Team Attitude: "The status quo doesn't work"

[Mr. Scot]

Ron Rivera tells Tom Sorenson that what they accomplished this year isn't good enough: The Charlotte Observer

 

Excerpts...

 

Ron Rivera figured he had a shot at Associated Press’ NFL Coach of the Year when he walked into Radio City Music Hall the night before the Super Bowl and didn’t see the other candidates.

Also, a woman who works for the league asked if he had written a speech. He hadn’t. So when the Panthers’ coach won the award, Rivera spontaneously began to thank the people who helped him.

Before he finished, he was given the sign no award winner wants to see – thanks for playing but wrap it up.

“I wanted to thank Marty Hurney for the opportunity, Jerry Richardson for his support and Dave Gettleman for being a man of his word,” Rivera says Wednesday afternoon.

 

Have always loved Rivera's humility.  I think it's one of the big reasons the players like playing for him.

 

 

Gettleman replaced Hurney as general manager this season. He and Rivera had no relationship. In fact, when Richardson decided to retain Rivera, he had yet to hire a general manager.

Speculation was that Rivera was Hurney’s guy and not Gettleman’s.

“I don’t care whose guy you are,” Rivera says Gettleman told him. “We’re here to win.”

 

That last line...love it.

 

 

About a potential contract extension – Rivera’s four-year contract would expire after the 2014 season – Rivera says Gettleman’s advice was succinct: “Make us come to you.”

 

I'd say that quote sums up Gettleman's philosophy very well.  And it's a good way to run a team.

 

 

The 28th was the Tuesday after the Pro Bowl. Rivera had coached the winning team in the rare Pro Bowl that was more interesting than the Super Bowl and returned to Charlotte that morning. Rivera landed at 5:45 a.m. and was in the office by 6:45.

Gettleman joined him. They talked about the roster, the draft and free agents.

 

NFL coaches are known by their work ethic.  This says a lot.

 

 

This season they won the NFC South. After receiving a first-round bye, Carolina lost at home 23-10 to San Francisco.

“Believe me, I was really disappointed,” says Rivera. “I can’t tell you how much it hurt.”

He talks about the “chippiness” and says the Panthers allowed the 49ers “to get us out of our game and we fell into it.”

The 49ers also were involved in skirmishes, but they quietly stepped away. The Panthers were loud and obvious, and they were caught.

“We lost our composure,” says Rivera. “I should have said, ‘Sit down, shut up and do your job.’ But I got caught up in it, too, offering some choice words to the referees.”

 

Agree completely.

 

 

Every contract decision, obviously, affects every other. A potential Hardy contract will affect Newton and a potential Newton contract will affect Munnerlyn. Gettleman and Rivera and the coordinator and position coaches will meet to assess potential draft picks and potential free agents.

These meetings will happen soon. A meeting between Rivera and Gettleman and Richardson happened Tuesday.

The theme was simple.

“The status quo doesn’t work,” says Rivera.

Meaning: 2013 was nice. But it wasn’t enough.

 

This is the kind of stuff you want to hear.

[Semaj]

Glad to hear that hey are not satisfied with winning division championships.  They have much bigger plans for our organization.  Can they be the front office team that leads us to the Lombardi?  I hope so.  I believe so.  

[SpeedOFLight]

This is the type of attitude that breeds champions. Not settling. They want it all and you can sense that after the playoff loss that the guys believed they could get to the big dance. I am excited about next year. I expect this team to get off to a great start next season, I just hate that the season seems so far away.

[Mr. Scot]

Mentioned above, but I wanna highlight this line again...

 

About a potential contract extension...Rivera says Gettleman’s advice was succinct: "Make us come to you.”

 

I'd say that same advice applies to every player on the team when it comes time to talk contract. 

 

If you were to expand it, what it says at heart is this: "We're not gonna throw money at you just because we drafted you."

 

"Prove you're worth it.  Then we'll talk."

 

And that...is a winning philosophy.

[Jangler]

Not really related...but one of the reasons I stopped being a 49ers fan back in '98 when the team was sold (or around that time) and the new owner said that Mariucci was not his guy...at 10 win a season coach and they were in cap hell at the time. The other was the Panthers, couldn't keep rooting for 2 teams in the same division.

 

[PhillyB]

god i fuging love this team right now

[Mr. Scot]

Not really related...but one of the reasons I stopped being a 49ers fan back in '98 when the team was sold (or around that time) and the new owner said that Mariucci was not his guy...at 10 win a season coach and they were in cap hell at the time. The other was the Panthers, couldn't keep rooting for 2 teams in the same division.

 

I'd say the "his guy" thing is probably why Rob Chudzinski is unemployed today, seeing as the Browns did it bass ackwards (no shock).

 

One thing I can say for Gettleman: He doesn't let his ego make decisions for him.

[philp]

if you're not excited about what's going with ron, then you just can't be satisfied.  the last few years everyone around has had the "i need to see it first" attitude.  ok, now we've seen it.  we're only going to get better.

 

 

 

 

[Mr. Scot]

That leads me back to a question I've asked before:

 

What's the bigger reason why the Panthers became a winning team this year?  Was it because of Ron Rivera's change in attitude or because Dave Gettleman helped build a better roster?

 

Naturally, both are valid.  I just wonder which one people see as more important.

[therealmjl]

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[Jangler]

I think 90% goes to Rivera, even though it was tough first 2 years you could see the team changing and getting better. With the right talent and money control I think this team be a dominate force for a while as long as we keep Gettlemen and Rivera keeps winning.

 

 

 

 

 

​obvious sentence is obvious

 

[KJ89]

a dominate force

I agree.

[philp]

i mean, ron didn't have experience head coaching.  he had to learn just like everyone else.  it's ron's job to motivate this team to play/win.  and that's what he did.  

[KillerKat]

Much better than a coach who says he is fine wining 3/4th's of the season and the "it is what it is" bullcrap. Can't believe there are people that still think that kind of coaching is "great".