It has come to my attention and I have found several mistakes in some of my previous posts. Little mistakes that get overlooked in putting all the pieces together of a post when I have a lot of ideas and try to crunch them down to efficient statements. I should fucking proofread better in the future.
But on to the topic at hand. NFL fans, you know what's coming. It's that miserable time of the year between the Superbowl and the NFL Combine (who gives a shit about the probowl) where nothing real interesting happens, and the highlight of the football column is which Schmo got extended or re-signed.
Panthers GM Marty Hurney, who oversees all of the personnel contract relations, is currently in negotiations with Jordan Gross and his agent (who that is I have no fucking clue). Mind you, Gross' returning to the team long-term has been pending since even last year, when he rejected a contract clause, which would've made him a free agent in 2008 had the Panthers not franchised him. -----Since all the way back then he didn't know if he wanted to stay here, and a year and a half later we're still in that fucking level.
What could be going through Gross' mind? Could it be a change of scenery attracting him?? Could it be the prospect of working with new people? Could it be the prospect of working with a team that actually wants to improve at certain weak positions and who's coach isn't a stubborn fucking mule? (I won't divulge) Could it be that he was looking forward to re-signing when Fox was on the gravy train with biscuit wheels and doing good, you know, before that whole wreck on January 10?
We know we're going to lose our franchise DE. Peppers feels like getting exhausted and caught out of position routinely as a 3-4 OLB and missing tackles and playing sloppy because he doesn't have the energy or coordination required or to pass rush one play, drop in coverage the next, and repeat the process. .....and now we don't know if we're going to lose our franchise Left Tackle in Gross.
So in the 2009 Panthers offseason, so far, our entire defensive staff went to other cities, some of them even for a demotion. Our star DE wants out and last year we traded a disgruntled defensive tackle in Jenkins to the Jets for a 3rd and a 5th, and I don't think we got value out of that trade player-wise. If Gross decides to leave now, Hurney might as well drink a bottle of Listerine and call it a life.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Upon Further Review....
Last night, I wrote the blog below which pretty much panned Jake Delhomme and all followers. Over sleep and a hangover, I took some time to consider the mess that is our QB, and, focus, maybe, just maybe on the positives. I tried, like, .....real hard, and I almost convinced myself that, you know, maybe I'm being a little too harsh on the guy. I decided to youtube "jake delhomme+highlights" to try and commemorate a good year/career compared to "one bad game". Then I found this. Holy fucking shitballs...
Jake in Arizona game
Hmmmm, lot of forced throws, a lot of misread coverage schemes, bad decisions, poorly thrown passes,... so it's basically like every third Jake Delhomme game. Only this was the worst of them all.
The most important thing we can take from this experience is that it's most certainly not the first time he's played like this.... in 2008. 4 interceptions against Oakland, 3 interceptions against Tampa Bay. Even without throwing picks in the Minnesota game he was ineffective.
*sigh*
Jake in Arizona game
Hmmmm, lot of forced throws, a lot of misread coverage schemes, bad decisions, poorly thrown passes,... so it's basically like every third Jake Delhomme game. Only this was the worst of them all.
The most important thing we can take from this experience is that it's most certainly not the first time he's played like this.... in 2008. 4 interceptions against Oakland, 3 interceptions against Tampa Bay. Even without throwing picks in the Minnesota game he was ineffective.
*sigh*
Friday, February 6, 2009
Panthers' QB Situation per Gantt. (permission to pull your hair out granted)
Darin Gantt has, I think, completely evolved into a bumbling Fox yes-man. He wrote this article about Panthers fans "QB dreams"....
...
Well if you don't feel like reading it or got so sick of the verbal hand job he gave Delhomme you vomited all over your keyboard, I'll give a recap.
There is a segment of the Panthers fan-base that's irate with Jake Delhomme and ready to replace him with just about anybody. But the reality is, the Panthers QB depth chart is likely to look extremely familiar next year.
...no shit. C'mon Gantt my 5 year old cousin could've told you that they'd walk in with the same fucking QBs. "Replace him with just about anybody" like there's no complexity about the situation. If I wanted to replace Jake with anybody I'd suggest fucking David Carr. That's when you say we'd want to replace him with "anybody".
Basanez said the Panthers offered him a contract before he chose the clean slate offered by his hometown Bears. From the Panthers perspective, that would have brought back the top four spots on the depth chart from last season. If they were serious about bringing in a challenger for the top job, would they have bothered clogging up the works by trying to bring last year's practice-squadder back?
Gee, I don't know Gantt, maybe because there's this thing called "competition" and, you know, you kind of bring in more players than you would require to test them out, and you know, pick the best option at the end?
Gantt contradicts himself here. First he talks about bringing in a challenger to Jake Delhomme and then he says bringing back a practice squad caliber player will muddle that process. What the fuck? You really think they'd guarantee Brett a damn roster spot if they had a few guys that were better?
Delhomme, Josh McCown and Matt Moore are all under contract through 2009. And personally, I think it's more likely Delhomme gets an extension this offseason than shown the door.
Holy shit Gantt you really went on a limb there with that Delhomme prediction didn't you? Did you visit a fucking gypsy to help you come up with that?
We'll see, but all those folks wondering about Matt Cassell or Derek Anderson or whatever "next best thing," they see in the draft shouldn't hold their breath.
Aha, funny. Good one there Darin. I honestly don't know if you're reluctantly making that prediction knowing we're fucked or you still are infatuated with Delhomme like the other 65% of the fanbase are still blindly committed to after that shitter he dropped in the playoffs.
Darin may be better than those idiot Observer bloggers but his tendency to stroke the players/coaches egos even after poor performance really tire me. Seriously, 31 other teams would be out to replace Jake's crawdad ass after turning the fucking ball over 6 times, but this is Pantherland, where there's no accountability whatsoever and we just waltz in the fucking door doing the same fucking dance we did last night.
As a matter of fact I think I can sum up the ol' yearly player evaluation Fox writes up...
Player: Jake Delhomme
#: 17
Pos: QB
Analysis: Well, he turned the ball over 6 times in the playoffs, ...in one game, but he should be QB because after all, at 34 he's still young, with his rebuilt elbow, and he led us to 3 playoff berths and it is what it is.
That's what I don't get. Delhomme's entire body of work, according to John Fox, is probably grossly generalized by the fact that he led us to a superbowl and 2 NFCC games. How about the fact that his last 2 playoff games he turned the fucking ball over 9 times? Does that even make a a cameo in your fucking thought process, John? Didn't think so. I'm so sick of that bullshit SB/NFCC appearance cop out all it does is stop us from giving the idea of benching Jake a second thought. Gee, I wonder how many Bears fans are pissed that Lovie Smith doesn't start Rex Grossman because he, too, led them to a superbowl. No matter how bad he sucks or how much he turns the damn ball over.
