My 2 cents: SQLCLR is like any other hammer, when you hold it, every thing looks like a nail! I think it is a valuable addition to the SQL Server and like any technology, when used properly it rocks. But having outperformed CLR with set based code in certain cases and also my best efforts in other being up to 3 or 4 times slower, one realizes that there are specific nails for specific hammers. The down side in my opinion is not the technology itself but the application of it. Far to often we use what we are most comfortable with, not necessarily what is the most applicable.