fanaticV3.0

Of those two players, if there's one you absolutely want to avoid, it's Gagne. The hell with cost, Vinny simply produces more than Gagne and has for the last several years. Both have had health problems, but Vinny has played more and produced more than Gagne every single year. I don't care how cheap Gagne would come, he's even less healthy than Vinny. I wouldn't sign him if he offered to play for free. He represents everything you all complain about Homer on a daily basis (old, injury prone, former Flyer).

I hate the VLC contract too, but he plays and produces more than Gagne. I wouldn't touch Gagne for any period of time. He's not worth the investment. You know how people say "it's time to move on"? We're so far past that with him it's not even funny.

I think the Vinny vs Gagne thing is something completely made up by fans who can't let Gagne go and want another reason to criticize management. I don't think for one second managment had it boiled down to those two.

They are currently in a PO spot. The young core would benefit greatly just from making the POs. But according to you, they should trade everyone 30 or older, abandon this season, and look to the future. Since they aren't going to win a Cup this year, they should just give up. That seems pretty stupid to be completely honest.

That's all I'm saying. I can't predict the future, though I agree he's likely to have injury problems. But right now and for the last several years he's played more than Gagne (and will for the forseeable future). If Vinny is "cooked" Gagne is a corpse.

I won't and I'll tell you why. Replace VLC with Gagne and this roster and replace him with Gagne and they are no better. Gagne does not make this team better. Cost doesn't matter if you can't/don't play. VLC will likely play between 60-70 games this year. Gagne will play 0. If you or anyone else doesn't like or want VLC, that's perfectly fair. But this whole either or part of the conversation is beyond stupid. If someone sees the VLC signing, doesn't like it, and the next name on their list is Gagne, they are an idiot. Gagne represents everything critical anyone has ever said about Snider, Homer, and Clarke: injured, past his prime, former Flyer (we don't need to change our culture).

I'm not saying VLC doesn't have some health problems, but to say he's no better than Gagne in that department is simply untrue. He's played more game than Gagne every year for the last several years and will again this year. He'll probably play more games this year than Gagne has in the last two.

Every single person on this thread who said they would sign him would cry bloody f-cking murder if he was the same exact player with the same stats and injury history, but no affiliation with the Flyers. This is nothing more than nostalgia. I never really understood his level of popularity either. People trashed the organization for letting him go the first time, not signing him last summer, and cry for them to resign or reacquire him every time his name comes up. I have nothing against him at all, but like you said his reputation amongst the "Flyers faithful" is completely overstated.

How about that Vinny Lecalvier? 3 points since returning from the Olympic break and a game winner yesterday. Still, we could have had Gagne.

You said it. His bad play here far outweighs his good play. People don't blindly hate him, you're giving him waaaaay too much credit. He was a sparkplug, but it was for a short period of time it's irrelevant at this point. He stinks.

Those people need to be punched.

Who cares how long the contract would be? When was the last time Gagne actually played just one year? Gagne is older, less healthy, and isn't even playing. As much as you don't like Vinny and his contract, it's still better than what Gagne is capable of. If he wasn't a former (and beloved) Flyer, you wouldn't even care about him. He's exactly the kind of guy you'd trash Homer for signing.

Again, if he's cooked, what does that make Gagne? If you don't like Vinny, I have no problem with that at all, but don't feed me this "Gagne is better" crap. The only reason people are talking about him is because they like him, feel bad for him, and just want anothe reason to pile on Homer, not because he's the best (or even one of the best) options out there. When you look at this from a hockey standpoint, the decision is an easy one. There's a reason he's sitting at home and nobody is calling.

Gagne's name shouldn't even be in the conversation. He's sitting at home for a reason. He hasn't been healthy for years.Considering how much you bitch about Homer signing old, injury-plageued players, your longing for Gagne is nothing more than clining to the past. If Gagne had no attachment to this organization, he's exactly the kind of player you'd rip Homer for signing.

