Fiz makes a thread about Julius Peppers

[CatMan72]

that's a joke son

Well son, quit wasting our time with stupid jokes.

[King Taharqa]

I'm not going to hold performances like this against Peppers.

He begged and pleaded to be let go this past year (made it very clear he didn't belong, or want to belong on the team), it was obvious his heart was elsewhere. HE HAD NO LOVE FOR THE PANTHERS before the $16m. Yet the shitheads in the FO decide to "bribe" him with a fat salary? Where's the logic in that?

Last time I checked, you win football games with players who want to be on the team. Let players who lack spirit earn their paycheck with another organization. You can't force someone to perform against their will - why keep them around?

To be honest, the we're (Panthers management) getting what we (they) deserve for screwing around with Peppers' career. He's simply repaying the favor. He's playing EXACTLY like I expected of someone who wants out - the $16m really isn't a factor.

Excellent post. Peppers was HORRIBLE last night, he doesnt look like he has the burst anymore and he looked like a non factor for much of the game. There's no question he isnt worth 16 million now or even in the past.

I was one of the people who said we need to get rid of him, and that keeping a player against his will was a bad move. John Fox & Marty Hurney disagreed, and Jerry Richardson approved, so in the end Pep & his agent outsmarted our owner and front office. He probably wont command the dollars he initially wanted, but after making 16 mill in 1 season, I dont think thats gonna hurt Pep's feelings much. Next season when he's back to being a force on another team (a la Kris Jenkins), be sure to bump this thread. The truth is, the Panthers have a long history of overpaying D lineman who werent worth it extending beyond John Fox's tenure. What is the one constant in the organization? Hmmmm.

[PhillyB]

good stuff, this had to have taken a while. rep if i could.

also good eye on pep being tripped by adams (i THINK that was adams.)

[Fiz]

Well son, quit wasting our time with stupid jokes.

alright this is the last time i'll respond to you then

[CatMan72]

alright this is the last time i'll respond to you then

Good, you seem to have very little to offer.

[OneBadassCat]

I don't mean to pick on you, but I feel this comment reflects the opinion of many other Panthers fans and people on this board.

Take your head out of your ass, because he doesn't WANT his spot back. What else is there to understand?

Which is exactly why you ******* bench him. If he wants it then he'll have to earn it back. If he doesn't then he can sit there and make himself look bad.

[MisterJiggyFly]

I'm not going to hold performances like this against Peppers.

He begged and pleaded to be let go this past year (made it very clear he didn't belong, or want to belong on the team), it was obvious his heart was elsewhere. HE HAD NO LOVE FOR THE PANTHERS before the $16m. Yet the shitheads in the FO decide to "bribe" him with a fat salary? Where's the logic in that?

Last time I checked, you win football games with players who want to be on the team. Let players who lack spirit earn their paycheck with another organization. You can't force someone to perform against their will - why keep them around?

To be honest, the we're (Panthers management) getting what we (they) deserve for screwing around with Peppers' career. He's simply repaying the favor. He's playing EXACTLY like I expected of someone who wants out - the $16m really isn't a factor.

Fiz, you're obviously reading this thread right now. If you're as hot poo as you think you'll take a moment to make a logical and tasteful reply to my comment.

Thanks.

[Matt Foley]

I'm not going to hold performances like this against Peppers.

He begged and pleaded to be let go this past year (made it very clear he didn't belong, or want to belong on the team), it was obvious his heart was elsewhere. HE HAD NO LOVE FOR THE PANTHERS before the $16m. Yet the shitheads in the FO decide to "bribe" him with a fat salary? Where's the logic in that?

Last time I checked, you win football games with players who want to be on the team. Let players who lack spirit earn their paycheck with another organization. You can't force someone to perform against their will - why keep them around?

To be honest, the we're (Panthers management) getting what we (they) deserve for screwing around with Peppers' career. He's simply repaying the favor. He's playing EXACTLY like I expected of someone who wants out - the $16m really isn't a factor.

