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Carolina Panthers - Sport Issue

Goodell drops the hammer

Lost in the Tim Tebow news yesterday was the severe punishment handed down by Roger Goodell to the New Orleans Saints. The commissioner hammered the Saints far stronger than anyone could have possibly predicted. Head Coach Sean Payton got suspended or an entire year and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely. The general manager got suspended for the first 8 games next season and another coach will miss 6 games. The team also lost draft picks and were fined.

I really didn’t think Payton would get suspended without pay or an entire season. I understand Goodell had to come down harsh but isn’t that too harsh? The Saints will be without a coach and general manager or half of a season. We haven’t even heard what the penalties will be for the players supposedly involved. I would imagine some players could miss substantial time and lose a pretty good amount of their pay as well.

The Rams are big losers here too as they hired Williams to be their defensive coordinator for the new season. Now the Rams have to make a hire and try to implement a new defense.

It seems most people in the media are ok with the punishment and I do agree that a bounty program has to be removed from the NFL. The issue I have is that teams have been doing this for a long time, the Saints just happened to get caught. There was a rumor out there that tight end Jeremy Shockey broke the news to the NFL office. Shockey played on the Saints Super Bowl team but is now a Carolina Panther.

As long as the Saints still have Drew Brees they should be fine but Payton called all their plays. Does Brees now call all the plays? He still hasn’t been signed to a long term deal either which is shocking. It’ll definitely be an interesting year in New Orleans. Let’s wait and see what further punishment comes to the players.
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March 22nd 2012 @ 23:44

Posted By: Raymond Mencke Jr - Category: NFL, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams
   


NFL Fever

There has been good news coming out of the NFL meetings and with the schedule being released and talk of the upcoming draft I am starting to feel that football fever again. The draft is only a week away, and while it is not nearly as hyped as years past, it still should be intriguing to see where some of the big names go. The schedule also shows something to get excited about with several compelling early matchups.

The Carolina Panthers just can't seem to catch a break. They own a number one pick in next week's NFL draft that no one really envies. They are coming off an awful 2-14 season that earned them the number 1 pick and saw an end to the John Fox era in Carolina. Now, as the schedule's been released, they find out that statistically they have the hardest schedule of all teams in the upcoming 2011-2012 season. The Panthers are joined at the top of the list of hardest schedules by fellow cellar dwellers Buffalo. This is of course based off of last year's records so it could end up totally different, but nonetheless this news can't excite Panther fans.

aaron rodgers
Rodgers and the defending champs open up against the Saints


While Carolina and it's fans may not be too excited, there are certainly some intriguing matchups coming up next year. The Thursday night opener pits the Saints against the defending champs in Green Bay. Week one also will showcase the two top teams of the AFC North when the Steelers head to Baltimore to face their rivals the Ravens. Other interesting week 1 matchups include Atlanta vs. Chicago, Dallas vs. the Jets and Indy vs. Houston

If all goes as planned and the NFL starts when expected, opening weekend games will be played Sunday September 11th. Teams across the country will be remembering those lost in different ways, but the NFL has scheduled the Giants to play the Redskins as a tribute of sort to the event.

So while we're still only in April and labor talks are dragging on, actually seeing the matchups on paper has me excited for some football. Are you ready?
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Newton #1?

I for one am missing the NFL already and it's only April. By now teams are usually signing new free agents and excitement for the draft is ramping up. While I am still excited about the upcoming draft, everything is overshadowed by labor talks and now a court decision that is said to take weeks to happen. While I am enjoying the beginning of baseball season, one football related note did catch my attention today and it involves the most known player in this month's upcoming draft.



Cam Newton saw his stock soar throughout this year, leading Auburn to a National Championship. He tore through the SEC and was lavished with awards, the highest being the Heisman Trophy. His draft stock has steadily climbed which brings us to analyst's latest moch drafts where they are saying that the Carolina Panthers are looking to make Newton the number 1 overall pick in this month's draft.

Many have declared that this is a fairly weak draft, especially in the quarterback position. With Andrew Luck of Stanford deciding to stay in school, many believe there is no true number 1 overall player at the quarterback position. While this may be true, it has been shown that the most important player on a team is the quarterback. Those teams who go far in the playoffs generally get great play from their field generals. Any team who aspires to reach championship caliber knows that they need a great quarterback and the draft is usually where you find one.

I can't blame the Panthers for getting excited about Newton and perhaps taking him first overall. He is a physical specimen and many say he can make all the throws. He has shown the ability to run, but has also been compared in body type to a young Ben Roethlisberger regarding his toughness. He showed this year that he is a proven winner and leader in the college ranks, something many teams look for.

Along with the hype there are several questions that surround Newton. He has a shaky past that trails beyond the controversy of this past year at Auburn involving his father. Newton was a top recruit at Florida before he transferred amid theft charges and several allegations of cheating on tests. Critics also question Newton's abilities on the field. Some say that his success at Auburn may have had more to do with the spread offense and the system he was in than his actual ability at the quarterback position.

In a draft where there is no clear number 1, there will always be second guessing taking place. These choices can turn franchises around as it did the Colts with Peyton Manning, or set them back years as it is doing to the San Francisco 49er's with Alex Smith. If the Panthers think that Cam Newton is their guy and can be the face of their franchise for years to come it is the pick they should make. It is not the pick that I would make if I ran the team, I think there are better players ahead of him. Others could argue that while there may be better players now, Newton's potential impact at the quarterback position warrant the pick. I know one thing for sure, I do not envy the position the Carolina Panthers are in.
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April 7th 2011 @ 14:12

Posted By: Short - Category: NFL, NFL Teams, Carolina Panthers
   




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