Mr. Scot

Yeah, like that guy Belichick, opting for the field goal on 4th and goal at the 2 with his team down by 10 points. That guy is just gutless!

Hadn't thought of it being the guy's agent. That could make sense. He'd probably be wiser not to get his name out there though. That could definitely irk the team.

I could go for that.

Belichick opts for the field goal two scores down with his team at 4th and goal from the 2 yard line. Man, that guy just has no balls

Vick hurt in Philly. Shocking, I know

Yep. Seriously doubt the organization wanted this information out there. I agree with doing the preliminary work now, but no, you don't want this known.

I don't think it's really an "active search" at this point, only preliminary stuff "just in case". Nobody knows. Likely suspect would be whomever the candidate in discussion is, but that's all speculation.

Our old friend LeGarrette Blount fumbled away the ball up in New England

Luke Joeckel carted off the field against Saint Louis

Gotcha. Perry Fewell probably would have gotten a bigger reaction

Why would Dave Gettleman need to do a background search on anyone in the Giants organization?

On Fox, Howie Long picks Carolina. Michael Strahan picks the Cardinals. Spite, perhaps?

Distinct possibility, especially given that it's counterproductive for the team to leak it. I'm probably one of the few people old enough to get that reference. Young bucks probably think you're talking about Manning

I'm withholding judgment on whether it was the right decision to retain Rivera till later in the season. And honestly, I don't think it reflects badly on us unless we leaked it, which I have a hard time buying into. Not saying I know more than you, but believing that what's being said here indicates "contact" requires reading something into it that isn't being said. The only definitive statement we have is that they're doing background checks. Saying one guys knows about it and saying we contacted him are very different conclusions, one supported by facts, one not. There's no indication that he's contacted anybody. All we know about is "background checks" which don't require, and generally don't involve, contact with the person being checked out.

Disagree. I think it's smart for them to start doing their research now "just in case". It's a negative that it became public knowledge, but the fact that they're doing it doesn't bother me at all.

Actually I have. It's online right here (NFL.com) Exact Quote: "The Panthers are laying the foundation for a possible coaching search after this season, doing background checks on candidates so much so that one candidate actually knows that the team is interested in them." No statement that there's been actual contact. Just background searches that one guy knows about. As we found out last week, neither will Rivera. I thought he handled that admirably.

Very possible.

Read the full context... Per the source, background checks only. The candidate 'knowing' doesn't imply contact.

NFL News: Calvin Johnson not playing today (ouch)

You also risk making Rivera look like a lame duck, which potentially affects the product on the field this season. And they're not technically "looking for a new coach" at this point. They're just laying the foundation for if they do. We're only talking about a background check. You don't have to contact someone to do a background check. No restrictions would apply at all.

From Peter King (MMQB) He signed a long term extension at Stanford less than a year ago and he's made similar string statements every time he's been asked. Yeah, anything can happen, but I seriously doubt he's coming to the NFL. And if he eventually does, it's highly unlikely it will be with an East Coast team.

Actually it makes perfect sense. These guys are making career decisions. Who the head coach ia has a pretty big effect on that career. I think it's more accurate to say the Panthers have been tight-lipped under Richardson. Either way, Gettleman doesn't strike me as the type to work through an intermediary. I'd say if he wants to tell you something, he'll just tell you himself.

I'd bet against it being a deliberate leak. The Panthers are notoriously tight-lipped and don't really like it when people peek behind the curtain. Having it out there means people will ask questions they probably don't want to answer. I suspect if it was something they wanted Rivera to know, they'd just tell him (and who knows, they might have)

It has the potential to be. As an example, you're trying to negotiate an extension with Greg Hardy. Hardy, who likes Rivera, hears that you're looking into replacing him. That news may then become a factor for his decision making. Ditto other players who like Rivera (and remember we have a lot of one year contracts on this team). As you get later in the season, guys start thinking about next year anyway, especially if they're gonna be free agents. Naturally I hope it doesn't become a distraction, but it most definitely could be.

I think he's right to be doing it. Having it known to the public though? Not really a good thing. He'll need to 'defend' it to Rivera, who I honestly think will understand that it's just business. The people more likely to be angered by it though? The players. Rivera is very well liked in the locker room. And although they too may understand it's "just business", I'd still expect some will take offense to the news. No, Gettleman doesn't have to apologize for doing his job. But he doesn't want anything distracting the team, so he'll want to smooth this over.