If you’re a Flyers fan, you really need to take a step back, lose the Stepford glasses, and take a look at this organization. It is going nowhere. Free agency began three days ago and the Flyers have failed to address any of their needs and instead “signed” a couple guys they could have signed at any time because no one else was “signing” them: not AHL teams, not ECHL teams. No one.

This underscores more troubling patterns.

So the Flyers have made no moves to improve their weaknesses. Yet as season ticket holders we’re starring at a 5% hike, no Forsberg or Primeau (until he gets hit again and he’s done anyway) and no new noteworthy veterans.

I used to go to games and sit in the press box and dressing room and watch folks. I watched the press, I watched management. I watched players. No one smiles. Everyone is tense. People fear Clarke and other brass. What did I learn? What’s the sense of hanging out with a pack of angry wolves? Roenick was cool because he didn’t care what guys like Clarke and Snider and Ryan thought. Likely, he would tell them to fuck off anyway. Other players though: they are likewise tense and afraid to say anything wrong. Brashear would almost say good stuff but pull back. Grant it, the media covering the team are about as sharp as a bowling ball but they are afraid too.

When you see good people that have worked for the team packing their bags, you understand that they have had it. They won’t say it because it’s a small world in pro hockey but you sense that things are amiss … and in Philly they are. When the media are cowards, you never get to hear about how oppressive it is because those guys for the most part are wimps and again, afraid. It’s not their fault really, as most sports writers by nature are timid weasels living vicariously through the pros they cover.

The Flyers make money … a lot of money. When fans realize that this is what is really important to Comcast and Snider, then you will have seen the light. The Stanley Cup is a mere concept, the carrot so to speak … it does not matter if it is ever won again in Philly to the folks collecting the money. It only matters that you stay hooked to find out and keep paying for parking and beer and a seat to what truly is one of the best scams in the area.

At least in ancient Rome, fans got in for free. The Romans had it right: Entertain the masses and keep them happy and no one gets hurt. Today, the paradigm has been reversed.

In the past if the Flyers didn’t win, at least they fought. Fans were happy and entertained. Now, there has been a definite shift. It doesn’t matter if fans are happy, it only matters that the club appear to care and appear to entertain. If they fail, folks that have spent $400 on tickets for the game won’t say so because it will make them feel dumber about spending the next $400. We have seen a decline in the on-ice product. But ticket prices continue to climb and where will it stop? Will it be $150 for a game in 5 years? The Flyers linked their recent price hike to oil prices. As oil prices increase, will we see $150 tickets too? If the US goes to war with Iran, will Flyers tickets likewise increase mid-season?

When you understand that is is no longer about winning, you can understand that there is no real interest in getting any significant free agents. Fans will still pay and watch and if not, corporations will. Now, the Flyers will just play with what they draft and pay them as little as they have to … they could put Mr. Peanut on skates and fans would still pay.

My question after all these years is why?

We all love our teams and it can be an expensive love, but what have they done for us lately?

Where’s the love back? Where’s the respect?

I know, I know: Just Shut up and mail in your season ticket payment.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 3rd, 2006 at 11:06 pm and is filed under Bully's Perspective. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.