Steve Smith Will Not Be In a Panthers Uniform Next Season

[Guest Dark Knight]

IOn the surface, anyhow. I am thinking that there is something much more to this.

If I may speculate for the only purpose of trying to grasp the lack of formality:

I heard so called "experts" suggest that Smitty made some comments that the front office did not like. Once, it was about how he was playing for career numbers, and on another occasion, he was discussing internal matters on WFNZ that irked the front office ilk. This was not that recent, so nobody seems to be mentioning it.

I have no first-hand knowledge of this, but Smitty seems to have done something so vile that they are not interested in paying him respects that he certainly deserves, if only from the fan perspective.

I remember hearing that interview. To be honest, it really rubbed me the wrong way.

I didn't care that he laughed when asked about his contract and said he wouldn't even think of renegotiating. That's his money, cool.

But when he started talking about how his number 1 focus and main goal is chasing career numbers, he would become vocal & demand the ball if he wasn't getting it-even if the team was winning, & how he didn't care if it was in Carolina or elsewhere he was gonna reach his goals.

That really rubbed me the wrong way.

I love 89 to death, & he's my favorite athlete ever, but he wasn't the leader or team player people are trying to make him out as.

[klumme]

This is getting ugly... Cut him and lets move on if that is what Gettle wants to do.. Dragging this out just hurt even more.

[Way Truth Life]

745 yards as the #1 target....not $7M worth of production.  Plain and simple.

Educate yourself please!

The offense was a ball control offense where possessions and passing yards were minimal. Not to mention SS actually had some help this year from Ginn and others. Had Chud been here, SS would have had another 1100 yard season like 2011 and 2012....

baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

[jasonluckydog]

I'm about to call the Panther FO and ask for the head fat bastard in charge and challenge him to a naked sword fight....

 

that is the jokey side of me; what I want to say can be held against me in a court of law.

 

I dislike this whole situation.

 

SS is the greatest Panther of all time no way you let it end like this.

[MtnJax]

Makes sense now that Smitty took over his twitter account. Remember that the Panthers set it up for him after the fake, but he didn't use it until a month ago

[teeray]

2013 Carolina Panthers 15 64 745 11.6 49.7 44 4 4 2 44 0

2012 Carolina Panthers 16 73 1,174 16.1 73.4 66 4 17 3 51 0

2011 Carolina Panthers 16 79 1,394 17.6 87.1 77T 7 29 5 53 3

I'd take that production every year if I could get it....especially since this year we played ball control offense.....ignorance...pure ignorance.

 

A #1 receiver that has declined in production every year and didn't get to 800 yards or 5 TD last season?  That is your proof or production?  Marty Hurney indeed!  :D

[Proudiddy]

A lot of you can be reasonable and logical in this instance. You can make fun of others for being emotionally attached or what have you. I don't give a fug. This hurts. BAD. Steve played the way I lived my life, so I felt every single scream and yell after he caught one over a DB and let him know afterwards. Every time he stood up and spun that ball I felt like he did it for me and every other person who had a hard road to travel...

Gettleman is a punk ass bitch.

[imminent rogaine]

No biggie. We still have Brenton Bersin.

[Way Truth Life]

You do realize that based on his career trend he would have about 425 yards  and 2 touchdowns next year

Wrong.

What I realize is the offense utilized ball control and didn't sling it down field like Chud's offense did.

[Jackofalltrades]

I don't know who is more dramatic. Smith or the huddle whine patrol.

What's dramatic about that?

[Chief Keek]

Bye Smitty, you're not worth Megatron and Larry Fitz money. I don't care how long you've been a Panther at some point it's time for the players to do the Organization a favor.

[pantherclaw]

I fail to see how this is new news.

Just reaffirms what we already knew.

[Way Truth Life]

A #1 receiver that has declined in production every year and didn't get to 800 yards or 5 TDs last season?  That is your proof or production?  Marty Hurney indeed!  :D

You guys are fools and this forum is run by you all.....how stupid can you be to not understand Shula vs Chud.

Fact is Smith produced and was a critical part of the 12-4 season. That is a fact.

[MechaZain]

I get the logic here but the benefits of cutting him don't outweigh just letting the franchise's best player finish as a lifelong Carolina Panther. There's value in keeping him even just symbolically that I think a lot of people are ignoring. It's not about "liking the player more than the team."

 

Like if there's a great trade that comes out of it, sure, I get it. If we were in a situation like Green Bay where your franchise icon is actually holding your team back, of course. If he was tying up a ton of money, fine. We're cutting the greatest Panther of all-time right before he retires to save a few bucks and as a fan and "JR is cheap" apologist, I'm disappointed if this is all true.