Fanbase not excited by Rivera?

[Mother Grabber]

The poll would suggest otherwise.

[bleys]

lol I have one panther friend that I could legitimately text any time of the year. The rest I have to wait around until we're good again and even then it's only passing comments.

same.. only 1 that keeps up.. everyone else I stay away from those conversations because very few people actually understand football and also know the Panthers in depth..

[Catalyst]

Because it's not flashy. Panther fans - hell, football fans in general - want names they know and half the Panther fan base has been convinced by the ESPN-lead media for 3 years that Bill Cowher was a lock for the job.

Most of them have never heard of Ron Rivera and as such are upset and think he's a bad hire. Basically, ignorance about football and the way the NFL works. Big names don't always = results.

[rmoneyg35]

After the success he has had this year I am suprised no other team has tried to pick him up. Luckily Harbaugh has got a lot of attention from teams which could of put Rivera under the Radar. I think we have hit a Home Run with this guy, he seems to be successful every where he goes, and hopefully he can do the same for the Panthers as a head coach.

[KBRed]

Strengths: Player's coach, led Bears and San Diego from a mediocre defense to top-ranked Defenses, San Diego's (a whale's vagina) defense was ranked number one this year

Weaknesses: lost to Panthers while with the Bears in the playoffs 29-21

[Cavscout]

Educated football fans agree...Rivera is a good hire for HC

Casual, fairweather fans disagree

[Ashor]

I'd be more excited about a Wade Phillips hiring.

[mwright350]

I'm not entirely sure excited is the word I'd use for myself, no.

I'm happy we managed to sign a coach in a reasonable amount of time, that he's not a knuckledragging lunatic, that he has the support of his former players, that we signed my personal favorite out of our confirmed candidates for the job, and that he seems to be able to find his ass with both hands and a mirror in the job he had before (excellent DC when you look at his body of work really...)

But excited? We simply don't know enough (anything at all?) about him as a head coach to be excited yet. I was excited when I thought we won the Andrew Luck sweepstakes - and I'll be excited again after we find out who we're going to pick, pending the pick - because then we're looking at a body of work from someone doing what we want them to do and anticipating how wtfawesome it's going to be for them to do it for us.

With respect to Rivera I think excitement will start to build as we see how he handles things and if things start to get better. A more aggressive playcalling strategy by the OC? Some excitement. Corners not playing 20 yards away from the receivers on every down no matter the distance? Some more excitement. Hell at this point even a statement after the hire is official that says he WANTS to add some attitude to our team would warrant some excitement / anticipation.

Nutshell? Happy / relieved yes - excited not yet. He's still too much of an unknown quantity as an HC.

[rico6]

If you think that the most idiotic Panthers fans only reside here, then you were sadly mistaken.

[Jackofalltrades]

I'd be more excited about a Wade Phillips hiring.

Please God tell me that's a really bad joke.

[janderson20vt]

Please God tell me that's a really bad joke.

I sure hope so.

[top dawg]

You'd think that the sports pundits would at least glance at the Huddle before publishing what the fan base thinks. It's a conspiracy against the Panthers and a slight against the Huddle brain trust.

The Huddle is ground zero of the Panthers' fan base. Don't these idiots know that?

[janderson20vt]

Do they even know this forum exists? I think that's the better question.

[rodeo]

well it's 6:20am eastern time and there are 500 people on the Huddle. i'd say that qualifies the place as the center of the movement. i doubt there are 500 people commenting on the Observer right now.