45catfan

I can honestly say out of the list of the final 6 coaching candidates for the job to replace Rivera, Matt Rhule was guy #6! So no, I've NEVER been in this dudes corner. I'll go as far as to tell on myself and say Mike McCarthy was my top choice. Yes, I know that would have probably been a train wreck too, but at least I'll admit that.

Richardson was a decent owner and should have went out on his own terms. Yes, yes, he wasn't FORCED to sell the team, but the pressure was there...real or perceived. I've said it several times, I think it was a hit job. Was the dude, perfect? No, but as we have seen there are owners FAR worse still in the League. I think had he weathered the storm, Richardson would have eventually sold to a football guy. Maybe not an ex-player, but someone that at least had a background in the League. Tepper is balls. I didn't like the sell to him, I didn't like the Rhule hire and the franchise has been in free fall every since the dude got handed the keys to this organization. At this point his only redeeming value would be to fire Rhule, select a hiring committee of NFL knowledgeable people to select the next HC and then stay out of the freaking way. Dude may know hedge funds, but he's an idiot when it comes to running a NFL franchise.

Yes. He's flying under the radar because he's in the Sunbelt conference playing at CCU and I'm completely okay with that.

I've said it before, 5 mediocre LBs is less than adequate to have for a top-notch NFL defense. But hey, as long as we are 10 deep are extremely talented in the DB room, that would more than compensate for the nearly nonexistent LBs, right?

"-Carlos Dunlap WANTED to come to Carolina but Scott Fitterer had his hands tied. Matt Rhule was making everyone earn their position so therefore, Scott could not guarantee Carlos what position he would be playing, or starter money, so Carlos chose the Chiefs" This is the very reason I am giving Fitts the benefit of a doubt. Some people here are assuming Rhule and he are connected at the hip. If this info is true, it shows that not all personnel decisions are from the GM down or a joint GM/HC effort. Some Huddle folks want Fitts discarded when Rhule finally gets kicked to the curb. I say not so fast, that at lest some of these decisions are out of Fitts hands and he can't be blamed for every dumb decision the front office has made over the past 2+ years. I'm not holding him totally blameless, but I think Tepper should give him at least the amount of latitude that he was willing to give Rhule.

Honestly, and this is bad to say, but if a loss today is the beginning of the end for Rhule as our HC, I won't be mad with the 'L.'

I've been saying LBs were a problem and this DB driven defense is the freaking moronic.

"Wrong route again Ian"

Baker was sacked four times. Two were on Ickey, but they said the interior was clean on sacks, so the other two were on Moton?

I'm not exactly sure will be available in two years. (ducks incoming).

We'd give the Big XII some hell!!!! Am I right guys?

Shi Smith time. Unless we get Devin Hester reincarnated, it's dumb to hold up a roster position just for a returner when they offer nothing else.

That has always been Baker's problem. Lot's of mediocre sprinkled in with some superb and some horrible.

Reid still is the play caller, no?

OJ Howard just weeks ago. (Two TDs yesterday for the Texans, FYI) We had the opportunity. I wanted too, but noooooooooo.

Is he not up to five yet? Or are they lumping all of them into one gigantic scandal?

Daniel Snyder says hold my beer.

Ickey gave up 2 sacks on 27 pass attempts. Not great, but not horrible considering who he was going against. Baker got sacked two other times as well. What make Ickey's stand out more was the sacks were on consecutive plays. Had the two sacks been spread out like one in the first quarter and the other in the 4th, they wouldn't have been so glaring.

But implementing casual Friday's...uh, I mean, TIGHT WOMEN'S JEANS FRIDAYS! I still say it was coup de'tat.

When Rhule took over this team, as a franchise, the Panthers were only 9 games below .500. That could be made up with one good season. Now we are 23 games below .500. It would take years to get this franchise back to mediocrity.

I would love to get back to mediocrity! That's what we had with Jerry Richardson and Fox/Rivera. That said, any interim coach isn't the answer, but damn, at least I can get excited about game days again. I honestly can't remember being as apathetic about an opening game as I was yesterday.

One problem, Charlotte is a top 5 city in the nation for people to move to. It's been a problem the Panthers have faced for years and it's only getting worse as more people move to Charlotte. I gave up that battle a long time ago--trying to convince people to pull for their 'new' team. It's not like they are just dropping the team they have pulled for years just because they moved to the area.

With a 41% winning record, why wouldn't we keep him? (Hopefully people understand sarcasm).

His press conference after being hired. He sounded like a used car salesman and has lived up to the billing.

Call it a Rhule revenge game and that will put a nail the coffin.