You and me both!
I think a majority recognize there was an era of great quality under Shooter, and it turned to shit pretty much the moment he was fired. Most of the classic runs (AVENGERS, X-MEN, SPECTACULAR SPIDERMAN, AMAZING SPIDERMAN, DR STRANGE, THOR, FF, POWER MAN/IRON FIST, DAREDEVIL, MICRONAUTS, KA-ZAR, MOON KNIGHT...) happened on Shooter's watch. I don't think that quantity of consistent quality just magically happened.
Shooter was notoriously hard on creators, and overstepped and quashed some of their more inane ideas. Hence the flight to DC by many creators , and then Shooter being fired. But in the end it only showed that if Editors give creators too much freedom it totally destroys the cohesive universe and it's continuity. IMo.
