39 replies to this topic

[Sam Mills Fan]

I was the first Huddler in history to call for John Fox's firing in 2007 and I'm *finally* going to get my wish next week. That doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of good to John Fox both the coach and the dude.

Several years ago, my brother was invited to a day of training camp in Spartanburg on behalf of the team who was sponsoring a floor of the Levine Children's Hospital to make it a Panther-themed one. I think it was a bunch of kids that had some association with the Children's Miracle Network that got to go to this event where they met Jake Delhomme and Mike Rucker and Mark Richardson. After practice was over for the morning or afternoon (can't remember), I was with my brother and mother as we were headed back to our van in the parking lot reserved for players. It was neat just walking past guys like DeShaun Foster and Julius Peppers giving them thumbs-up. Suddenly though, John Fox sprints up to us out of nowhere apologizing for not getting to come to the event earlier because it was happening at the same time as practice. So he gave my brother an autograph and took a picture with him which was a seriously classy thing to do. It left an impression on my brother and myself too. And you're probably thinking I'm a total dick for calling on this guy to be fired after he did something like that for my brother, but I've always been able to very easily separate the personal and professional lives of people. So John Fox the dude (just like Jake Delhomme the dude) gets an A+++ from me.

Favorite moment from Fox the coach was when he was celebrating with the players in the visitors' locker room in Philadelphia when we had just won the NFC Championship. It was a rare moment of unadulterated joy from Fox who we all know never got too high and never got too low. And John Fox was the #1 reason we made the Super Bowl that year. That conservative style of play that doesn't work too much and frustrates us all in 2010 was perfect back in 2003 and that's why we won SO many close games that year.

John Fox: Great guy, an overall good head coach whose time may have past him by.

[Not-Awesomeness]

*Chews gum and claps*

[Squirrel]

Pfft, I was calling for it in 2004.

[Unibrow]

I guess it has to be 2005. I was never the biggest fan of John Fox anyway, and with a minute of thinking all I can think of is playing bad veterans over good young guys. However, the players seem to like and respect him, which is always a plus. I guess a good quality is he's real low key, yeah the media may not pay much attention to the Panthers, but he's not melting down like a Singletary or just completely incompetent like a Cam Cameron. I think he will do well with his next team and wish him well.

[Not-Awesomeness]

I've actually always liked Fox personally and as a coach. It wasn't until this year that I thought he had to go. Its just time for a change...

[countryboi]

it is what it is......its almost a meme now

[CLTPanther]

I think he's a good guy, but man I won't miss seeing him clap, chew gum, and smack guys on the ass after a crappy play.

[countryboi]

I was the first Huddler in history to call for John Fox's firing in 2007 and I'm *finally* going to get my wish next week. That doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of good to John Fox both the coach and the dude.

Several years ago, my brother was invited to a day of training camp in Spartanburg on behalf of the team who was sponsoring a floor of the Levine Children's Hospital to make it a Panther-themed one. I think it was a bunch of kids that had some association with the Children's Miracle Network that got to go to this event where they met Jake Delhomme and Mike Rucker and Mark Richardson. After practice was over for the morning or afternoon (can't remember), I was with my brother and mother as we were headed back to our van in the parking lot reserved for players. It was neat just walking past guys like DeShaun Foster and Julius Peppers giving them thumbs-up. Suddenly though, John Fox sprints up to us out of nowhere apologizing for not getting to come to the event earlier because it was happening at the same time as practice. So he gave my brother an autograph and took a picture with him which was a seriously classy thing to do. It left an impression on my brother and myself too. And you're probably thinking I'm a total dick for calling on this guy to be fired after he did something like that for my brother, but I've always been able to very easily separate the personal and professional lives of people. So John Fox the dude (just like Jake Delhomme the dude) gets an A+++ from me.

Favorite moment from Fox the coach was when he was celebrating with the players in the visitors' locker room in Philadelphia when we had just won the NFC Championship. It was a rare moment of unadulterated joy from Fox who we all know never got too high and never got too low. And John Fox was the #1 reason we made the Super Bowl that year. That conservative style of play that doesn't work too much and frustrates us all in 2010 was perfect back in 2003 and that's why we won SO many close games that year.

John Fox: Great guy, an overall good head coach whose time may have past him by.

wow you really are a dick....

[MurkN]

[SorthNarolina]

My dad asked the Panthers organization to send me a letter for becoming an Eagle Scout and I got a canned response kind of letter but it was signed with real ink.

[CRA]

I will remember the fact he came into every game ready to do 2 things.

to chew bubblegum and kick ass........ but he never ran out of bubblegum.

Edited by CRA, 28 December 2010 - 03:31 PM.

[SorthNarolina]

He also went to my church once but I wasn't going that day.

[Cavscout]

He is what he is

[bleys]

calling for Fox's head in '07 was a bit premature.. it was the combination of '05 (no depth at WR which carried into the rest of his tenure), nothing major holding us back in '06 when we had a badass team, '07 is understandable, '08 was great to watch for the drought we went into and the unknown that could have been an '07 repeat.. but '09 was the culmination of the last 5 years.. '08 wasn't enough of a buffer for those 5 years as whole..

wait, is this the thread "when did you lose confidence in Fox?"...


I think I'll remember Fox as a really good coach who raised the bar for our Franchise, but could never get the right tools around him (that OC tool) or enough playmakers at WR to really compliment his run game (once it was FINALLY established)

Edited by bleys, 28 December 2010 - 02:47 PM.

[Chaos]

Fox is a good guy, but was so even-keel and under the radar, that I think that many years from now, it will be hard to remember him at all. He was the polar opposite of colorful. Pure Vanilla.

He'll be remembered as the coach who loved his players, and cried when Delhomme was finally released.