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Edwynn -> RE: NFL Sob (or Brag) Thread (1/13/2011 10:43:34 PM)
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The Panthers owner, Jerry Richardson, is head of the owners side of the collective bargaining committee and is known to be taking a hard line stance in the negotiations. He made it plain by his actions last off season that he had bigger fish to fry than trying to win this year. He had the GM cut payroll as much as possible, which was accomplished by releasing 3 starters on defense and 4 starters on offense, then lost another starter on each side to preseason injuries, so that left 7 De. and 6 Of. starters from last year. They had no viable QB the whole season, two rookie receivers along with the rookie QB for most games + right side of O line played by back-ups + starting running back playing hurt for 6 games before going IR = lowest scoring team in the league.
The youngest team in the league, the lowest payroll in the league, 15 players gone to IR, 8 of them starters, and the team puppy got sick. (OK, I made that last one up)
The players knowing that the owner eviscerated the team and making it plain that the coach was essentially fired but finishing out his contract might have had some deflating affect on them. To me it's amazing the players played as hard as they did right through the last game, and that speaks to the coach.
If we omit the owner-sabotaged 2010 season coach Fox's record would be 71-57 regular season, 5-3 in the playoffs including a SB loss to the Pats because normally super reliable John Kasay missed a not difficult 40 yd. FG.
The Broncos will be OK.
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