unverified report: gettleman cut steve smith because in 2013 he punched cam newton in the face twice in the locker room after practice

[PhillyB]

***disclaimer: i can't verify this story***

in recent years i've become friends with a number of guys who are well connected with heavy hitters in the franchise. most of them have fed me pretty good inside scoops, from locker room dynamics to impending signings. nothing groundbreaking.

today was much different. i was smoking a delicious padrón 1926 series exclusivo with a guy who works closely with the team (in a non-team related way) and routinely chats with front office staff. it came out in our conversation about the league that he's a friend of dave gettleman's from his days with the NYG scouting dept. in the middle of discussing gettleman's strengths and weaknesses as a general manager the subject of steve smith came up.

"steve smith," he snorted, contempt curling into the air with the smoke from his cigar. "let me tell you something. there's guys you love for their results but are an absolute nightmare to work with. steve smith is gone for a reason." i casually fired up the smoldering end of my cigar and asked him if there was anything in particular he meant. he proceeded to lean forward unload the wildest tale i've ever heard.

2013 was by all accounts a superb year. after a rocky start the team congealed and began rattling off a few wins. by the monday night win over the patriots the team had been thrust into the national spotlight as a gritty upstart with a flourishing young talent and a cast of wiley veterans that threatened to go the distance.

but then steve smith punched cam newton in the face.

my jaw dropped. i asked for clarification.

evidently - if he's to be trusted, and i think he is - there were major tensions in the locker room between cam and smith, who notoriously demanded cam feed him the ball, cowing coaches and players alike into kowtowing to his personal record chases. the locker room tension that year was downright deadly in spite of the team's outward appearance of success, and one day after practice steve smith and cam newton got into a huge argument. cam got in his face and told him to back off. steve smith blew his lid and punched cam in the face, twice.

the team clamped an airtight lid on it. no media were present and no one was informed. practice was canceled the next day, and as my source put it, the locker room was "on lockdown" for two days until everything was dealt with. gettleman was told about it and then began seriously weighing smith's benefit against his cost to the team's cohesion.

this, the story goes, if it's accurate, was the real driving incident behind the nebulous claims that smith was stunting cam's growth and preventing him from being able to take the tiller and command the team. thus with little fanfare the panthers cut him the following march.

 

thats all the details i've got. i can't verify the story but this guy heard the entire thing straight from gettleman over a bottle of glenmorangie la santa and he's been a trustworthy source to date. he has absolutely nothing to gain by making this up. if true this is an incredibly interesting piece of the puzzle and would cast gettleman in a new light, as well as certainly steve smith and how we remember that 2013 season.

anyone want to corroborate or deny?

[uncfan888]

Wat

[PantherWake]

Woah Idk whether or not to believe this but it sounds believeable.....

[Cpt slay a ho]

I'd be the first to say as a Steve smith Stan, if true releasing him was the right move, but the story itself doesn't really add up, something this severe would get anyone not name luke released the next day. Plus it's coming out 4 years later, interesting nether the less


Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

[PhillyB]

i know, i'm still picking my jaw off the floor

[Saca312]

 

[therealmjl]

Wat x2

[Saca312]

56 minutes ago, mjligon said:

Wat x2

A guy heard from Gettleman that Steve Smith punched Cam in the face, hence the locker room tension and why he was cut.

**Hi-jacking because a very reliable source told me this is true. I'll show the screenshot of what he said without the user for obvious reasons**

Verified what PhillyB said and more.

[The Huddler]

[AggieLean]

I'm a huge Smith fan, but I've made it known that I don't really care if he comes back or not. If he punched Cam...punched ANOTHER teammate, then Gettleman did the right thing by releasing him

[uncfan888]

If this is true, then the Gettleman bashers will have one less thing to hold against him. But it's one of those things that will never be known for sure

[uncfan888]

Just now, Saca312 said:

A guy heard from Gettleman that Steve Smith punched Cam in the face, hence the locker room tension and why he was cut.

I think that was a rhetorical wat... As was mine 

[pantherj]

He can reach Cam's face?

[Hogmolliesmaht]

It's awful hard to believe that they were able to keep something like this a secret this long.