Darin is a real trip. He probably reads the carolinahuddle, which I am a featured member of, (pat on shoulder), sees anger in posts, sips his Earl Grey, strokes his chin, and makes these smug write-ups with a grin like he thinks his shit doesn't stink. You know, maybe there's a logical reason behind this madness Darin?
Ever hear of the giant Elephant in the room?
The Panthers' QB Situation is the big fucking elephant in the room. ...And I guess John Fox would be that blue-shirted baboon ass right in front of the elephant. Oh you guys, Foxy, Gantt, Hurney, etc, you guys don't feel the effects now, but when every year feels like the 2007 season pretty soon, you're going to be hoping that "next best thing" drops to you in the draft. Delhomme is serviceable at best, and last I checked, serviceable QBs don't win fucking superbowls and haven't since fucking Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson. Every time the running game was shut down, Delhomme couldn't do a fucking thing. Even with Steve Smith and the savvy Moose running routes, his inaccuracy, errant throws, poor decisions, and tendency to force the ball in coverage have ultimately defeated him.
He should be fucking grateful he plays on the only team in the entire league that routinely tolerates this kind of unacceptable garbage play because they are so fucking stupid sometimes. So grateful he restructures his pay for league minimum, because he certainly didn't earn a fucking thing throwing it to Rogers-Cromartie all damn game.
Darin Gantt thinks we're irate at Jake for no reason. When week 1 comes and he still can't complete a pass then we'll see if there's still "no reason".
...
Well if you don't feel like reading it or got so sick of the verbal hand job he gave Delhomme you vomited all over your keyboard, I'll give a recap.
There is a segment of the Panthers fan-base that's irate with Jake Delhomme and ready to replace him with just about anybody. But the reality is, the Panthers QB depth chart is likely to look extremely familiar next year.
...no shit. C'mon Gantt my 5 year old cousin could've told you that they'd walk in with the same fucking QBs. "Replace him with just about anybody" like there's no complexity about the situation. If I wanted to replace Jake with anybody I'd suggest fucking David Carr. That's when you say we'd want to replace him with "anybody".
Basanez said the Panthers offered him a contract before he chose the clean slate offered by his hometown Bears. From the Panthers perspective, that would have brought back the top four spots on the depth chart from last season. If they were serious about bringing in a challenger for the top job, would they have bothered clogging up the works by trying to bring last year's practice-squadder back?
Gee, I don't know Gantt, maybe because there's this thing called "competition" and, you know, you kind of bring in more players than you would require to test them out, and you know, pick the best option at the end?
Gantt contradicts himself here. First he talks about bringing in a challenger to Jake Delhomme and then he says bringing back a practice squad caliber player will muddle that process. What the fuck? You really think they'd guarantee Brett a damn roster spot if they had a few guys that were better?
Delhomme, Josh McCown and Matt Moore are all under contract through 2009. And personally, I think it's more likely Delhomme gets an extension this offseason than shown the door.
Holy shit Gantt you really went on a limb there with that Delhomme prediction didn't you? Did you visit a fucking gypsy to help you come up with that?
We'll see, but all those folks wondering about Matt Cassell or Derek Anderson or whatever "next best thing," they see in the draft shouldn't hold their breath.
Aha, funny. Good one there Darin. I honestly don't know if you're reluctantly making that prediction knowing we're fucked or you still are infatuated with Delhomme like the other 65% of the fanbase are still blindly committed to after that shitter he dropped in the playoffs.
Darin may be better than those idiot Observer bloggers but his tendency to stroke the players/coaches egos even after poor performance really tire me. Seriously, 31 other teams would be out to replace Jake's crawdad ass after turning the fucking ball over 6 times, but this is Pantherland, where there's no accountability whatsoever and we just waltz in the fucking door doing the same fucking dance we did last night.
As a matter of fact I think I can sum up the ol' yearly player evaluation Fox writes up...
Player: Jake Delhomme
#: 17
Pos: QB
Analysis: Well, he turned the ball over 6 times in the playoffs, ...in one game, but he should be QB because after all, at 34 he's still young, with his rebuilt elbow, and he led us to 3 playoff berths and it is what it is.
That's what I don't get. Delhomme's entire body of work, according to John Fox, is probably grossly generalized by the fact that he led us to a superbowl and 2 NFCC games. How about the fact that his last 2 playoff games he turned the fucking ball over 9 times? Does that even make a a cameo in your fucking thought process, John? Didn't think so. I'm so sick of that bullshit SB/NFCC appearance cop out all it does is stop us from giving the idea of benching Jake a second thought. Gee, I wonder how many Bears fans are pissed that Lovie Smith doesn't start Rex Grossman because he, too, led them to a superbowl. No matter how bad he sucks or how much he turns the damn ball over.
Darin is a real trip. He probably reads the carolinahuddle, which I am a featured member of, (pat on shoulder), sees anger in posts, sips his Earl Grey, strokes his chin, and makes these smug write-ups with a grin like he thinks his shit doesn't stink. You know, maybe there's a logical reason behind this madness Darin?
Ever hear of the giant Elephant in the room?
The Panthers' QB Situation is the big fucking elephant in the room. ...And I guess John Fox would be that blue-shirted baboon ass right in front of the elephant. Oh you guys, Foxy, Gantt, Hurney, etc, you guys don't feel the effects now, but when every year feels like the 2007 season pretty soon, you're going to be hoping that "next best thing" drops to you in the draft. Delhomme is serviceable at best, and last I checked, serviceable QBs don't win fucking superbowls and haven't since fucking Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson. Every time the running game was shut down, Delhomme couldn't do a fucking thing. Even with Steve Smith and the savvy Moose running routes, his inaccuracy, errant throws, poor decisions, and tendency to force the ball in coverage have ultimately defeated him.He should be fucking grateful he plays on the only team in the entire league that routinely tolerates this kind of unacceptable garbage play because they are so fucking stupid sometimes. So grateful he restructures his pay for league minimum, because he certainly didn't earn a fucking thing throwing it to Rogers-Cromartie all damn game.
Darin Gantt thinks we're irate at Jake for no reason. When week 1 comes and he still can't complete a pass then we'll see if there's still "no reason".
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Peppers Trade Proposal Extravaganza
Once Peppers has the tag slapped on him, which should happen soon, we'll probably never know the proposals teams put forth except for the one that Marty Hurney authorizes. Sure one or two may get out, but you know there will be teams just giving a half-assed effort at it just to see if we would actually bite. You know, like "hEy We'LL gIVe yoU A tHird RoUNdeR aNd A mOuNDs BaR fOR PePPErS!" <-----shut the fuck up.
