The Story of 2010: Civil War

[Mr. Scot]

Today's press conference sheds a little light on the relationship between John Fox and Jerry Richardson, and what it says about this past season is telling.

The picture that emerges is that Jerry Richardson had grown frustrated with John Fox's continual preference for older veterans over young players. That, combined with a unique opportunity to dump salaries and looming labor issues, factored into the decision to go with the "youth movement".

Essentially, Fox wasn't going to play younger guys unless he had no other choice.

Richardson saw to it that he didn't.

Anybody over the age of 30 not named Steve Smith or John Kasay was sent packing. Richardson gave Fox a roster that included some veteran players, but skewed very young (second youngest roster in the league overall).

How did Fox react? He coached to the best of his abilities, but some cracks appeared in the usual cool facade Fox showed the media. More than once he talked about how the roster he had wasn't one of his making, and some comments implicitly blamed the players (and by extension, Richardson).

By season's end, word leaked out that Fox and Richardson weren't even on speaking terms.

It seems clear that Richardson wanted to force Fox to do things differently, and that isn't likely something that just started this year.

It most definitely came to a head this year, though.

As tumultuous as the on-field season was, it sounds like things behind the scenes might have been even worse.

[mountainpantherfan]

I also wonder what role Mark had in this now division between JR/Hurney and Fox? Fox seems to have thought he had more power than he did before JR pulled the rug from beneath him. I think Mark could have been Fox's ally while JR was supportive of Hurney. In the end both men are now gone from the organization. Leading the team to the Super Bowl nor being the son of the owner means you have a bigger say than the Big Cat.

[Mr. Scot]

I also wonder what role Mark had in this now division between JR/Hurney and Fox? Fox seems to have thought he had more power than he did before JR pulled the rug from beneath him. I think Mark could have been Fox's ally while JR was supportive of Hurney. In the end both men are now gone from the organization. Leading the team to the Super Bowl nor being the son of the owner means you have a bigger say than the Big Cat.

That seems like a lifetime ago.

Guess it's been civil war all around for the last couple of years.

[Snake]

Lets face it. 3 Winning seasons are just not enough. Fox changed over the years and so did his teams.

[Cyberjag]

Here's an interesting question.

Hurney is obviously in JR's good graces. The man fired his sons, and Hurney works without a contract.

As a ton of whiners around here love to note, Hurney gave Jake an extra 12 million. That was not Fox's doing.

JR wouldn't hire a new staff because he didn't want to pay Fox and his group 11.5 million.

So how much of this was personal?

[Anybodyhome]

Lets face it. 3 Winning seasons are just not enough. Fox changed over the years and so did his teams.

Quite the contrary. The game changed over the years and Fox did not. He continued with an antiquated philosophy regardless of who the roster was made up of and continued to shove that philosophy down players' throats, in spite of the fact they were obviously not suited to his style.

Instead of creating a football philosophy that best utilized the talents of the players, he forced the players to adapt to his plan. Hence, a lot of players who appear to be underachieving and even lost.

[Sword]

It probably started when he kept playing Deshaun Foster over Deangelo Williams..

[Mr. Scot]

Here's an interesting question.

Hurney is obviously in JR's good graces. The man fired his sons, and Hurney works without a contract.

As a ton of whiners around here love to note, Hurney gave Jake an extra 12 million. That was not Fox's doing.

JR wouldn't hire a new staff because he didn't want to pay Fox and his group 11.5 million.

So how much of this was personal?

From the sound of things, a lot of it.

(and I don't really think that's a good thing)

[Snake]

Quite the contrary. The game changed over the years and Fox did not. He continued with an antiquated philosophy regardless of who the roster was made up of and continued to shove that philosophy down players' throats, in spite of the fact they were obviously not suited to his style.

Instead of creating a football philosophy that best utilized the talents of the players, he forced the players to adapt to his plan. Hence, a lot of players who appear to be underachieving and even lost.

Maybe not in coaching styles but more in how he approached the game. He's teams become more soft and conservative as he went on. When he came to the panthers his team played with fire and were on the edge of playing dirty ball.

I remembered they changed the way Refs officiated PI after the Panthers dismantled the Rams offense in 02.

[Anybodyhome]

Maybe JR told Hurney he was going to work off that $12M he handed to Jake and if he didn't work for free JR would blackball Hurney from the entire league.

After all, would you want to piss off the two Redneck Mafia bosses sitting at the same table?

[Mr. Scot]

I kinda wonder now if the enmity with Fox may have cost us some good assistants

[Kurb]

I kinda wonder now if the enmity with Fox may have cost us some good assistants

Like ones that left with him?

They can be replaced and it's not like he has a coaching tree

[rayzor]

Here's an interesting question.

Hurney is obviously in JR's good graces. The man fired his sons, and Hurney works without a contract.

As a ton of whiners around here love to note, Hurney gave Jake an extra 12 million. That was not Fox's doing.

JR wouldn't hire a new staff because he didn't want to pay Fox and his group 11.5 million.

So how much of this was personal?

actually, from the way it sounded in he press conference fox had control over personnel choices. they implied (or directly said) that coaches had been given reign to do what they wanted and the FO was taking back the reigns.

i'm thinking that jake was given the extension not because JR or marty wanted it to happen, but because he was fox's QB and that is what fox wanted to happen. after last season it was obvious that jake was done, but it was also obvious that fox wasn't going to bench his QB so they got rid of him.

[Starscream]

Does JR not sound like a member of the Wild and Wonderful Whites family? Check out at 1:36 and see if they (Kirk White and JR) don't have the same voice.