Steve Wilks refutes the media's perception that the Panthers "tried to tank this year"

[SmokinwithWilly]

56 minutes ago, mav1234 said:

We won't. He very clearly said afterwards he meant things around the team, not from inside.

There's no way you can look at this team and think it's tanking. What decisions were made to do so?  Trading away our best offensive player? Ok, but he may have lowkey requested a trade (esp given where he ended up), and we had good backs behind him.  Refusing the Burns trade is 100% strong evidence we weren't trying to tank, as was firing Rhule.

The Colts hiring Saturday would be a better example of a team trying to tank.

[PantherPhann89]

The title is an inaccurate statement! If you listen to Wilks press conference, the media reports leaves out him saying "are" they trying to talk it. Meaning these were the rumors going around. SMH...

[GRWatcher]

4 hours ago, mav1234 said:

If you want to hear his response to judge if you think he's bullshitting, see ~7:47 for a question from (Joe Person? not sure) on what Wilks meant by the organization tanking:

https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaPanthers/videos/808612346900965 ( don't know how to link facebook vides to time stamps)

I hate Panthers press conferences. I can't hear the questions being asked.

[mccjeff]

11 hours ago, poundaway said:

Believe what you want, you're going to anyway.

The irony is strong with this one

[Mr. Scot]

10 hours ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

The Colts hiring Saturday would be a better example of a team trying to tank.

Nah. Irsay is just that dumb.

(or that drunk, take your pick)

[ForJimmy]

We should probably change the subject of this thread as it is very misleading...

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, ForJimmy said:

We should probably change the subject of this thread as it is very misleading...

Seconded 

[rayzor]

i tried to fix the title

[CRA]

20 hours ago, Saca312 said:

This is certainly an interesting statement. Whether intentional or unintentional, could be some implications that come along this:

Now, it would be no surprise if the Panthers tried tanking behind the scenes. That much is obvious as to why they'd do that. But it is interesting that Wilks made a public statement like this...

What say you?

They clearly attempted to call it a season once Rhule was fired.  In terms of caring about winning. Can't really debate that.  They traded freaking CMC. 

what was beyond their control was how horrific the NFCS is and other teams on the schedule. 

[Mr. Scot]

13 minutes ago, rayzor said:

i tried to fix the title

Works for me 

[klumme]

Did Wilks just admit killing JFK? That clearly sound that way, belive what you want.

[CL1022]

Personally this feels like I’m watching a presser of Lou from the movie Major League. I think the mystery word in question isn’t “are” or “our”, I think it’s “or”. “Coaching changes”, OR “players traded” OR “the organization trying to tank it.” 
 

I think he stood down quickly and intelligently by clarifying that he meant outside media. But I think it was a slip that he admitted the organization wasn’t “expecting to win”, while not necessarily implying they were “trying to lose”. 
 

Who cares? We are winning. Let’s just go win the division and enjoy a home playoff game for the first time in 7 years. But I do think it’s funny that we probably did think  we were tanking (as an organization), but reality is even a “failed HC position coach” made this team a playoff caliber contender. Shows how much it really was Rhule all along. 
 

(IMHO)

[poundaway]

Here's the full answer from youtube transcript:

Again as I expressed man I'm just so  thrilled and so happy uh for those guys  in the locker room coaches do a  tremendous job uh and and game planning  and putting these guys in position but  all the credit goes to those players and  how they go out there and perform and  finish and with everything that you know  we've gone through they've gone through  with the different you know coaching  changes you know getting rid of players  or the organization trying to tank it  you know all those different things and  to see how those guys respond and came  out and played today it is pretty uh  thrilling and emotional yes .

[poundaway]

6 hours ago, CL1022 said:

Personally this feels like I’m watching a presser of Lou from the movie Major League. I think the mystery word in question isn’t “are” or “our”, I think it’s “or”. “Coaching changes”, OR “players traded” OR “the organization trying to tank it.” 
 

I think he stood down quickly and intelligently by clarifying that he meant outside media. But I think it was a slip that he admitted the organization wasn’t “expecting to win”, while not necessarily implying they were “trying to lose”. 
 

Who cares? We are winning. Let’s just go win the division and enjoy a home playoff game for the first time in 7 years. But I do think it’s funny that we probably did think  we were tanking (as an organization), but reality is even a “failed HC position coach” made this team a playoff caliber contender. Shows how much it really was Rhule all along. 
 

(IMHO)

youtube thought it was "or".

In any event I agree with your assessment.  Wilks was speaking the truth.