Between Peppers freakish athletic stature and formidable range and pass rushing skills, combined with his tendency to take games off (see vs. Denver 2008) or years off (see 2007) his age, (29) and his lack of either leadership capabilities or simply a voice box, it's hard to gauge exactly where he might end up. One could just assume that any trade is possible, from one that can really delight you or piss you off, depending on which team you root for.
Proposition #1: Julius Peppers to Denver for 12th overall pick in the draft. Well, no doubt this would be the talk of the announcer's table at the NFL draft. Denver's defense is piss-fucking-poor and they happen to be switching to a 3-4 this year, which is the preferred defense Peppers would like to join. Plus they're a contender, so Julius shouldn't bark at this one at all. From Denver's perspective, they get a freak of nature DE/OLB to build their defense around, much like the Panthers were able to do when they drafted him in 2002. From the Panthers perspective, they cashed in on an investment and got a really valuable pick for him in return. Peppers is no spring chicken, but Jason Taylor went for a 2nd rounder last year, and he's like 1000 years old. What could the Panthers do with that pick? ...probably draft Michael Johnson, you know, Mr. Massive Question Mark and force me to throw my hat at the television and hurl insults at the screen.
Proposition #2: Julius Peppers + 4th round pick to Green Bay for 9th overall pick. Mike Trgocrap now works in Green Bay as a DLine coach, so his connection with Peppers could help him lobby for the Packers to pull the trigger, assuming people actually listen to what Trgovac has to say. (crazy thought, right?) Plus, again, Green Bay is just another team looking to convert to 3-4 action. That trade would propel us into the top ten and in comparison to the Denver prop, all we'd have to give up in addition is a 4th rounder. When the fuck has a 4th round draft pick ever panned out for the Panthers?
Proposition #3: Julius Peppers to Washington for 13th overall pick. NFL Rule of thumb # 192903: No list of prospective high profile trades for a player is complete without mentioning Washington as one of the suitors. It's just a rule of thumb. I guess Dan Snyder sees a player he likes on another team and his dick gets hard and he just has to have that player. The Skins are not shy to trade any draft pick for a player, they will readily do it, because unlike most teams, they like to build through free agency. ...I don't know why, because it's so much more expensive that way, but they're stupid and I guess they just want to sell jerseys so whatever.
Proposition #4: Julius Peppers + Ken Lucas to Oakland for 7th overall and 3rd round pick. Hey........when your owner is Al Davis anything is possible. That would make for the biggest trade in the entire offseason, or recent memory. Pull off this type of deal and Rich Eisen will look on with shock and awe, Chris Mortensen will look on with a shit eating grin on his face like he knew the whole thing was going to happen all along and Mel Kiper's head will spin and steam will shoot out from his ears until his stone-hard fucking helmet head blows off his neck, flies into the crowd, and kills a fan. Panthers get a top ten selection and a 3rd round pick to tinker with later on. Al Davis is a demented fucking lunatic who should retire but is unconciously keeping the Raiders in a shithole. The guy should be popping Geritol and sitting on his armchair watching Green Acres and going to sleep at 6:30 PM but instead he's walking around in black Raiders jackets and getting into media wars with Lane Kiffin, -----who could probably beat the shit out of his old ass. Since Oakland could use some secondary help with Nnamdi hitting the market and cutting DeAngelo Hall loose in the middle of the season, the Panthers could throw Lucas in to sweeten the deal and draft a cornerback later on with that third round pick.
Proposition #5: Julius Peppers + Panthers 2nd round pick to Detroit for 20th overall and 2nd round pick. Detroit screams "FAIL". Peppers wouldn't be too happy about it, but fuck him, we payed him an assload of cash. Who knows. As for who I would select in those picks. Well....
Stafford and Sanchez are interchangeable. I look at some of the mocks, some people have Stafford ahead, some would have Sanchez ahead. I would personally prefer Stafford on experience alone but I'd be happy to take Mark. Maualuga tops my list of defensive players from where'd we pick. He has the size and speed to rush the passer and he's just a fucking beast. Imagine for a second having Davis, Beason, and Maualuga line up side by side. Now just contain your uncontrollable enthusiasm before your family has you committed. Everette Brown is the only first round DE I'd take a chance on.
...but of course the Panthers don't take QBs. They'll be just fine going into week one with Delhomme in there ready to throw interceptions again. The other two they would probably agree with taking. I can't complain about their judgment overall on first rounders though. Even if they stockpile talent at the same position they've consistently panned out for the most part. I just think we need a fucking QB, period. And with the kind of running game we have, plus the most prolific WR in the game and a savvy vet, PLUS Rip Scherer as a QBs coach, Stafford or Sanchez shouldn't have as much a problem transitioning to the pro level as Jamarcus Russell or Matt Leinart.
....only time will tell....
Between Peppers freakish athletic stature and formidable range and pass rushing skills, combined with his tendency to take games off (see vs. Denver 2008) or years off (see 2007) his age, (29) and his lack of either leadership capabilities or simply a voice box, it's hard to gauge exactly where he might end up. One could just assume that any trade is possible, from one that can really delight you or piss you off, depending on which team you root for.
Proposition #1: Julius Peppers to Denver for 12th overall pick in the draft. Well, no doubt this would be the talk of the announcer's table at the NFL draft. Denver's defense is piss-fucking-poor and they happen to be switching to a 3-4 this year, which is the preferred defense Peppers would like to join. Plus they're a contender, so Julius shouldn't bark at this one at all. From Denver's perspective, they get a freak of nature DE/OLB to build their defense around, much like the Panthers were able to do when they drafted him in 2002. From the Panthers perspective, they cashed in on an investment and got a really valuable pick for him in return. Peppers is no spring chicken, but Jason Taylor went for a 2nd rounder last year, and he's like 1000 years old. What could the Panthers do with that pick? ...probably draft Michael Johnson, you know, Mr. Massive Question Mark and force me to throw my hat at the television and hurl insults at the screen.
Proposition #2: Julius Peppers + 4th round pick to Green Bay for 9th overall pick. Mike Trgocrap now works in Green Bay as a DLine coach, so his connection with Peppers could help him lobby for the Packers to pull the trigger, assuming people actually listen to what Trgovac has to say. (crazy thought, right?) Plus, again, Green Bay is just another team looking to convert to 3-4 action. That trade would propel us into the top ten and in comparison to the Denver prop, all we'd have to give up in addition is a 4th rounder. When the fuck has a 4th round draft pick ever panned out for the Panthers?
Proposition #3: Julius Peppers to Washington for 13th overall pick. NFL Rule of thumb # 192903: No list of prospective high profile trades for a player is complete without mentioning Washington as one of the suitors. It's just a rule of thumb. I guess Dan Snyder sees a player he likes on another team and his dick gets hard and he just has to have that player. The Skins are not shy to trade any draft pick for a player, they will readily do it, because unlike most teams, they like to build through free agency. ...I don't know why, because it's so much more expensive that way, but they're stupid and I guess they just want to sell jerseys so whatever.
