If the team passes on...

[CRA]

If they draft any players other than Cam and go into next season with Moore/Clausen/Pike I will be a ticked off fan.

If they draft any player other than Cam and bring in a respectable vet option I will be fine with just about any pick.

If they draft Cam I will be happy.

they have to address QB by some means, as long as they do that I am fine with any pick pending it is not Gabbert.

[Mr. Scot]

Hurney's said that selling PSLs etc, is not part of the decision, so I doubt it matters what is "fiscally responsible."

Then again, I don't think we're going to take Green unless Newton and Gabbert both disappoint.

Which makes me glad, because only a complete idiot would factor ticket sales into choosing a draft pick.

[King Taharqa]

Which makes me glad, because only a complete idiot would factor ticket sales into choosing a draft pick.

Jerry Richardson isnt an idiot, he's a businessman. Looking like a wise one this offseason too. ;)

[Mr. Scot]

Jerry Richardson isn't making the pick. He's letting his football people do that (which is a sign of a smart owner).

Football people know you pick the guy who'll best help you win, not the big name who'll sell tickets. Only morons factor in box office draw.

Winning sells more tickets than a big name does.

[mav1234]

Jerry Richardson isnt an idiot, he's a businessman. Looking like a wise one this offseason too. ;)

1) JR doesn't call the shots on this. Sure, he may be able to veto a choice but he's not making the decision. It's in Hurney's hands.

2) Hurney said flat out that a winning team is what sells. If you win, you'll put butts in the seats. This is right after a caller told him to draft Newton and he'd buy a PSL.

[pantherclaw]

I want Dareus as our pick.

Won't matter who the pick is, i'd get on board....although with some serious reservations if the pick is gabbert.

[King Taharqa]

The Panthers dont win though and never have consistently put butts in seats year after year. Fan support is deemed "fairweather" by most. There were just as many opposing fans at games in BOA last year as it was Panther fans. I think you have to be very naive to think that broadening our appeal and expanding our fanbase plays no part in this decision. Clearly, the Panthers brass is tired of being the 3rd most popular team in the city they play in, and half empty stadiums on gameday. We are the most irrelevant team in the NFCS (used to be the Saints for years, til they won the SB), and the worst in the league. That might not affect some people's devotion to this team, but you have to be plain stupid to think it doesnt affect others. Not all of us are OK with being an irrelevant small market football team that only appeals to a very small set of people. I know some of us dont care and will still sing the team and JR's praises no matter how bad it gets. But thats not most people.

[CRA]

The Panthers dont win though and never have consistently put butts in seats year after year. Fan support is deemed "fairweather" by most. There were just as many opposing fans at games in BOA last year as it was Panther fans. I think you have to be very naive to think that broadening our appeal and expanding our fanbase plays no part in this decision. Clearly, the Panthers brass is tired of being the 3rd most popular team in the city they play in, and half empty stadiums on gameday. We are the most irrelevant team in the NFCS (used to be the Saints for years, til they won the SB), and the worst in the league. That might not affect some people's devotion to this team, but you have to be plain stupid to think it doesnt affect others. Not all of us are OK with being an irrelevant small market football team that only appeals to a very small set of people. I know some of us dont care and will still sing the team and JR's praises no matter how bad it gets. But thats not most people.

when was the last game that was blacked out? You do realize Carolina had the worst season in the NFL and still didn't face a blackout? You do realize teams like the Bucs were blacked out every Sunday.....I mean expecting a Steeler type fanbase for this young of a franchise is is simply naive.

what two Charlotte teams are more popular?

and finally, Carolina has had more success than many teams in the NFL.....and only been around a fraction of the time.

[mav1234]

The thing is, KT, the best way to put fans in the seats and keep them there isn't to get a big name prospect and then lose. It's to win. While I have no doubt a QB will generate early interest, to sustain that interest, the team must win. By the same token, if we don't draft a QB, interest may not be as high early but if we win it'll reach the same heights.

Ultimately, winning is most important for long-term interest and support.

[thefuzz]

I will continue the question the ability of Marty Hurney to run a successful NFL team.

[Jerry]

We'd be crazy not to take Darius at #1.

He is an NFL ready stud who will be all-pro for many years.

I'd rather skip on Newton and or Gabbert. Give Clausen one

more year and build the teams "inner core" in 2011. There will

be 3 or 4 better QB's coming out in 2012. THATS the time for our QB.

[King Taharqa]

when was the last game that was blacked out? You do realize Carolina had the worst season in the NFL and still didn't face a blackout? You do realize teams like the Bucs were blacked out every Sunday.....I mean expecting a Steeler type fanbase for this young of a franchise is is simply naive.

what two Charlotte teams are more popular?

and finally, Carolina has had more success than many teams in the NFL.....and only been around a fraction of the time.

Im not saying we're complete poo. I aint saying we havent had flashes of success. I'm saying we dont consistently win. With the PSL system and the big corporate money here in town, there wont be no blackouts, the games are gonna sell out. But game day support can be better and has been better. The energy in BOA last year was nowhere close to what it was in '03 and '05.

[CRA]

Im not saying we're complete poo. I aint saying we havent had flashes of success. I'm saying we dont consistently win. With the PSL system and the big corporate money here in town, there wont be no blackouts, the games are gonna sell out. But game day support can be better and has been better. The energy in BOA last year was nowhere close to what it was in '03 and '05.

with the PSL system and other seat licenses across the league.....you still see blackouts occur.

the energy was better in Carolina those seasons b/c they won games. What do you expect the energy to be when Clausen has the offense in a coma? You dont' think there was a different vibe in other stadiums when a team is a near lock for the playoffs vs. sucking epic balls?

For a young franchise, Carolina has had very good success overall. For a young frachise in a transplant city......the fanbase if VERY good.

[panthers55]

I think some people will get on board. Some of them will give tacit support but remain sketical and will use the "i told you he wasn't worth it" if he struggles. Still others who don't want whoever we pick will sit back and continue to post about how they are awful and may actually wish they fail. Of all the folks the last group is the one I don't get. If you are a Panthers fan you need to support whoever we bring in because as they go, so goes the team.

For me I wil get behind them either way. After all we will getting a good player nonetheless and Hurney has typically hit on our first rounders. Some like Beason came in right away, others like Davis took time to improve. If it is a quarterback I give Hurney credit for trying to turn around this franchise, after all it is a big risk for him. He is one though who will take a gamble for better or worse.