Peppers interview transcript

[rayzor]

Q: What would you tell the fans wearing number 90 jerseys about your wanting to leave?

Peppers: “Basically, the fan support since I’ve been in Charlotte has been tremendous. Basically what I’d say to these people is, you have to take the emotional part of it out, and look at it, put your ownself in the situation. If you were being held back in your job, and you fulfilled your contract and all the obligations you had contractually, and did everything you had to do, and worked seven years, and it was time for that contract to expire and you wanted to do something different, then I know you did all of that, and fulfilled what you were supposed to do, and basically you decided not to stay.

“I don’t think people would be willing to live under those same standards they want to place on me. I just don’t feel like you would. What I’d say is, ‘Put yourself in my shoes, and look at the situation instead of being emotional about it.’”

forget that crap.

put yourself in the fans shoes and realize most were fans of you as a panther. you leave the organization and talk down about it, you don't deserve the respect or admiration of the fans. don't walk away and expect us to be OK with you. it ain't happening. you don't care about the fans, quit pretending that is the case.

i don't care how you try and justify it, saying that the organization held you back and you have no desire to be a part of it is rejecting it and talking down about it. that isn't respect.

he needs to be gone and soon. i can't wait for him to be ancient history.

tag his big head and trade him to the crappiest 4-3 team. make sure that we get a lot for him and whatever team gets him regrets the trade as much or more than pep regrets leaving once he finds out how big of a mistake he made.

time for him to be gone and the panthers to go get a big fat ring on their hand while pep stays naked. he's going to find out that he needed the panthers more than the panthers needed him.

[stirs]

Hurney is probably thrilled that he is out there saying he has been held back.

Hurney could not have writtien a better script for him.

[L.A. Fanatic]

he held himself back

you will never reach your potential unless you give 100% every down of every game. he never came close to doing this

in fact, that motherfuger took a whole season off

[L.A. Fanatic]

Hurney is probably thrilled that he is out there saying he has been held back.

Hurney could not have writtien a better script for him.

I agree

now we gotta hope some GM has a man crush on Pep and buys what hes selling

[Pimpdaddy]

he held himself back

you will never reach your potential unless you give 100% every down of every game. he never came close to doing this

in fact, that motherf*cker took a whole season off

wasn't the knock on him coming out of college was that he takes plays off... somebody was right.

[Woodcookedbbq]

As slow as Peppers talks, I'm guessing that interview took all of 6 hours to do.

[L.A. Fanatic]

wasn't the knock on him coming out of college was that he takes plays off... somebody was right.

yep

the Randy Moss of DE's, on the field that is

[neverlosethefeeling]

I don't see where he "talked down about the Panthers." I can respect his situation...let him go!!

Some of you guys are taking this way too personally... and I feel sorry for you. Like he said... he fulfilled his contract, and he has no obligation to any fans or any team to stay here. Football is a business. We here that all the time. This is the business side of football.

[Cardiac Cats86]

I think he would rather go to the highest bidder than the 'best team for him'.

[top dawg]

I wish Pep well, and believe that he's been a damned good player, and I believe that he'll instantly improve the defense of whatever team is lucky enough to get him.

I do think that it will be a pity when we finally win the big one without him, or vice versa, but business is business.

[BlueHose]

The more i think about it, I see this as a positive for us. He wasn't going to be worth what we would have had to pay him on his next contract anyway. He's a good player, but he too often disappears in games and sometimes for entire seasons. Tag him and get some picks and/or players for him. Who knows, he may turn out great in another system...but I doubt his results are going to be significantly different.

[carolinarolls]

It sounds like he is trying to help them out so maybe they can use the tag somewhere else if they need it (Gross).

Pittsbutgh let Plaxico (with huge trade value) and Joey Porter (with decent trade value) walk. Just because the guy is athletic does not mean you have to make a huge scene and try to salvage something.

As a huge Peppers fan from as far back as his college career I can honestly say I am glad to see him go. He wants out and has had us all question his effort over the last few years. We have tried desperately to inject him with leadership and have tried even more so desperaely to absorb his "silent-style" of it. Throughout his career he has been used more and more strangely and teams seem to have his number. He his used as a decoy more than a workhorse paseh ruching DE who strikes fear in the hearts of all who line up across from him.

This needs to happen. Pep wants it to happen. It's going to happen. I say let him walk instead of trying to trap him and hype his effectiveness for a trade.

[grateflday]

It sounds like he is trying to help them out so maybe they can use the tag somewhere else if they need it (Gross).

Pittsbutgh let Plaxico (with huge trade value) and Joey Porter (with decent trade value) walk. Just because the guy is athletic does not mean you have to make a huge scene and try to salvage something.

As a huge Peppers fan from as far back as his college career I can honestly say I am glad to see him go. He wants out and has had us all question his effort over the last few years. We have tried desperately to inject him with leadership and have tried even more so desperaely to absorb his "silent-style" of it. Throughout his career he has been used more and more strangely and teams seem to have his number. He his used as a decoy more than a workhorse paseh ruching DE who strikes fear in the hearts of all who line up across from him.

This needs to happen. Pep wants it to happen. It's going to happen. I say let him walk instead of trying to trap him and hype his effectiveness for a trade.

Interesting take. I agree with alot of this. I just wish Gross would just sign, so the Panthers could just tag Pep.

[Snake]

IMO its ok to be selfish when it come to contracts and money. Hey you dont stay in the league long and your looking out for your self. This has noting to do with money and all to do with bailing out on your team mates. There your brothers in arms and pep is saying well I can fight the war better on a different side. I think too many people have told him that he is great and now he believes it. He reminds me alot of Larry Johnson right now.