Proposition #4: Julius Peppers + Ken Lucas to Oakland for 7th overall and 3rd round pick. Hey........when your owner is Al Davis anything is possible. That would make for the biggest trade in the entire offseason, or recent memory. Pull off this type of deal and Rich Eisen will look on with shock and awe, Chris Mortensen will look on with a shit eating grin on his face like he knew the whole thing was going to happen all along and Mel Kiper's head will spin and steam will shoot out from his ears until his stone-hard fucking helmet head blows off his neck, flies into the crowd, and kills a fan. Panthers get a top ten selection and a 3rd round pick to tinker with later on. Al Davis is a demented fucking lunatic who should retire but is unconciously keeping the Raiders in a shithole. The guy should be popping Geritol and sitting on his armchair watching Green Acres and going to sleep at 6:30 PM but instead he's walking around in black Raiders jackets and getting into media wars with Lane Kiffin, -----who could probably beat the shit out of his old ass. Since Oakland could use some secondary help with Nnamdi hitting the market and cutting DeAngelo Hall loose in the middle of the season, the Panthers could throw Lucas in to sweeten the deal and draft a cornerback later on with that third round pick.
Proposition #5: Julius Peppers + Panthers 2nd round pick to Detroit for 20th overall and 2nd round pick. Detroit screams "FAIL". Peppers wouldn't be too happy about it, but fuck him, we payed him an assload of cash. Who knows. As for who I would select in those picks. Well....
Stafford and Sanchez are interchangeable. I look at some of the mocks, some people have Stafford ahead, some would have Sanchez ahead. I would personally prefer Stafford on experience alone but I'd be happy to take Mark. Maualuga tops my list of defensive players from where'd we pick. He has the size and speed to rush the passer and he's just a fucking beast. Imagine for a second having Davis, Beason, and Maualuga line up side by side. Now just contain your uncontrollable enthusiasm before your family has you committed. Everette Brown is the only first round DE I'd take a chance on....but of course the Panthers don't take QBs. They'll be just fine going into week one with Delhomme in there ready to throw interceptions again. The other two they would probably agree with taking. I can't complain about their judgment overall on first rounders though. Even if they stockpile talent at the same position they've consistently panned out for the most part. I just think we need a fucking QB, period. And with the kind of running game we have, plus the most prolific WR in the game and a savvy vet, PLUS Rip Scherer as a QBs coach, Stafford or Sanchez shouldn't have as much a problem transitioning to the pro level as Jamarcus Russell or Matt Leinart.
....only time will tell....
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
....Nothing going on....yet.....
Well it's been a few days since my last news roundup and no new developments whatsoever. Uh, yea. But that could change very shortly.
Tomorrow is February 5. On that day, the Franchise Tag period begins. Which means that the Panthers have until the 19th to slap that tag on Peppers, and put him on the market for sale. Hopefully, we get a nice big fish to bite, AKA, a first round draft pick in return. Until then, I will keep you updated, regularly, as much as possible. I'm so dedicated I've hired a cracked team of web investigators to scour the internet, call up a few team sources, and find out anything they can.
They're not the most coherent bunch, but they're more competent than the Observer's blog writers.
Tomorrow is February 5. On that day, the Franchise Tag period begins. Which means that the Panthers have until the 19th to slap that tag on Peppers, and put him on the market for sale. Hopefully, we get a nice big fish to bite, AKA, a first round draft pick in return. Until then, I will keep you updated, regularly, as much as possible. I'm so dedicated I've hired a cracked team of web investigators to scour the internet, call up a few team sources, and find out anything they can.
They're not the most coherent bunch, but they're more competent than the Observer's blog writers.
Monday, February 2, 2009
John Fox's Double Talkin' Jive
The bleacher report made this article that I got a kick out of.
basically the synopsis is analyzing Fox's baseless, effortless, careless answers to questions made by the press, in patronizing fashion. Many people in the Carolinahuddle board have said the answers are just mindless fodder for the press and his effortless answers and the Panthers' seemingly effortless lousy performances sometimes are only a coincidence.
What the press lacks is an interpreter. Someone who knows how to decipher this crap that comes out of his mouth that makes no sense sometimes you either think he is a moron or he's just telling you to go fuck yourself without being so curt. So I went into the archives at Panthers.com and dug up this article after the Panthers awful loss against Arizona, a team that they had beaten 5 consecutive times, including once in the 2008 regular season, and in a stadium they had previously been undefeated in that year.
On his message to the players at the final team meeting: We had a great season and a bad game. Unfortunately, it occurred when it did. But walk out of here with your head up high. All in all it was a heck of a season with a lot of good things. It's a good core of players to move forward with.
(Translated): Who gives a fuck if we lost we went 12-4 and as long as I reached that 3-1 goal I like to make every year, I'm happy as a fat fucking guy in White Castle. We lost but 12-4 is 12-4.
On how he would characterize this year's team: A very high-character team. I think probably as fun a year as I've ever had in coaching. It was a good combination of guys, coaches. It was a heck of a bunch to coach.
(Translated): We all got along like pigs and a fucking mud pit. Oh man all the fun times we've had. We played hopscotch on our days off, went to Applebees for lunch when the restaurant wasn't that busy and asked for a table of 60, and watched spongebob cartoons.
On if he had a chance to talk to quarterback Jake Delhomme about his game: Yeah. He had a bad game. He didn't have a bad season. He's not a bad quarterback. He had a bad game. It happens.
(Translated): Listen, Jake is my QB. He could've thrown 8 interceptions in 8 consecutive pass attempts and I'd still send his ass out there to the huddle because he's my guy, and benching him for someone else would not make him my guy anymore. It would make me a cheater, an unfaithful cheater I tell ya. I like to apply the sanctity of marriage in my relationship with my QB. You don't cheat on your wife and you don't cheat on your QB. Jake and I hold a sacred bond that I'd rather him throw his way to 0-16 than get a competent signal caller, because having Jake Delhomme as a QB is more important than winning.
On if he expects Delhomme to be a scapegoat for the loss: I suspect like any loss we all become scapegoats. But that's part of it, and we just move forward.
The fans want people fired to bring improvement. We don't do that here. We like to bang our heads against the wall repeatedly with undying persistence using the same strategy it doesn't matter if it's clearly not working and I'm starting to get a concussion and a subdural hematoma. Listen the fans are stupid. They're always wrong, ...because they're fans. It doesn't even matter if they're right, they're still wrong just because they're fans.
