Steve Smith Is ON WFNZ Having A Confessional, Won't Let the Story End

[scpanther22]

Gettleman seems to run things in your more stereotypical abrasive New Yorker kind of way, which there is nothing wrong with but it can rub people the wrong way and for Smith it was probably a major change of pace when you're use to Hurney. A guy that would get on a plane and fly to you just to tell you he has to cut you.

[fjblair]

I was going to let it go having said my piece, but I just heard part of the interview and I have no idea how people are questioning Smitty's credibility.

Now, I didnt hear the "you hit your teammates but not your wife," part, but in particular what he just said about Rivera. How do you think that's misjudged or embellished because of narcissism? LOL. That's pretty cut and dry. Rivera does take pride in being a player's coach as a former player, and a lot player's appreciate that (See guys like Gross, TD, and IIRC, Smitty even stood up for him when he was on the hotseat a few years ago).

There was no lying about that. It was classless. Maybe Rivera just doesn't do well with confrontation or conflicts, but there is no excuse. All Smitty wanted was some feedback and insight. "How do you feel about things?" That would be like having a good friend at your work who happens to be a supervisor and management decides to fire you, so your friend cuts you off.

You all think that is acceptable? Lol. A lot of people are claiming sour grapes on Smitty's behalf, but if you ask me, the way a lot of our fans have turned on him for being unceremoniously kicked from the team, that shows who is really sour.

I didn't hear anything to suggest he was making it up or that it was colored in his own narcissistic perception of things. It sounded very straightforward and honest.

Some of ya'll trip me out... you act like our franchise is infallible and wouldn't possibly mishandle the situation. And usually, it's the same people that were posting "just be patient, there's plenty of season left" every time Fox started a mediocre 7-9 season and then Rivera as well. I don't understand. I bleed black and blue. The Panthers are in my DNA, but they ain't paying me to toe the company line. They are humans. They can become involved in personal disputes and spats. They can make mistakes.

 

Thank you!

[Panthro]

What a diva

I wished Gettleman would have popped him in his mouth to teach him a lesson

#teamgettleman

[Kakarot]

We want our players to be classy, good guys but it's ok if our GM is a classless a**hole.  Eh, shouldn't expect different from here, though.  These are the same people that'll rip a player for holding out, but will celebrate our GM low-balling a player.  

[CatMan72]

If you knew you were wronged and then had people in respected positions of power use their resources to badmouth you and make themselves appear as though they handled things professionally and with respect, would you or would you not want to tell anyone that would listen what actually happened?

If someone was lying about you to millions of people, would you or would you not want to defend yourself?

And would you or would you not fight the urge to throw dirt on them in the process?

It's power dynamics and our expectations that are blinding people from what happened here... we expect coaches and GMs (generally older than players with longer resumes, more experience, responsibilities, and maturity) to ha doe themselves as such, while players are fickle, immature, selfish, manipulative, malcontents. These are the ideas that many approach this situation with, and so their conclusions reflect that.

I have seen, heard, and witnessed grown men in professional positions act petty and manipulative. It happens everyday, regardless of title or workplace environment. Those in power get to write the stories though, and that is the difference. Again, for example, Goodell just got caught lying and being manipulative while trying to cover up his own dirt for the sake of his own image. You catch his recent presser? You're telling me his beyond reproach? That guy is one of the biggest scumbags alive, just because he wears a suit (rather than a jersey) doesn't change that.

 

I'm not saying Gettleman or Rivera are beyond reproach, that's not really my point. 

 

My point is regardless of what happened, it was childish and impulsive to call up a radio show and rant about it. You don't clear your name or set things right doing that, you just come off sounding bitter and obsessed. 

 

Smitty talked about how he's a 35 year old man with a wife and kids and he doesn't play Madden, but he calls a up a radio show to rant about something he saw on twitter that suggested the Panthers were leaking info to the press to make him look bad after he just got finished torching them? Was he wearing tin foil on his head so they couldn't read his brain waves?? 

[toldozer]

Since Steve wants to be a petty bitch would it be equally petty for someone to drop his cell phone number on here or on craigslist casual encounters. Completely hypothetical of course...

[Proudiddy]

What a diva

I wished Gettleman would have popped him in his mouth to teach him a lesson

#teamgettleman

That gasoline... that fire... I see what you did there, Panthro. Lol...

[Proudiddy]

I'm not saying Gettleman or Rivera are beyond reproach, that's not really my point.

My point is regardless of what happened, it was childish and impulsive to call up a radio show and rant about it. You don't clear your name or set things right doing that, you just come off sounding bitter and obsessed.

Smitty talked about how he's a 35 year old man with a wife and kids and he doesn't play Madden, but he calls a up a radio show to rant about something he saw on twitter that suggested the Panthers were leaking info to the press to make him look bad after he just got finished torching them? Was he wearing tin foil on his head so they couldn't read his brain waves??

But that is his personality, Catman... I think I can relate to that (not the tinfoil hat part lol) in terms of someone violating your personal values and beliefs systems. I took a personality test from a job once and it basically said I'm an easygoing person unless someone violates my personal values and then I can become angry, outspoken, demonstrative and protest vehemently. I was blown away by how accurate it was... and that's why I feel I relate to what Smitty has done here. There is one thing I value above all else in life, and that's honesty and transparency.