This

[MisterJiggyFly]

Which is exactly why you ******* bench him. If he wants it then he'll have to earn it back. If he doesn't then he can sit there and make himself look bad.

I agree completely - if he's not playing with heart, and making those game changing plays we expect of him, then by all means bench him. Just don't expect him to give a flip or change anything.

[Mr. Scot]

I agreed with franchiseing Peppers. You don't just let a commodity like that walk.

My hope though was that they'd franchise and trade him, and that didn't happen.

With all that said, it isn't just Peppers. There's no interior pressure and in that situation even the best of edge rushers can be easily neutralized.

Put a good DT next to him and he could still be effective this season.

Next season? I'm up in the air on that one.

[OneBadassCat]

I agree completely - if he's not playing with heart, and making those game changing plays we expect of him, then by all means bench him. Just don't expect him to give a flip or change anything.

If he doesn't then imo it reflects very poorly of him. I understand the NFL is a business and what not but for what this team has done for him he has no right be playing so passive. His teammates deserve better and thats something pertains to all levels of sports(pro, college, highschool, etc..) You don't quit on your teammates and to see him going through the motions while Beason and Davis are going 1000%, yelling in frustration, because THEY WANT TO WIN...

it really pisses me off.

[Fiz]

Fiz, you're obviously reading this thread right now. If you're as hot poo as you think you'll take a moment to make a logical and tasteful reply to my comment.

Thanks.

Even though I addressed this in the original post that you most likely didn't read, how can I turn down someone named MisterJiggyFly.

We're going to break this down into two sections. What he said, and what he did.

WHAT HE SAID

I'm not being used right - This is ridiculous. How would he like to be used? He's in the most glamorous defensive position in all of sport, the highest paid, and is being asked to pursue the most glamorous stat, the sack. He's doing exactly what every single team in the league expects him to do, which is rush the QB. Well, that's what the play is anyway. Obviously he's not doing that.

I want to play the 3-4 - This is stupid as well. Peppers isn't physically built to play the 3-4. He'd get eaten alive by any tight end that he had to cover. No team was going to let him play a position he'd never played before.

I've done as much as I can with this team - Peppers has been in a constant decline since the second half of 2006. There's no point speculating the reasons, but claiming that he's done as much as he can with the team is ludicrous.

Those are the three things he's said. Lots of things have become part of this legend that were never said by him. Never once did he say that he didn't like the direction the team was going, or that he didn't trust john fox anymore, or any of the other things peppers apologists like to trot out as reasons for his precipitous and inexcusable decline. If you can find something which says otherwise, please do.

WHAT HE DID

Of course, actions speak much louder than words, and we know what Peppers did openly. If you really want to get traded, it's hard to think of a worse way peppers went about it then this.

Publicly demanded a trade - Nothing kills your trade value like doing this

Publicly said he wanted to play a different position - Whelp, there goes every team that runs a 4-3

Publicly said he wanted to play for five teams - There goes 26 teams

Thinking it's either prudent or going to be effective to basically murder your trade value by shoe horning yourself into one of three teams, none of which are for sure interested in you, is monumentally stupid. Thinking the best way to get your big contract is to vanish for a year is monumentally stupid.

If the hypothesis is that Peppers wanted to be traded, the evidence really doesn't back that up. If he's intentionally tanking it, that's says volumes more about him as a person than rapidly diminishing physical skills would. You couldn't find me another player who tanked after getting franchised.

[Fiz]

With all that said, it isn't just Peppers. There's no interior pressure and in that situation even the best of edge rushers can be easily neutralized.

unless the interior defense improves to the point a guard, tackle, and tight end is required to block it, I can't imagine how any one player would make Peppers beat a tackle

[pstall]

also f*ck it I don't give a sh*t anymore.

the team doctor got drunk and spilled the beans

advanced stages of tertiary syphilis. he'll be dead in ten years.

If this is true and you have mentioned this quite a bit. Although his life span went up 5 yrs per this one.

The only logical conclusion is the Panthers kept him just to throw him a bone.

I will have to work my connections in the locker room to find out.