On if there was anything that happened that led to Delhomme's five interceptions: Having not seen the tape yet, I can't really speak to that. Probably the sack-fumble was a bigger play than the interceptions, because I think that gave them life. We started great. Even with a kickoff out of bounds early, we knocked them back out of field-goal range. I think the sack-fumble was a huge play early that resulted in a score and gave them the lead, 14-7, and then it snowballed from there.
Well they got out to an early start and I just didn't know what the fuck I was doing then. They got a lead and I immediately abandoned the run for no reason, ...even though it worked the entire year and got us to the point we were. I lost control of the team, Jake, and my bowels because I came up with a shoddy gameplan.
On playing more zone coverage pass defense in the first half than in the second half: I think they had a heck of player (Larry Fitzgerald) that caught six balls - two of them he wasn't even covered on. They threw it to him 20-some times. I don't think that's why we lost the game. We were fortunate they didn't score more than 33. That was 10 more than they scored the last time, and we turned it over once at the five (yard line) and that gave them a score. There would be a lot of reasons. But we look at the tape and we understand what happened. You just don't give the ball back to the third-ranked offense in the National Football League six times.
Well I was surprised he didn't get 300 yards in this game. Two grabs he got he didn't have anybody covering him. I wouldn't know why that happened because I was too busy unwrapping another pack of Winterfresh and scratching my balls on the sideline because I got eczema down there over the week.
On if he considered dedicating one player to shadow Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald: By design, we always had a defensive player on him, sometimes two. But we haven't done that (shadow a player) all season and we didn't do that in the first game.
We like to play weak ass zone defense because giving up 6 plays to a touchdown is better than giving up one big play to a touchdown. Despite the fact that I was facing arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, I decided to go with the same shitty defense that gave up 30 points in, like, 6 of the last 8 games in the regular season.
On if he believes defensive end Julius Peppers, who will be an unrestricted free agent, wants to stay with the Panthers: Julius, who I have the utmost respect for, he's a private person. He's a different person than other people. It's a process, and he's fairly private with the process. I'll leave it at that. I've got no complaints with Julius. I've got no questions of his commitment. It's the business part of it and it's a process. I think he did a great job of focusing on football this year and not letting anybody from the outside make it a distraction, and I have a lot of respect for that.
Peppers is a fucking mute who never talks in the locker room unless it's his imaginary friend he's exchanging words with. He's ass backwards socially, so you can't expect him to elaborate on his feelings about staying in Carolina when he doesn't even know how to talk to people or what a conversation is. Last week I asked him, "Hey Julius, you know what a swim technique is?" and he just started drooling and stuck a hot wheels car up his nose.
On if he knows in his mind whether Peppers would prefer to remain with Carolina:
I've had conversations with him; I tend to keep those private. Like I said before, I've got the utmost respect for Julius. I think those things are between me and Julius.
Julius and I are close. I've had plenty of conversations with him, including his status long term with the team, but I can't elaborate on that. I've also discussed with him what his favorite TV show is and how many call girls he orders every night, although, there is a language barrier because like I said before he doesn't know how to talk, so we usually use a chalkboard.
On how he would gauge the priority of keeping Peppers: I'd say it's important. I think most people would see that as being important, just like keeping Jordan (Gross) here, and I think keeping all of our core players here. I can't predict future.
(...??????)
On if he anticipates any changes to his coaching staff: I don't predict any, but it's still early in that process - I think too early to predict or decide on.
I know that guy Trgovac will certainly be back if it's my call to keep him. He was looking like a lobotomy outpatient on the sidelines in that game like he had no fucking idea he was even in the stadium, but I just told him after the game, "hey, it doesn't matter if you suck at coordinating. If you can chew gum, you have a place in my coaching staff."
(eds note: that was before Trgo decided to leave on his own accord)
On the emotions of the last 24 hours: Thankfully, I've done it a lot. I think you've got to get to that high before you can get the disappointment. As I mentioned last night, there's only one happy team. There are going to be two sad teams today. The reality is there are no ties. Somebody has to lose. So at the end of it all, the only truly happy person is the guy with that Lombardi Trophy. That's the race we all get in, we all fight for, and, unfortunately, there's only one that gets it.
I just mope around my house, chewing my gum and taking prescription anti-depressants to complement my already dead-pan emotionless personality just to make damn sure the loss doesn't fizzle in my head and force me to make a decision that is necessary for the good of the team. Hey, I'm just glad I made the playoffs. No team makes a goal to make the superbowl every year. That's just crazy talk.
On if any players will need offseason surgery: Not too many things that I want to discuss publicly right now. But again, I haven't met with our medical people extensively. But those are things that we'll weed out as we move forward.
Well in a few weeks you'll probably hear that Damione Lewis has shoulder surgery but I'm gonna wait and let you get surprised and pissed off.
basically the synopsis is analyzing Fox's baseless, effortless, careless answers to questions made by the press, in patronizing fashion. Many people in the Carolinahuddle board have said the answers are just mindless fodder for the press and his effortless answers and the Panthers' seemingly effortless lousy performances sometimes are only a coincidence.
What the press lacks is an interpreter. Someone who knows how to decipher this crap that comes out of his mouth that makes no sense sometimes you either think he is a moron or he's just telling you to go fuck yourself without being so curt. So I went into the archives at Panthers.com and dug up this article after the Panthers awful loss against Arizona, a team that they had beaten 5 consecutive times, including once in the 2008 regular season, and in a stadium they had previously been undefeated in that year.
On his message to the players at the final team meeting: We had a great season and a bad game. Unfortunately, it occurred when it did. But walk out of here with your head up high. All in all it was a heck of a season with a lot of good things. It's a good core of players to move forward with.
(Translated): Who gives a fuck if we lost we went 12-4 and as long as I reached that 3-1 goal I like to make every year, I'm happy as a fat fucking guy in White Castle. We lost but 12-4 is 12-4.
On how he would characterize this year's team: A very high-character team. I think probably as fun a year as I've ever had in coaching. It was a good combination of guys, coaches. It was a heck of a bunch to coach.
(Translated): We all got along like pigs and a fucking mud pit. Oh man all the fun times we've had. We played hopscotch on our days off, went to Applebees for lunch when the restaurant wasn't that busy and asked for a table of 60, and watched spongebob cartoons.
On if he had a chance to talk to quarterback Jake Delhomme about his game: Yeah. He had a bad game. He didn't have a bad season. He's not a bad quarterback. He had a bad game. It happens.
(Translated): Listen, Jake is my QB. He could've thrown 8 interceptions in 8 consecutive pass attempts and I'd still send his ass out there to the huddle because he's my guy, and benching him for someone else would not make him my guy anymore. It would make me a cheater, an unfaithful cheater I tell ya. I like to apply the sanctity of marriage in my relationship with my QB. You don't cheat on your wife and you don't cheat on your QB. Jake and I hold a sacred bond that I'd rather him throw his way to 0-16 than get a competent signal caller, because having Jake Delhomme as a QB is more important than winning.
