Flyers

I’m Developing a Man Crush on New Inquirer Columnist Mike Sielski

By Kyle Scott

Published: Oct 8th, 2013 · 10:03 AM EDT

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Mike Sielski, the former Wall Street Journalererer turned Inquirer columnist who pressed Ed Snider yesterday, is quickly becoming my favorite local scriptual. He takes Snider and the Flyers to task today in this column, which feels like the grammatical equivalent of whipping a stubborn mule with a leather belt:

The Flyers’ lack of patience, their unwillingness to consider a longer view or embrace an innovation before it’s already become old hat, their reliance on the tired cliché of “Flyers hockey” – together, those factors have created a vicious cycle that has kept them from achieving their ultimate goal.

The foundations of their franchise, as Berube said, are “character, hard work, competitiveness” – intangibles that are meaningless without the necessary talent or tactics. They pat themselves on the back, as Snider did Monday, for doing whatever it takes, for acting immediately in the name of chasing championships. Still, they apparently never stop to wonder whether that very approach contributes to their failure to win another Cup.

That’s just a taste. Your assignment for the day is to read this. Report back and discuss in the comments.