Players react to firing. They don’t seem too upset

[hepcat]

It just shows how degraded the culture of the team has become. Tepper wants to win but the only tool he has to motivate players is money. Money will only motivate a person enough to put in enough effort to not get fired and that’s what we see on the field every Sunday. 

Tepper’s biggest oversight is not hiring a coach the players respond to and respect. We just all know damn well if Wilks was the coach this season the team wouldn’t be 1-10.

[Waldo]

They had a team meeting and I see they are on the same page with glazed eyes and looking like they are all reading the same hostage note. Yikes at all of that. I guess the good news is there isn't enough energy in the entire place to have any lockerroom issues?

[Bear Hands]

The current culture: "I'm going to work, doing my job, staying professional, what happens happens"

Very uninspired.  Professional, nice, clean, but uninspired and doesn't seem like they're really playing for anyone. They seem numb to losing.  The younger guys only know losing, the older guys that came from better teams seem like their eyes are elsewhere.    

Like Cam said, it's evident there's no silent leaders.  And there's no Cam-style leaders either.  

This team needs a kick in the nuts.

[BIGH2001]

It’s to be expected when you know you have zero chance to win week in and week out thanks to your front office assembling the worst roster in the league and your coach looking like the walking dead. 2010 had a similar vibe as did 2001 by the end of the year.

Edited November 30, 2023 by BIGH2001

[t96]

7 hours ago, pantherj said:

I hated Gettleman but I'm starting to think we need a Gettleman type GM who will scare these apathetic players into caring. Gettleman warned about this type of situation where you have journeyman players who half ass it to avoid injury, don't care about winning, and point the finger at the other guy for the team failing. I want the whip cracked and players scrambling to get a win no matter what, not WRs cruising around getting in their cardio for the day. Not o-linemen not even touching the pass rushers. We need a tyrant to come in here and lay down the law on these players. And even more so, we need players who are leaders. 

DG was an unlikeable douche and pretty poor at drafting in the end, but he helped set a good winning culture here and helped hold Rivera accountable in ways Hurney never did. He was a perfect hire for our team at the time and with those 2 we actually did build a pretty consistent winner around our core of Cam, Luke and others. It all blew up on us with Cam's injuries but if Cam could've stayed healthy and DG never got replaced by Hurney pt 2 I think our run of success would've lasted longer. Completely agree we need someone like that to come in here and fully reset the culture. Harbaugh is a douche too but I think he could actually be a good choice.

[Daeavorn]

8 hours ago, Dave Gettleman's Shorts said:

the loser mentality Cam spoke of and tried to get rid of when he was here. half the players are just collecting paychecks or are more concerned with ping pong game in the locker room

We need someone like Harbaugh. A hard ass crazy-person that will scare the everliving poo out of these guys and get them working again.

[csx]

Players cared when Richardson ran the show. It's unfortunate for the long-term health of the franchise that he was a dirt bag behind the scenes.

Remember when certain people said we just needed to get a new owner to improve? Even before the Richardson scandal was kmown

[Gapanthersfan]

There is no respect for anything among 99% of the players. Until a leader comes along and DEMANDS that things change, then nothing will change. 

[t96]

1 hour ago, CRA said:

Nah, a Gettleman doesn’t really have the ability to do much in that regard.  No one gave a poo about winning because of Dave Gettleman inspiring them to do.  They weren’t scared into caring by a dipshit GM.  

there was a time when Panthers cared.  And that was because of Panther players. Cam Newton made people care.  Luke Kuechly made people care.  That’s why they were accountable.  Go half ass it with Thomas Davis next to you.  And that’s only the start of a list that includes all sort of players. 

who do we have leading the team now or even lately.   CMC and DJ Moore were good players.   Julius Peppers was a good player too.  Sometimes that all you are.  Which is ok.  They lead in their own way.  Who do you ever hear really making it known what we are is unacceptable? 

 

Player leadership is obviously huge, don't get me wrong. But yes a GM like DG absolutely has an impact too. With a GM like Hurney who would hand out big contracts to any decent player like he's Oprah the guys absolute got complacent to varying degrees. DG came in and got rid of guys like Smitty and immediately set the tone that there was going to be a culture of accountability from the top down, and that guys who slack off out there will be gone. Leaders like Cam, Luke, TD can be in the room and get on guys who might want to slack off but none of them could really threaten their jobs, which really will get all the guys bought in. It's another aspect of Belichick's long tenure that I'd say was a reason for their success. If you slacked off there, no 2nd chances, you're gone.

Our players under Rhule and Reich (and Hurney, Fitts at GM) haven't given a poo at all but know there's no repercussions. Burns is a great example. He talks a big game acting like he cares but this year he just flat out has not shown up on the field. And he knows he can get away with it and still get handed a huge contract because Fitts and company will not hold him accountable. Especially after publicly turning down the Rams' offer and saying he's gonna be here long term. Stupid things to be saying from a GM. DG had it right when in a situation like this he'd say things like "all players will be evaluated and need to earn their roles." DG had plenty of issues and took things too far with his big ego like the Norman situation, but there's no doubt he helped establish a culture of accountability here for our core under Rivera.

[ickmule]

1 hour ago, LegioX said:

Bryce is not the type of player to light a fire under their asses

I have said all along he is boring and lacks real leadership skills.

[stratocatter]

1 hour ago, Gapanthersfan said:

So now character matters and we really do need a leader of men kind of guy? Strong? Takes no crap from anyone? Loved and respected?

Their behavior is sort of like their guy, the most loved Panthers head coach we’ve ever seen, who worked a miracle wasn’t even given a shot. This isn’t me beating a dead horse. Despite what you’re not hearing, you better believe this is still very real to them. I can’t be the only one who saw this coming. 

This is what it looks like when you hate your boss. This is so awful and It did not have to be this way. 

Yeah they know Frank wasn't the problem. What's changed?

 

edit: that isn't really a Frank endorsement. He wasn't the solution, he was a symptom.

Edited November 30, 2023 by stratocatter

[Manna]

Our players are more concerned about looking good while playing rather than playing good. They know that no matter what they’ll still get paid. Nobody in that locker room understands what it means to Keep Pounding. 

[Johnstonny]

8 hours ago, Dave Gettleman's Shorts said:

the loser mentality Cam spoke of and tried to get rid of when he was here. half the players are just collecting paychecks or are more concerned with ping pong game in the locker room

Be nice if NFL could institute a pay for performance model.... kinda like everyone working in the US adheres to. When you have guaranteed money it kinda takes away the motivation to bust your azz. Of course it would make the cap hard to manage...

[ickmule]

You think the players feel any different than the fans ? They know this franchise is crap too. We have all worked for a crappy company and we realized it. These players are no different.