On if he expects Delhomme to be a scapegoat for the loss: I suspect like any loss we all become scapegoats. But that's part of it, and we just move forward.
The fans want people fired to bring improvement. We don't do that here. We like to bang our heads against the wall repeatedly with undying persistence using the same strategy it doesn't matter if it's clearly not working and I'm starting to get a concussion and a subdural hematoma. Listen the fans are stupid. They're always wrong, ...because they're fans. It doesn't even matter if they're right, they're still wrong just because they're fans.
On if there was anything that happened that led to Delhomme's five interceptions: Having not seen the tape yet, I can't really speak to that. Probably the sack-fumble was a bigger play than the interceptions, because I think that gave them life. We started great. Even with a kickoff out of bounds early, we knocked them back out of field-goal range. I think the sack-fumble was a huge play early that resulted in a score and gave them the lead, 14-7, and then it snowballed from there.
Well they got out to an early start and I just didn't know what the fuck I was doing then. They got a lead and I immediately abandoned the run for no reason, ...even though it worked the entire year and got us to the point we were. I lost control of the team, Jake, and my bowels because I came up with a shoddy gameplan.
On playing more zone coverage pass defense in the first half than in the second half: I think they had a heck of player (Larry Fitzgerald) that caught six balls - two of them he wasn't even covered on. They threw it to him 20-some times. I don't think that's why we lost the game. We were fortunate they didn't score more than 33. That was 10 more than they scored the last time, and we turned it over once at the five (yard line) and that gave them a score. There would be a lot of reasons. But we look at the tape and we understand what happened. You just don't give the ball back to the third-ranked offense in the National Football League six times.
Well I was surprised he didn't get 300 yards in this game. Two grabs he got he didn't have anybody covering him. I wouldn't know why that happened because I was too busy unwrapping another pack of Winterfresh and scratching my balls on the sideline because I got eczema down there over the week.
On if he considered dedicating one player to shadow Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald: By design, we always had a defensive player on him, sometimes two. But we haven't done that (shadow a player) all season and we didn't do that in the first game.
We like to play weak ass zone defense because giving up 6 plays to a touchdown is better than giving up one big play to a touchdown. Despite the fact that I was facing arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, I decided to go with the same shitty defense that gave up 30 points in, like, 6 of the last 8 games in the regular season.
On if he believes defensive end Julius Peppers, who will be an unrestricted free agent, wants to stay with the Panthers: Julius, who I have the utmost respect for, he's a private person. He's a different person than other people. It's a process, and he's fairly private with the process. I'll leave it at that. I've got no complaints with Julius. I've got no questions of his commitment. It's the business part of it and it's a process. I think he did a great job of focusing on football this year and not letting anybody from the outside make it a distraction, and I have a lot of respect for that.
Peppers is a fucking mute who never talks in the locker room unless it's his imaginary friend he's exchanging words with. He's ass backwards socially, so you can't expect him to elaborate on his feelings about staying in Carolina when he doesn't even know how to talk to people or what a conversation is. Last week I asked him, "Hey Julius, you know what a swim technique is?" and he just started drooling and stuck a hot wheels car up his nose.
On if he knows in his mind whether Peppers would prefer to remain with Carolina:
I've had conversations with him; I tend to keep those private. Like I said before, I've got the utmost respect for Julius. I think those things are between me and Julius.
Julius and I are close. I've had plenty of conversations with him, including his status long term with the team, but I can't elaborate on that. I've also discussed with him what his favorite TV show is and how many call girls he orders every night, although, there is a language barrier because like I said before he doesn't know how to talk, so we usually use a chalkboard.
On how he would gauge the priority of keeping Peppers: I'd say it's important. I think most people would see that as being important, just like keeping Jordan (Gross) here, and I think keeping all of our core players here. I can't predict future.
(...??????)
On if he anticipates any changes to his coaching staff: I don't predict any, but it's still early in that process - I think too early to predict or decide on.
I know that guy Trgovac will certainly be back if it's my call to keep him. He was looking like a lobotomy outpatient on the sidelines in that game like he had no fucking idea he was even in the stadium, but I just told him after the game, "hey, it doesn't matter if you suck at coordinating. If you can chew gum, you have a place in my coaching staff."
(eds note: that was before Trgo decided to leave on his own accord)
On the emotions of the last 24 hours: Thankfully, I've done it a lot. I think you've got to get to that high before you can get the disappointment. As I mentioned last night, there's only one happy team. There are going to be two sad teams today. The reality is there are no ties. Somebody has to lose. So at the end of it all, the only truly happy person is the guy with that Lombardi Trophy. That's the race we all get in, we all fight for, and, unfortunately, there's only one that gets it.
I just mope around my house, chewing my gum and taking prescription anti-depressants to complement my already dead-pan emotionless personality just to make damn sure the loss doesn't fizzle in my head and force me to make a decision that is necessary for the good of the team. Hey, I'm just glad I made the playoffs. No team makes a goal to make the superbowl every year. That's just crazy talk.
On if any players will need offseason surgery: Not too many things that I want to discuss publicly right now. But again, I haven't met with our medical people extensively. But those are things that we'll weed out as we move forward.
Well in a few weeks you'll probably hear that Damione Lewis has shoulder surgery but I'm gonna wait and let you get surprised and pissed off.
On how hard it is to say good-bye to the players knowing that there will be changes: It's like that every year from '03, '05, '93, '89. There are a lot fun players to be with and a lot of good teams that don't stay the same. There are not too many teams in this league - even the Super Bowl champ doesn't stay the same. It's just the landscape of what we do and the National Football League at present time. I think that's one of the neat things about it. That team picture - you look back 15 years from now and it brings back a lot of memories.
(Okay, I don't understand where the fuck he comes from here because the Panthers didn't even have a team in '93 and '89, unless he's talking about where he was an assistant but you work with like 5 fucking players as an assistant. I guess he was just getting a sense of corny baseless nostagia here)Sunday, February 1, 2009
Panthers organization would do well to understand the Steelers success instead of just imitating basic philosophies
Well I think I made a Guinness record for longest title of a post, but I digress. It's hard to put that much perspective in a title smaller than that one.
Anyway, if you haven't heard already, or if you're so out of touch with technology you can't find a television near you, the Steelers just won Superbowl 43 about an hour ago. Anyway, this is their 6th Superbowl win in franchise history, the most of any other team in the league, and this most recent victory propels them over a tie with the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers with 5 apiece.
