Mario, over the past few weeks/months I feel that our relationship has grown. you have cut down on your negativity a lot (new guys here, he really has) and you posts are legitimate at this point. Everyone here fully understands what you would do if you were Homer about a bunch of different situations. Well just for kicks, lets give you the GM duty for the next three years (this season being 2010, then 10-11, 11-12, and 12-13). You keep saying all the moves we should make in different instances, but never a fully diagrammed plan. Your in game hockey knowledge exceeds mine by a lot (I only played one year of ice, plenty of roller, and am an avid FlyGuys watcher. I am very good at NHL 10, put that to my overall video game ability and slight hockey knowledge.), but I have a pretty good feel for the game. I understand basic strategy, and when we score or give up a goal, I am usually able to point out exactly where we went wrong and where they went correct. Anyway, my point is, map something out for exactly what you would do with this team starting at this deadline. Considering we don't have a game tonight and you will have nothing to complain about (sorry, had to throw that one in there, its all in good fun), how would you rebuild. In the other post you said that it could take anywhere from 1-2 years, to possibly even 4 if we made a tremendous mistake. Well I'm guessing that the mistake you are talking about is a front office mistake, not a crazy injury or something like that, but if you were in controll you wouldn't make that mistake.

Before I hand the mic over to you I wish to do two things. Number one, defend Homer in some circumstances on why we have the cap problems we do. Like we mentioned before, this town doesn't accept missing the playoffs. After he saw that the team was going down hill four years ago, he knew that he needed to make some moves quickly to keep his job. Kimmo, Hartnell, Lupul, Briere, and Biron were the moves that he could make AT THAT TIME to keep that team competitive EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATLEY. Like we said before, the econemy might have thwarted his plan, in that he didn't have enough room to work down the road (now) but he did get the team good again for the next years campaign. Where he went wrong in my opinion was "selling house" for Claude Girioux. For that first year where we were good, I really have no complaints. I took the year off from the lock out, and was pumped about hockey. After we were horrible for the first ten games or so, I couldn't bear to watch anymore (call me a fair weather fan, but I was right there the next year. It literally made me sick to my stomach to see my beloved Orange And Black fail, after seeing them exceed every year of my life that I can remember (I'm 19, so they literally were good from the time that I could say "Let's Go Flyers")). The next year we rebuilt and were competitive. That was awesome. The next year we had essentially the same team, with the additions of Metropolit for Dowd, and the back end of our D was boulstered with Ossi Vannanen and Steve Eminger, along with rookie Luca Sbisa who was there due to injuries. Losing Umburger SUCKED. He was my favorite Flyer, but we essentially got Pronger for him (Umberger for a pick, getting Sbisa. Our later pick we traded for Eminger, who went for Carle. Sbisa was packaged for Pronger. Essentially we gave up Umburger, Sbisa, Lupul, and Eminger for Carle and Pronger). That year Claude Giroux came up early. Played OK. Then when he came up late, for Briere's second injury stint he excelled. Instead of being patient and waiting for a move after Briere was ready to come back, Homer through away Metro (loss to waivers),  Vannanen (ditto), and Upshall (for Carcillo). All of this was done so we could fit Briere and Giroux on the squad. If he would have waited for a better move later on, or just waited till the playoffs so he could have had both on the roster due to no salary restrictions, this team would be better off. This offseason I think he did pretty well, and this season he's done a good job, with the exception of Jones. I really like Kreijek and the OKT trade. Like I've said before if this team gets hot, they can win. If they play 60 minutes of hockey they are built like a cup contender: Three legitimate scoring lines, a great checkign line, two pairs of shut down D-men, and now a solid third pair. We are OK in net, but the rest of the team should make up for it.

Now that I have defended homer, MarioD, I give you full opportunity to tear him apart in what he has done. Then you can be creative in your "your fired" speech, and then do what you do, and break down how you would take the organazation from here.

And Mario, by no means was I trying to be ignorant with any of this towards you, I would just like to hear your full out opinion because you obviously know your shit. You have given us bits and pieces, so now it's time for the real thing fully layed out.

-ONB20