It shouldn't be a Vinny or Gagne discussion is my point. If you don't like or want Vinny, there are so many other names you could pick before going right to Gagne.

the Olympics this year. I don't know why the Winter Olympics are thought of as the less popular/cool games, because some of those events are every bit as atheletic as the summer games. Just about every one of the skiing events requires a tremendous amount of athletecism. The cuts and turns they have to make in the downhill stuff, the core strength required to do the halfpipe stuff, and cross country is insane. Skinning on flat ground or even uphill? I can't think of many things that are more exhausting than that. And then having to shoot a gun in between something as exhausting as that? That's pretty cool imo. I love the idea of exhausting someone physically and making them perform something that takes such concentration. Some of the sledding stuff is cool as hell too. They have to haul ass when they launch (or whatever you call it). No way you can do that if you are not in shape. They are literally running as hard as they can. The snowboarding stuff was awesome too, particularly the stuff where they race against once another 4-5 people at a time. Besides hockey, there's actually a lot I like about the Winter Games. I'm a fan.

No it isn't, because if you cared about the team wasting money, you wouldn't be pining for a guy who has missed the kind of time he has over his career. If you don't want VLC, fine, but there's plenty of other viable options in the league than Simon Gagne. People only want Gagne because they like him, not because he makes the team better. Dan Cleary has played more games this year than Gagne and there were people saying he was a disaster waiting to happen (also because of health). So he "would have been" a had signing, Vinny is, but Gagne is a viable option? Please, that's pathetic.

Not that it would have been right, but I'm really surprised he didn't press the issue more. That's hilarious that he tried to force you to move and you owned him. If he was smart, he would have just told you the truth, found you another table, and given you a free round of drinks or knocked some money off your bill. People in the food/alcohol service industry can be a pain in the ass. I know they put up with a lot of stress on a daily basis, but sometimes they're in the wrong too. This situation being one of those instances. I just had a bit of a weird situation myself last night.

I don't hate anything about breaking this to you, but Vinny has played 297 games in the last 5 seasons (including 47 this year). Gagne has played 193 during the same span of time and is currently doing interviews about how he wishes he was still playing. If Vinny is cooked, what does that make Gagne? If you want to discuss VLC's play and contract, that is fair game, but anyone saying they'd pick Gagne over Vinny is basing that on nothing more than nostalgia.

Yeah, the bastard just got nailed in court didn't he?

On paper, yeah. They were already a good team and just got better. But the Blues are the Flyers of the West, I'll believe they are contenders when I see it. Not saying it won't happen, I just won't buy into it until it happens.

The places rad recommended are good, but if you are looking for something by the arena, Chickie and Pete's is worth it for the food. Their crab fries are solid and their pizza is criminally underrated. It's nothing special as a bar, but their food is good. If you want to see a "neighborhood bar" there's Philadium down the street from there, lol.

Are you serious? My sarcasm wasn't even remotely subtle. Gagne is done and has been for several seasons now. Flyers fans clinging to this guy is pathetic, especially when they cry about VLC and Streit on a daily basis. I got new for you, as bad as their contracts are, both of them still contribute and are better options than a constantly injured player who was burnout by his late 20s. Hell, he had trouble staying healthy in his prime. If Gagne had no previous affiliation to this team and Homer went out and signed him there would be an uproar.

I agree with his production. I don't like his contract either, but I'm really not unhappy with his numbers at all. He's likely going to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 points and I'm ok with that. I have to disagree that the team desperately needs him though. What the team desperately needs (besides a winger) is defenseman who can play in their own end. I'm not diminishing his numbers, I just said I'm happy with him, but if there's one pet peeve I have it's when people talk about offense (from defense) when the team obviously needs defense. I hate it when somebody says the team needs to improve team D and the first thing they mention when talking about acquiring players is a one-way, offensive defenseman. I completely understand the need of getting some points from the blueline, but can't stand it when that is confused for "defense".

Nope, not a single one. In fact, I made an effort not to. What kind of dumb question is this? Even you admit he's not worth a roster spot and he still remains jobless. Who'd thunk that one