Barrie wants bigger role, the Lightning are DOOMED

**Updated**
Yes you read that right. The Globe and Mail printed today:

VANCOUVER -- Len Barrie, co-owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, wants a hands-on role next season running one of the worst teams in hockey - as soon as he can sell a major real estate development in British Columbia.

"I'd like to have more of an involvement on the day-to-day stuff [in Tampa]. You can only do so many things."

This may be one of my worst fears for the team realized. I cannot see how more of Len Barrie will help the Lightning. I am just at a loss for words.

-April 18 2009
So I've given this a little bit more thought. There's one part of the Globe & Mail article that I find amusing:
'Barrie is president of the NHL team. A Tampa newspaper this month said he's mostly been invisible and hasn't been in town much, and was silent as the storm raged - but he has been known to micromanage from a distance and get closely involved when he's been in Tampa.' -The Globe and Mail

As fans we knew that Len Barrie was micromanaging the team for a while. Everytime there was a new trade, you knew they were coming from owenership rather than the GM. I've always felt that most of the moves was more of Len Barrie than Oren Koules. I have nothing to support that idea, but it's just a gut feeling. From what I have seen so far, I'm not optimistic about him having more control. As far as I'm concerned, and owner owns a team. He should hire the best people to run the team. Owners are not the person who should react hastily to the team's progress or decisions. Owner's HIRE Gereral Manager's. When owners step in, as a fan, and try to be an armchair GM, the team is doomed to fail. You hired a GM, his name is Brian Lawton. If you do not trust for him to take the team in the right direction, find another GM!