Now it seems perfectly acceptable for one team to emulate another, especially a team that has only been in the league for 14 years. Last year Jerry Richardson said that he wanted to be a more physical team that could run the ball well and played hard-nosed defense, and when the 60 minutes expired your opponent was exhausted and bruised. There is no doubt that this was the consensus of the brass of the Panthers, and that, of course, this wasn't the only Steelers trait they wanted to emulate. I kinda know some of the other things they admired that they didn't have the time to elaborate. That's why this piece expands on the ideas. This will be a suggestive synopsis on some of those suspected traits. Lets get started.
1. It is perfectly acceptable to desire continuity when it comes to head coach. ...Just make sure you've got a person with a good head on his shoulders when you do.
I know what you're thinking. "Oh he went 12-4, that buys him another 5 years to do whatever the fuck he wants even if it sinks the Panthers into obscurity."
Listen. John Fox achieved early success with a team as a first time head coach. It happens. It's always happened. But if he's stringing together back to back losing seasons and playoff appearances are few and far between by 2015, I'm not remembering 2003 and thinking he can still go there. Fox can be brilliant sometimes but too often his gameplans are grossly exposed to be a consistent winner. He isn't really strong at breaking down the Xs and Os and beating the other team with his mind, as sometimes you are required to do, and instead relies a little too much on just outmatching the opponent physically. And worst of all, he doesn't realize a weakness on his own team when he sees one. Too many times he has refused to fix what isn't working out, and it has hindered his progress. He reminds me too much of Marty Schottenheimer sometimes. He, too, was as stubborn as a mule, and you can't say San Diego hasn't been better off after firing him. Norv Turner came in after the top seeded Chargers went one and done in the playoffs and the next year led the team to an improbable AFC Championship game. The Steelers coaches have long been known to field competitive teams at least most years. Fox has trouble reaching the playoffs and stringing back to back winning seasons. Trust me when I say Fox is not a "be-all end-all" when it comes to coaching the Panthers.
Know when to say "when", when it comes to replacing aging, diminishing starters.
I like Delhomme. I mean I really do. But I don't like him enough to turn the ball over skatey-eight fucking times every playoff game we compete in. Just because he led us to an improbable Superbowl visit in 2003 when he was 28 does not mean he can do it when he's 40. Players' abilities eventually all deteriorate over time. Brett Favre can't lead a team to a Superbowl like he did in 1996. You saw first hand, without a running game he was shit in New York.
Delhomme played like garbage each and every single time the Panthers' run game was stopped. You know full well, eventually, a team is going to stop your running game, no matter how good it is, and when it happens, you better make sure you have a damn good QB who knows how to read a fucking defense. Jake Delhomme looks like he's confused as shit sometimes when he's in the pocket. Then he throws a wobbly, inaccurate crappy throw, and you're just crossing your fingers and lighting a candle to Saint Anthony everytime he drops back to pass. If not for Steve Smith's theatrical Ringling Brothers circus grabs, Jake would not have anyone to bail him out sometimes.
IMO the best teams invest in the future of a position well before a player is set to call it quits. The Patriots have Rodney Harrison aging every second, and guess what, they've got an equally talented young buck waiting for his name to be called upon already (Meriweather). The Panthers, on the other hand, have a bad habit of not doing a damn thing until the player retires, and then go through the pain of a hole at one position while trying to bolster it, if they didn't already go through the pain of a player with diminished capabilities starting already. Mike Minter did not play well in 06, and Rucker had two terrible, unproductive seasons before retiring, and in that span, was never benched in favor of a younger option, probably just because he had tenure, and Fox can't notice when players get old and crusty. Jeez, anyone else wonder if Fox keeps his bread way after it turns green and shit and thinks it's still good?
Sometimes, assuming a risk is a critically necessary undertaking.
The last 4 Superbowl winning QBs were drafted in the first round. Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning both led clutch game winning drives in the closing minutes of their respective games. Are you still wondering why teams draft QBs high, even if it has a chance of not panning out? Let me tell you, first round QBs get a bad rap, because of guys like Akili Smith, Alex Smith, Jamarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf. These are all QBs thrown into teams with no direction, no supporting cast, and no running game. On the other hand, QBs like Big Ben, Rivers and Eli have had a good supporting cast to surround themselves with, which in turn, helped them develop quicker and better. The Panthers do have a good supporting cast for a QB to develop on. Williams and Stewart were the best RB tandem in the entire league and Steve Smith is one of the most prolific wide receivers. Not to mention, with a little continuity the offensive line can repeat its dominance this year. This is no league to be fucking conservative and stingy. The only teams that had success are ones that took calculated risks and put something on the line in an effort to improve. If the Steelers thought the same way Fox did, Tommy Maddox would still be QBing the team into mediocrity and Big Ben would be elsewhere. Fox just has this inherent philosophy that he can build a superbowl winner by side-stepping or avoiding necessary roster moves required for contendership. Fielding outstanding QB play is just one of many areas carelessly ignored.
There's a reason they have those other 6 rounds in the draft.
Not every starter has to be a fucking first round draft pick. If that was the case, it would take 22 years of drafting talented guys to fill in every position, and by the time all those years elapsed, the guys you drafted first those first 7 years would likely be retired by then.
Basically, what those day two picks do is either A) give you quality depth at a certain position or B) give you a quality starter if you have enough patience and interest invested in the guy. The Panthers have neither. Too often later round picks never see the field and never get a chance to be thrown out there and show us what they can do. Also, some guys we've carelessly thrown out have found success elsewhere, for example Tony Brown of Tennessee and Jovan Haye in Tampa Bay. Philly had a top 3 defense this season and only 2 starters were first round draft picks. Lamar Woodley just had a phenomenal year as a linebacker in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the guy drafted right before him, Dwayne Jarrett, is lucky if he gets in 3 plays a game, let alone activated on Sunday.
Part of John Fox's reputation is the fact that as far as coaching the Panthers goes, all we have to compare him to is George Seifert and Dom Capers. But it's kinda like comparing dick size to men who suffer from micropenis. At the end of the day, it's a no contest because there's no dispute between which is superior. That doesn't mean there aren't potentially better options available elsewhere. I often find myself thinking maybe the entire Panthers organization had shifted into pure conservative, take-no-risks gear because making plain dumb mistakes in the infancy of this franchise caused it to become gun-shy even in the most obvious examples of replacement. Sometimes I wonder if Fox has his fucking head screwed on tight the way he was ready to maintain an entire defensive coaching staff after giving up 30 points almost each and every single fucking game we played in the second half of the season. Then I wonder, "wouldn't it be great if the Panthers franchise had a set of balls but knew which risks to take at the same time?"
Anyway, if you haven't heard already, or if you're so out of touch with technology you can't find a television near you, the Steelers just won Superbowl 43 about an hour ago. Anyway, this is their 6th Superbowl win in franchise history, the most of any other team in the league, and this most recent victory propels them over a tie with the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers with 5 apiece.
