Mr. Scot

Hell, at this point, he might actually be glad they took his statue away.

I got this story from someone who worked there. The team was having a year when they were unable to hand out Christmas bonuses or some such. Jon drew some cash from his personal account, gathered the people under him together and gave them hundred dollar bills out of his own pocket. He even told them all he was sorry he couldn't do more. Well Mark (because he was a pissy little b-tch) complained about it. He said it made him look like an a--hole. Mind you, he already looked like an a--hole, so status quo. But it became a huge deal regardless. If I remember correctly, Mark still owns some small percentage of the team, but nowhere near what it was.

I also grew up in an era where you could do something ignorant without worrying that someone was gonna film it and upload it to the internet so the world could laugh at you... forever

Valid. Never affected thousands of fans and a billion dollar business when I screwed up, though.

He did a radio interview a while back where he claimed he was the runner up in the final bidding. it was bullsh-t, of course. He didn't have anything close to the money it would have taken.

I don't. The good son (Jon) passed away. The other one (Mark) was universally hated by everyone who had to work with him. Tepper is crap, but Mark Richardson wouldn't have been any better.

Starting to think Matt Rhule is some unholy mix of Bill O'Brien and Jack Easterby all in one

Well, according to Albert Breer, it sounds like the plan is not only to keep Rhule on place, but also for him to continue having the power to do anything he wants.

We might have an even dumber owner than Cal McNair.

The thought of Matt Rhule coming back at all is bad enough. The idea that he could come back retaining full power in his job and with the endorsement to do whatever he feels he needs to do, though? That's high octane nightmare fuel.

If Albert Breer is right, then not only will Rhule stick around but his power won't be diminished in the slightest. He can sign, trade for and trade away anybody or anything he wants.

From the article... “No, I’ve never noticed anything,” Rhule said when asked if there was a disconnect between he and the locker room. “I’ve never had anyone say anything to me. It’s hard for me to comment on anonymous sources like that. I think we have a good locker room full of guys working hard from all different places. So I’ve never seen anything.” Oh, the dysfunction is 1000% there, Matt. You just can't see it

I definitely get the sense that Tepper wants to be known as the kind of owner that will go all in. Unfortunately, he seems to be the kind of owner that will go all in holding a pair of threes

"Any thought that Rhule might not be as free to go nuts and sell off assets to land the right triggerman this offseason can probably be dismissed." That sentence terrifies me. Rhule not only remaining in charge but also still having free reign to do as he pleases? Mother of...

What say we trade away a sh-tload of picks while we're at it?

I agree he was trying to be balanced, but the comeback answer to Robby Anderson's question by itself was burn unit worthy.

That article was really friggin' rough.

There is some balance in it, but the overall picture that the article paints is bad...real bad. (and it deserves to be)

Writing for The Athletic gives him way more freedom than writing for The Observer did.

How many of those seasons saw the head coach who guided us to them given another year?

Another excerpt, one that echoes what a couple of guys on here have said regarding team employees not liking Rhule's management style... Rhule said his process is “1,000 percent working,” even if the results don’t show it. There is growing skepticism among some Panthers players about whether that’s the case. Many of the 20-plus players, staffers, team and league sources interviewed for this story believe the same attributes that made Rhule a successful college coach are undermining his efforts in the NFL. They say Rhule — like a lot of ex-college coaches used to controlling every facet of the program — has the tendency to micromanage “everything that touches football,” as one source put it. Rhule has the final say on roster decisions, although he called that a formality when general manager Scott Fitterer was hired in January, saying the two would work collaboratively. Fitterer said the arrangement is similar to the setup in Seattle with head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider. But where Carroll had been an NFL and college head coach before being hired in Seattle in 2010, Rhule’s only previous NFL experience was a one-year stint as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach in 2012 under Tom Coughlin. Rhule, who turns 47 in January, has leaned heavily on his Temple and Baylor connections in building his staff and roster. And though more than half of the assistants on Rhule’s first Panthers staff had at least some NFL experience, none had been an NFL head coach or coordinator. “The proof’s in the pudding,” said one veteran personnel official. “The product on the field is bad.”

More from the article... The defense has been the strength of the team, but it’s built on speed and athleticism, which makes the Panthers susceptible to downhill, power-running attacks. Defensive coordinator Phil Snow’s group has shown cracks while being forced to play almost flawlessly to keep the Panthers in games. “The defense is starting to wear down,” said a longtime NFC personnel executive. “They don’t have a lot of size on defense, which is starting to show late in the year.” The Panthers have allowed 30.4 points during their current five-game losing streak. Only the Steelers (31.0 ppg) and the Chargers (30.5) have allowed more points since Week 10. Facing an injury-depleted Buccaneers offense last week, the defense gave up its longest run and longest completion of the season — both in the first half. The Panthers are tied for 23rd with 16 takeaways — a statistic Snow said has to improve for the defense to become elite. “We are making progress, but it’s not where we want,” he said. “To be a championship-level defense, we’ve gotta get more turnovers and create more plays that change the game, and not give them up.” Another veteran scout said it’s tough to say what the Panthers’ identity is, but it’s not toughness. “(Rhule) can say toughness in his mind, but they’re not oozing toughness on the field,” the scout said. “They’re soft. They’re a really soft football team. I don’t see the defense stopping anybody where it’s a 14-13 score. That’s tough football.”

From the article... Anderson said in a phone interview last week. “How often have you seen a coach go into a situation and in Year 2 take them to the Super Bowl?” The answer is 10 times, and the list includes John Fox, who guided the Panthers to the Super Bowl in his second season. Robby probably shouldn't try out for the debate team anytime soon.

Translation: "I could do better than you guys. Lucky for you I'm staying here." Im reminded of the "appropriate response" option screen from The Terminator.