People can call Smitty a lot of things, but i've never known "liar" to be one of them. He seems to share that same personality type I guess. I feel he had his personal values (honesty/transparency) violated here and he will go all out to show everyone he was the honest party.

Again, I understand if some lercieve it as petty or childish, but I understand it. Everyone is different, but if I was him and if you hypothetically give creedence to what he is saying and it went down that way, I would be angry and calling radio stations to explain myself and what really happened as well. I wouldn't let someone else tell my story for me.

And still lost in all this, if Good Guy Gettleman was straightforward and said, "you're not going to be here next season," why not give him a proper release and presser? Smitty wanted that, IF he had no choice anyway. That suggests to me that it got personal, as he stated. If Gettleman came to him, told him what it was, but said, "you've been a big part of this franchise, and we want to give you your due and have a press conference announcing it." Do you think Smitty would refuse that?

[Mr. Scot]

I'm not saying Gettleman or Rivera are beyond reproach, that's not really my point. 

 

My point is regardless of what happened, it was childish and impulsive to call up a radio show and rant about it. You don't clear your name or set things right doing that, you just come off sounding bitter and obsessed. 

 

Smitty talked about how he's a 35 year old man with a wife and kids and he doesn't play Madden, but he calls a up a radio show to rant about something he saw on twitter that suggested the Panthers were leaking info to the press to make him look bad after he just got finished torching them? Was he wearing tin foil on his head so they couldn't read his brain waves?? 

 

The fact that he tried to turn Rivera coming to the locker room to shake his hand and wish his family well into something negative tells me all I need to know about his version of events.

 

[CatMan72]

The fact that he tried to turn Rivera coming to the locker room to shake his hand and wish his family well into something negative tells me all I need to know about his version of events.

 

Yeah, good example. 

[bandu]

I wonder if Steve Smith Sr. has ever heard the saying "ACCEPTANCE DOES NOT REQUIRE APPROVAL"

[CRA]

Not too many guys that have meant what Steve did to this organization have been let go by their teams the way he was.

Much better players than 89 have been cut near the end. Lots of actual HOFers.

Heck we had a HOFer play his last years here, best defensive lineman in the history of the sport

[CatMan72]

But that is his personality, Catman... I think I can relate to that (not the tinfoil hat part lol) in terms of someone violating your personal values and beliefs systems. I took a personality test from a job once and it basically said I'm an easygoing person unless someone violates my personal values and then I can become angry, outspoken, demonstrative and protest vehemently. I was blown away by how accurate it was... and that's why I feel I relate to what Smitty has done here. There is one thing I value above all else in life, and that's honesty and transparency.

People can call Smitty a lot of things, but i've never known "liar" to be one of them. He seems to share that same personality type I guess. I feel he had his personal values (honesty/transparency) violated here and he will go all out to show everyone he was the honest party.

Again, I understand if some lercieve it as petty or childish, but I understand it. Everyone is different, but if I was him and if you hypothetically give creedence to what he is saying and it went down that way, I would be angry and calling radio stations to explain myself and what really happened as well. I wouldn't let someone else tell my story for me.

And still lost in all this, if Good Guy Gettleman was straightforward and said, "you're not going to be here next season," why not give him a proper release and presser? Smitty wanted that, IF he had no choice anyway. That suggests to me that it got personal, as he stated. If Gettleman came to him, told him what it was, but said, "you've been a big part of this franchise, and we want to give you your due and have a press conference announcing it." Do you think Smitty would refuse that?

 

Understand that's who he is, but still disappointed in the way he chose to react because nobody wins. 

 

If he really thought he needed to respond and set the record straight, I think the right way to do it would have been to write an open letter and sent it to PFT or take out a full page ad in the Charlotte Observer (which I'm sure they would have given him for free in exchange for the publicity) to express himself in a more thoughtful and organized manner, which would have been much more powerful. 

 

The truth is that we'll never know the whole truth about how this went down, who said what, etc... I've though from the moment Gettleman made his "evaluation" comments at the combine that it could have been handled better, but I have a hard time believing the Panthers set out to disrespect Steve, even if it did get personal with Gettleman because if nothing else that wouldn't be good for business. 

 

Knowing Steve, I think the Panthers were extremely concerned (and rightfully so) about how he would react if they sat him down and told him they were moving on... would he immediately call WFNZ and launch into some rant? 

 

I liked the way he handled himself in the week leading up to the game and the way he handled himself during the game and I thought his performance spoke for itself in terms of any notion that he was a shadow of his former self or that he couldn't run or jump anymore. 

 

In my opinion, what he did today took away from that statement and damaged the image of everyone involved including him. 

[Sam Mills Fan]

Why was this moved to this forum? Why do mods lock threads at the drop of a hat now? Why has this forum become unbearable over the past few months with these asinine moderator decisions? If I call in to Zod's podcast, I'm going to unload on him and the moderators like Smitty unloaded on Gettleman today.

 

Just leave the threads alone, we can generally police ourselves, don't overthink it.