Now it seems perfectly acceptable for one team to emulate another, especially a team that has only been in the league for 14 years. Last year Jerry Richardson said that he wanted to be a more physical team that could run the ball well and played hard-nosed defense, and when the 60 minutes expired your opponent was exhausted and bruised. There is no doubt that this was the consensus of the brass of the Panthers, and that, of course, this wasn't the only Steelers trait they wanted to emulate. I kinda know some of the other things they admired that they didn't have the time to elaborate. That's why this piece expands on the ideas. This will be a suggestive synopsis on some of those suspected traits. Lets get started.
1. It is perfectly acceptable to desire continuity when it comes to head coach. ...Just make sure you've got a person with a good head on his shoulders when you do.I know what you're thinking. "Oh he went 12-4, that buys him another 5 years to do whatever the fuck he wants even if it sinks the Panthers into obscurity."
Listen. John Fox achieved early success with a team as a first time head coach. It happens. It's always happened. But if he's stringing together back to back losing seasons and playoff appearances are few and far between by 2015, I'm not remembering 2003 and thinking he can still go there. Fox can be brilliant sometimes but too often his gameplans are grossly exposed to be a consistent winner. He isn't really strong at breaking down the Xs and Os and beating the other team with his mind, as sometimes you are required to do, and instead relies a little too much on just outmatching the opponent physically. And worst of all, he doesn't realize a weakness on his own team when he sees one. Too many times he has refused to fix what isn't working out, and it has hindered his progress. He reminds me too much of Marty Schottenheimer sometimes. He, too, was as stubborn as a mule, and you can't say San Diego hasn't been better off after firing him. Norv Turner came in after the top seeded Chargers went one and done in the playoffs and the next year led the team to an improbable AFC Championship game. The Steelers coaches have long been known to field competitive teams at least most years. Fox has trouble reaching the playoffs and stringing back to back winning seasons. Trust me when I say Fox is not a "be-all end-all" when it comes to coaching the Panthers.
Know when to say "when", when it comes to replacing aging, diminishing starters.I like Delhomme. I mean I really do. But I don't like him enough to turn the ball over skatey-eight fucking times every playoff game we compete in. Just because he led us to an improbable Superbowl visit in 2003 when he was 28 does not mean he can do it when he's 40. Players' abilities eventually all deteriorate over time. Brett Favre can't lead a team to a Superbowl like he did in 1996. You saw first hand, without a running game he was shit in New York.
Delhomme played like garbage each and every single time the Panthers' run game was stopped. You know full well, eventually, a team is going to stop your running game, no matter how good it is, and when it happens, you better make sure you have a damn good QB who knows how to read a fucking defense. Jake Delhomme looks like he's confused as shit sometimes when he's in the pocket. Then he throws a wobbly, inaccurate crappy throw, and you're just crossing your fingers and lighting a candle to Saint Anthony everytime he drops back to pass. If not for Steve Smith's theatrical Ringling Brothers circus grabs, Jake would not have anyone to bail him out sometimes.
IMO the best teams invest in the future of a position well before a player is set to call it quits. The Patriots have Rodney Harrison aging every second, and guess what, they've got an equally talented young buck waiting for his name to be called upon already (Meriweather). The Panthers, on the other hand, have a bad habit of not doing a damn thing until the player retires, and then go through the pain of a hole at one position while trying to bolster it, if they didn't already go through the pain of a player with diminished capabilities starting already. Mike Minter did not play well in 06, and Rucker had two terrible, unproductive seasons before retiring, and in that span, was never benched in favor of a younger option, probably just because he had tenure, and Fox can't notice when players get old and crusty. Jeez, anyone else wonder if Fox keeps his bread way after it turns green and shit and thinks it's still good?
Sometimes, assuming a risk is a critically necessary undertaking. The last 4 Superbowl winning QBs were drafted in the first round. Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning both led clutch game winning drives in the closing minutes of their respective games. Are you still wondering why teams draft QBs high, even if it has a chance of not panning out? Let me tell you, first round QBs get a bad rap, because of guys like Akili Smith, Alex Smith, Jamarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf. These are all QBs thrown into teams with no direction, no supporting cast, and no running game. On the other hand, QBs like Big Ben, Rivers and Eli have had a good supporting cast to surround themselves with, which in turn, helped them develop quicker and better. The Panthers do have a good supporting cast for a QB to develop on. Williams and Stewart were the best RB tandem in the entire league and Steve Smith is one of the most prolific wide receivers. Not to mention, with a little continuity the offensive line can repeat its dominance this year. This is no league to be fucking conservative and stingy. The only teams that had success are ones that took calculated risks and put something on the line in an effort to improve. If the Steelers thought the same way Fox did, Tommy Maddox would still be QBing the team into mediocrity and Big Ben would be elsewhere. Fox just has this inherent philosophy that he can build a superbowl winner by side-stepping or avoiding necessary roster moves required for contendership. Fielding outstanding QB play is just one of many areas carelessly ignored.
There's a reason they have those other 6 rounds in the draft.Not every starter has to be a fucking first round draft pick. If that was the case, it would take 22 years of drafting talented guys to fill in every position, and by the time all those years elapsed, the guys you drafted first those first 7 years would likely be retired by then.
Basically, what those day two picks do is either A) give you quality depth at a certain position or B) give you a quality starter if you have enough patience and interest invested in the guy. The Panthers have neither. Too often later round picks never see the field and never get a chance to be thrown out there and show us what they can do. Also, some guys we've carelessly thrown out have found success elsewhere, for example Tony Brown of Tennessee and Jovan Haye in Tampa Bay. Philly had a top 3 defense this season and only 2 starters were first round draft picks. Lamar Woodley just had a phenomenal year as a linebacker in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the guy drafted right before him, Dwayne Jarrett, is lucky if he gets in 3 plays a game, let alone activated on Sunday.
Part of John Fox's reputation is the fact that as far as coaching the Panthers goes, all we have to compare him to is George Seifert and Dom Capers. But it's kinda like comparing dick size to men who suffer from micropenis. At the end of the day, it's a no contest because there's no dispute between which is superior. That doesn't mean there aren't potentially better options available elsewhere. I often find myself thinking maybe the entire Panthers organization had shifted into pure conservative, take-no-risks gear because making plain dumb mistakes in the infancy of this franchise caused it to become gun-shy even in the most obvious examples of replacement. Sometimes I wonder if Fox has his fucking head screwed on tight the way he was ready to maintain an entire defensive coaching staff after giving up 30 points almost each and every single fucking game we played in the second half of the season. Then I wonder, "wouldn't it be great if the Panthers franchise had a set of balls but knew which risks to take at the same time?"
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