It’s fitting that the ultimate Flyers Fan Favorite has his birthday right in the middle of our run down for the favorites on the team going into the 2009-10 season. Today of course Bobby Clarke turns 60 and is still a part of the great city of Philadelphia.
It’s no question that he has been offered other GM positions, but since handing off the reigns to his successor Paul Holmgren he has still remained a part of the city that he loves; a part of the city that loves him for everything he brought to it.
You can still see him pop into the media spotlight from time to time with in-your-face comments when he thinks the league has done something stupid. If you don’t believe me then go ahead and read this:
“Paul Holmgren will ask me questions of things I’ve gone through in similar situations -- talk to me about making trades,” Clarke said of his role on the team. “He uses me to talk to so he can bounce things off of me because of my experience.
“For me, it keeps me with the Flyers, it keeps me involved in the game and you still sleep better at night in this position,” Clarke said with a laugh.
The Flyers have consistently been a tough team to play against throughout its history, owning the NHL’s second-best all-time winning percentage behind the Montreal Canadiens. Clarke attributes that to the tremendous support of owner Ed Snider.
“We were allowed to spend the money, we always tried to win,” Clarke said. “We didn’t do what Pittsburgh did; lose seven years in a row so they could get good. They did it twice, in fact. They went through six or seven different owners. We’ve had one owner.”
Clarke finds the strategies of some current teams appalling when considering the way other organizations have built competitive teams.
“It’s somewhat embarrassing that three of the last teams (in the 2009 playoffs) missed the playoffs six or seven years in a row; Washington, Chicago, and Pittsburgh,” he said. “Now they’re good and the teams that try to win all the time get penalized. Our philosophy has never changed since 1967.”
Although Clarke was never able to capture a Stanley Cup in the front office, it wasn’t for lack of effort or desire.
“We do everything we can to win; it is our responsibility to our fans.”
I think that one little section of text explains more about Bobby Clarke than entire novels. He doesn’t just hate losing, he flat out refuses to. He still loves the city and still loves the Flyers. There is a reason he’s a legend. So happy 60th Bobby Clarke! Thanks for 40 years (drafted in ’69, still here in ’09).
And so, with Bobby Clarke in mind we enter the final opening round face-offs for the 2009 Flyers Fan Favorite. In the last segment Giroux got 15 votes to Powe’s goose-egg and Hartnell beats out Parent 11 to 3.
Sorry for not having a “fancy” chart this time, but I’m a little swamped. MS Paint takes a while, and I basically have to go out and get another copy of Photoshop. This thing is still mad at me.
You get the basic gist though. These should be at least a little more interesting. Final bouts of the opening round:
4. KIMMO TIMONEN vs. 5. DANNY BRIERE
and
4. BRAYDON COBURN vs. 5. RAY EMERY
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