Face it, we control very little.
I recall advising the gate agent not to board as there were 3 hour deciing delays at Boston.
He boarded behind my back and a real row came about. I asked him if he wouldn't rather be stuck in a nice waiting lounge with phones (before cell phones were super big), a place to buy food or a newspaper or on a plane with peanuts.
He told me I didn't have the authority to stop boarding.
I said, all I have to do is disarm the emergency lights and order the flight attendants off.
Mexican standoff for about a minute.
He then got the passengers off and we waited 3 hours.
face it, captains are nothing now a days except for scapegoats when something goes wrong.