Spoke with Jim Szoke on the phone...

[Wine&Cheese]

Damn, even the older guys make 30 sound like you have one foot in the grave... Hell, I really didnt start enjoying life until I was 25, too broke to do anything but screw chicks and drink ice house. Um, maybe it wasnt that bad after all...

[jtm]

RR is not going to be fired. I don't understand why everyone doesn't get it. We are getting a new GM and that is it and it won't be Beane.

[nctarheel0619]

Good job, sir. Looking to hearing more inside info from you.

[PhillyB]

nice job, thanks for posting

[Jackofalltrades]

Thanks for the great info!

-old fart

[therealmjl]

That works for me.

[rayzor]

i can live with one one more year to prove himself. more than enough time, esp. if it's a playoff or bust condition followed by a back to back winning seasons or he gone type deal.

it's not ideal and not the coach i want, but if he can win that's all that matters.

the next couple years needs to be a no excuses allowed period. we've got to get some higher standards up in here where nothing short of a winning season is allowed, regardless of how beloved the coach is. and after that, keep raising that bar.

we haven't had a winning team because our standards and expectations have been too low. we've become conditioned by this team to accept mediocrity if we like the coach/player/GM. if that continues we'll never be a perennial powerhouse team always in the playoff picture.

[Cyberjag]

I can live with Rivera getting one more year just fine, but I have a problem with searching for a GM with immediate restrictions on him. It limits the pool of available candidates, and it also has potentially dire consequences if Rivera is the wrong guy.

You have to figure that, if RIvera isn't the right guy to lead a franchise, the best GM candidates out there will already know it. And if JR decides to give him another shot, and therefore doesn't even bother interviewing them, then we end up with a substandard coach AND a substandard GM.

[Keith Moons Liver]

You have to figure that, if RIvera isn't the right guy to lead a franchise, the best GM candidates out there will already know it. And if JR decides to give him another shot, and therefore doesn't even bother interviewing them, then we end up with a substandard coach AND a substandard GM.

Until we have anything other than a substandard owner that is what we are stuck with.

[rayzor]

I can live with Rivera getting one more year just fine, but I have a problem with searching for a GM with immediate restrictions on him. It limits the pool of available candidates, and it also has potentially dire consequences if Rivera is the wrong guy.

You have to figure that, if RIvera isn't the right guy to lead a franchise, the best GM candidates out there will already know it. And if JR decides to give him another shot, and therefore doesn't even bother interviewing them, then we end up with a substandard coach AND a substandard GM.

yeah, i can't say I'm happy about that either. i think the new GM should have that choice on whether to keep rivera or move forward with someone else.

at least it's just one year he's locked into rivera, tho. i just hope that isn't too much of a deterrent.

[TheGreatestOfAllTimeCam]

Pretty much figure Rivera will be brought back. He's not the answer, he won't get us to the playoffs, but he'll be back.

Also wish I could ask Jim S why anyone coming in WOULDN'T want Cam at this point?

[rayzor]

Pretty much figure Rivera will be brought back. He's not the answer, he won't get us to the playoffs, but he'll be back.

Also wish I could ask Jim S why anyone coming in WOULDN'T want Cam at this point?

because some GM or new HC might just want "his guy" that he can groom/build around. just trying to control more of the situation and growth.

[L-TownCat]

Did you go to the Carolina School of Broadcasting? I was looking at going there in May and didn't know any students from there to give me a testimony on it...

I don't want to say anything bad about it but if your gonna pick a school pick the Connecticut school of broadcasting. The one in Charlotte is amazing. The people are great and you get to meet people in the business.

[CLEARHOT]

Great job L-Town. BTW, I speak with Jim now and then, and he is one of the "Good Guys". Knows a helluva lot about this franchise. I last spoke to him about the Los Angeles rumour awhile back. He said basically that this team is a/will be a PERMANENT fixture in the Carolinas. (Think Cape Hatteras Light House or The Gaffney Peach)