Sports Blog

When the players stop responding - and just plain stop listening - it’s time to go. When Ed Snider promised “more changes” after the Philadelphia Flyers were thumped 9-1 by the Buffalo Sabres last Tuesday, there was speculation Ken Hitchcock would be out. I didn’t expect the departure of Bobby Clarke as well. The official line is he resigned. If so, I guess he saw the writing on the wall. There really was no way out this season - considering the Flyers 1-6-1 start.

One major shortcoming that will always follow Bobby Clarke around was his inability to ever snag a top-notch Goaltender - a major reason the team failed in their most recent trip to the Stanley Cup final in 1997. Also a major factor in their round one loss to the Sabres in last year’s playoffs.

But the bottom line? Clarke built a pre-lockout type team in the post-lockout world - big, slow players, unable to find the back of the net. The Flyers have scored 15 goals in 8 games (1/3 by Simon Gagne). The powerplay is non-existent - a dismal 4-55. The defense hasn’t scored a single goal this season.

And think back to some of the moves Clarke didn’t make over the summer. He passed on the speedy Anson Carter. And what about Mike Grier?

I’ll miss Bob Clarke and his irreverent style - from his feud with Eric Lindros in 2000 to his classless remarks about the late Roger Nielsen and his plight with Cancer.

Clarke also recently showed us glimpses of his crafty side, tendering an offer sheet to restricted free agent, Ryan Kesler, thus forcing the Canucks to up the ante to keep him.

The Flyers lost 2 key players to retirement this year - Keith Primeau and Eric Desjardins - and let’s face it, Peter Forsberg is a very reluctant leader. Ken Hitchcock spent the summer trying to convince Forsberg to accept the role. That alone should have been message enough to seek out another leader on this team. But who? Who indeed.

Last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Bobby Clarke confirmed he contacted Jay Grossman, agent to 38-year-old defenseman, Brian Leetch. I doubt Brian Leetch has any desire to enter the Philly wasps nest, so strike Philadelphia as a possible destination for Leetch.

The Philadelphia payroll currently stands at $42.3 million, leaving them with about $2 million to play with. And this is their 40th year in the NHL. If they are to recapture the glory of the 1970s teams, a total rebuilding is needed. And this season - unless they undergo a major transformation in attitude, effort and results, they will stumble all the way to the bottom of the Eastern Conference - and it will be a long climb back. And it will be a long season if this team has lost total confidence in itself - something that is becoming increasingly obvious.

I hope the Philly fans are a patient lot - who am I kidding?