same basic reasons. - bmeltzer
So if Zito and chuckles are equal is it possible Clarke's endorsement swayed the decision in chuckles favor?
So if Zito and chuckles are equal is it possible Clarke's endorsement swayed the decision in chuckles favor? - corduroy
I don't think it was considered equal by Dave Scott because Fletcher had 9 years of NHL GM experience and Bill Z had only NHL AGM/ AHL de facto GM experience at that point and they had just fired a first-time GM. I think Chuck was Plan A and Bill was Plan B. But Bill also had the business/legal plus hockey plus Ivy League college profile that drew DS to Fletcher.
An endorsement from Bob Clarke for Chuck Fletcher was a bonus to DS, certainly. But the team president endorsement -- and Homer was in on the interviews, as team president -- weighed heavier at the time.
Where the disconnect is Bill, is that people aren't saying that they're actively engaged. Don't have to be actively engaged to have influence. The evidence is overwhelming that the Flyers are stuck in the stone ages and haven't evolved with the modern day NHL. Until the old guard is removed and those who are influenced by them. The Flyers will not succeed. - MJL
