Steve Smith a Diva?

[CRA]

Anybody who says Smith is undisciplined and can't work as a team player is nuts, so he's not a diva or a prima donna. TO, on the other hand....

Smith can't control his emotions. That is an area where he lacks discipline. Has been on ongoing problem throughout his career. Has resulted in multiple teammates getting punched, suspended, incurring penalties and created a separation from himself and teammates over the course of his career.

going the TO route is lazy. There are many varieties of divas....Smith is a very high maintanence player who the organization and team has to be careful with.....that is a branch of the diva WR tree.

Not everything about every Panther is sunshine

and rainbows. Guys like Smitty have their place and value....but them playing at a high level is part of the arrangement

[panthers55]

Smith can't control his emotions. That is an area where he lacks discipline. Has been on ongoing problem throughout his career. Has resulted in multiple teammates getting punched, suspended, incurring penalties and created a separation from himself and teammates over the course of his career.

going the TO route is lazy. There are many varieties of divas....Smith is a very high maintanence player who the organization and team has to be careful with.....that is a branch of the diva WR tree.

Not everything about every Panther is sunshine

and rainbows. Guys like Smitty have their place and value....but them playing at a high level is part of the arrangement

All of this stuff you bring up would apply in the past to some extent. But as we have all said in a number of contexts, you are only as good as what you have done lately. And what Smith has done lately is be a captain of the team which was voted on by the other players, he has mentored a number of younger guys, has taken cam under his wing last year in the offseason and has been a great team mate and team player. If you want to go back to 2002 or go back to the incident with Lucas which was years ago or his last issue with Clausen which was 2010, you are talking ancient history at this point. If you want to say that Smith was a Diva in the past then even though I disagree, you would at least have an argument. But tell me one thing he did in 2011 which shows he is a Diva. If you can't find one then he is not one. What you fail to acknowledge is the fact that people can and do change. So please stop bringing up things which happened years ago as evidence of what he is now. They are not relevant to the present or future just the past where they belong.

[CRA]

All of this stuff you bring up would apply in the past to some extent. But as we have all said in a number of contexts, you are only as good as what you have done lately. And what Smith has done lately is be a captain of the team which was voted on by the other players, he has mentored a number of younger guys, has taken cam under his wing last year in the offseason and has been a great team mate and team player. If you want to go back to 2002 or go back to the incident with Lucas which was years ago or his last issue with Clausen which was 2010, you are talking ancient history at this point. If you want to say that Smith was a Diva in the past then even though I disagree, you would at least have an argument. But tell me one thing he did in 2011 which shows he is a Diva. If you can't find one then he is not one. What you fail to acknowledge is the fact that people can and do change. So please stop bringing up things which happened years ago as evidence of what he is now. They are not relevant to the present or future just the past where they belong.

Applies to the past? How about his entire career.....up until this past season.

Guess what, just bc Smitty had a good and relatively quiet 2011 doesn't erase the rest of his career and what he has proven to be.

You are letting 2011 in a vacuum define Smith. Have at it....that just isn't realistic.

Everyone should know it is only a matter of time before he has another moment where his emotions get the best of him...

What did TO do in Buffalo that made him a diva? One season is one season. Randy Moss has had quiet years. Careers define guys...and players with clear issues that have troubled there careers rarely disappear

[panthers55]

Applies to the past? How about his entire career.....up until this past season.

Guess what, just bc Smitty had a good and relatively quiet 2011 doesn't erase the rest of his career and what he has proven to be.

You are letting 2011 in a vacuum define Smith. Have at it....that just isn't realistic.

Everyone should know it is only a matter of time before he has another moment where his emotions get the best of him...

What did TO do in Buffalo that made him a diva? One season is one season. Careers define guys

Actually it isn't one season it is less than 5 incidences over a career that has spanned 11 seasons. And those 5 incidents are a thing of the past. Look at what TO is doing right now with his latest team and has been reported on in the last week. Like I said you will do anything to try and prove yourself right no matter what. Dregging up things from years ago hardly shows what kind of player or teammate Smith is now only that he made some mistakes and did some wrong things which he readily admits, The difference between Smith and a Diva is that a Diva doesn't think anything they have done is wrong and blames others for everything that goes wrong. Smith on the other hand admits when he is wrong like he did with Lucas and does what he can to make amends. So again your arguments about years ago or even using TO in the conversation is offbase and irrelevant. Don't let this stop you from a 100 more posts going back and forth to try and outlast anyone who argues with you. And feel free to get in the last word as always. But it won't make you right about Smith who is not a Diva and in my opinion never was. Smith has learned and grown and developed into a great player and teammate albeit without issues and troubles along the way. Anyone who doesn't see the difference between him and TO, well.... I suspect it is a waste of my time to discuss going forward.

[CRA]

Actually it isn't one season it is less than 5 incidences over a career that has spanned 11 seasons. And those 5 incidents are a thing of the past. Look at what TO is doing right now with his latest team and has been reported on in the last week. Like I said you will do anything to try and prove yourself right no matter what. Dregging up things from years ago hardly shows what kind of player or teammate Smith is now only that he made some mistakes and did some wrong things which he readily admits, The difference between Smith and a Diva is that a Diva doesn't think anything they have done is wrong and blames others for everything that goes wrong. Smith on the other hand admits when he is wrong like he did with Lucas and does what he can to make amends. So again your arguments about years ago or even using TO in the conversation is offbase and irrelevant. Don't let this stop you from a 100 more posts going back and forth to try and outlast anyone who argues with you. And feel free to get in the last word as always. But it won't make you right about Smith who is not a Diva and in my opinion never was. Smith has learned and grown and developed into a great player and teammate albeit without issues and troubles along the way. Anyone who doesn't see the difference between him and TO, well.... I suspect it is a waste of my time to discuss going forward.

Smith anger mangement issues have popped more times than 5 in his career.

That isn't an old issue....it is a Steve Smith issue. You accept that as part of the deal.

Yes, TO's problems did come back. A quiet season didn't erase who he proved to be.......just like 2011 doesn't erase Smitty's issues.

No big deal. Love Smith pending he is playing at a high level. He is.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

off the field, he is honestly one of the quietest, nicest guys you have ever met. Once he gets on that uniform and get on the field he just explodes. I love it.

[cultclassiccat]

Shouldnt even be a question.

Integrity = Smitty

[JawnyBlaze]

Steve Smith is only a diva if you have an incredibly broad definition of a diva with trees and branches and leaves and bird nests and christmas lights of extensions of different varieties of divas. Every person in the world could be called a diva if you broaden the definition enough. Having anger management issues and passion for the game doesn't make you a diva, at least not by the common standard. Steve's career doesn't illustrate a diva. 2 or 3 instances of punching someone doesn't make for a diva. Being introverted doesn't make for a diva. The combination of these traits doesn't make for a diva. He is one of the least "me first" players on the team.

As someone alluded to earlier, 5'9 WRs (or most receivers for that matter) don't go out of their way to block like he does. One of the most easily identifiable on-field traits of someone who is NOT "me first" is how willing they are to go out of their way to block when someone else's number is called for a play, and Smitty is head and shoulders above most non OL and TE offensive players in the league.

[Panther_Brotherhood]

Definitely not a diva. You don't see him in interviews talking all about himself. He's very down to earth. On the field, he just is so hyped up and always plays with a chip. I see him more as a pissed off receiver who doesn't get the respect he deserves in the league and is still trying to go out and prove he's the best receiver in the game.