1. The Panthers decided not to franchise Josh Norman, instead let him go. 2. Their 1st round draft choice was a DT when they already have 2 DTs still on their rookie contracts. His best attribute is that he will allow the Panthers good negotiating leverage with Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short. 3. The Panthers did not draft a running back to spell/back up Jonathan Stewart, nor did they take a cornerback. Individually, I understand the logic. Taken as a whole, I don't like these moves because they all say the same thing...the Panthers are NOT putting all their chips on the table for 2016, they're building for the long haul. As a general principle that's one thing, but on a team which has among its key features Thomas Davis, Ryan Kalil, Greg Olsen, and Jonathan Stewart, it's foolish. You can't count on those guys for 2017, so if your goal is to maximize championship rather than regular season wins, you gamble on 2016, take a step back in 2017, and gear up for 2018 and 2019 behind Cam and Luke.
I was just talking about their first round pick. If you're playing moneyball/best player available, then their CB picks can't be evaluated for 2-3 years anyway. If they're trying to win this year's Super Bowl and accept that they'll have to take a step back in 2017, then they'd have taken a CB (or other "need" position) with their first round pick.
They've won their division 3 straight years. OK, in 2014 they were 7-8-1, but they had a good record in 2013. That would make them a two-trick pony. My fear is that they're going to string together a bunch of 10-12 win, #2 or #3 seed seasons during the prime of Cam and Kuechly, but never win the Super Bowl. They don't have a sense of urgency about winning before they have to replace their 30+ stars.
That can happen sometimes, as with the early Elway Broncos. But this season IMO is the one Cam has to be most concerned about. The Trump brigade hasn't forgotten how he didn't genuflect enough after the Super Bowl, and he'll be under their microscope/within earshot unless he appeases them.
NFL Teaming With Cirque Du Soleil To Draw New Fans - N.Y. Times http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/s...h-cirque-du-soleil-to-draw-new-fans.html?_r=0 Cirque du Soleil, known for breathtaking acrobatics, and the N.F.L., known for bone-crushing hits, are joining forces in the latest iteration of the sports world’s race for young and international fans. Together, they will open an interactive exhibit and theater in the heart of Manhattan next year. It may seem an odd pairing, but the two sides say their partnership makes business sense. Cirque gets to align with the country’s most popular sports league, and the N.F.L., battling bad publicity over concussions, domestic violence and other issues, is uniting with a popular, uncontroversial entertainment brand with a broad, international following. The as-yet-unnamed showcase, which will include an interactive theater and digital exhibits, is expected to open in November 2017 on the first four floors of a tower being built at the north end of Times Square, at Seventh Avenue and 47th Street. Cirque du Soleil will spend about $40 million to build the 40,000-square-foot space and pay a licensing fee to the N.F.L., which will provide memorabilia and access to the N.F.L. Films library. The profits will be shared by both sides. Cirque du Soleil has staged events at the Super Bowl. This time, the N.F.L. and Cirque envision a permanent exhibition that appeals to avid fans eager to see historical displays and in-depth exhibits as well as more casual fans who may never have attended a game.
“Am I About to Die?” http://www.theplayerstribune.com/am-i-about-to-die/ Now I just want to take that spirit and joy and spread it to people who really need it. I want to help people. Like the EMTs helped me. Like Marshawn helped me. Like so many people along the way helped me. To be honest, my NFL career was like a blur. It was an uphill battle on an unending mountain. My mission now is to help people get off the streets and back on their feet in any way I can. I need to repay the Lord for helping me get up. That’s my new mountain. I’m back at the bottom. I’m climbing and I’m climbing, and I’m meeting some amazing people along the way. Every person that I meet, I’m bringing them up the mountain with me. When it’s all said and done, when the temporary fairy tale Coach Carroll talked about is over, we have to ask ourselves why we’re really here on this earth.
Cool article. I hope one day to read about other (non-athlete) wealthy people deciding they want to help folks. I'm sure he put as much work into his job as others who earn what he earned. If repaying the Lord is possible, there's a bunch of folks who owe.
Dallas Cowboys Top Forbes' Most Valuable Teams List - Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sport-forbes-idUSKCN0ZT26W (in billions) 1. Dallas Cowboys - $4.0 2. Real Madrid - $3.65 3. Barcelona - $3.55 4. New York Yankees - $3.4 5. Manchester United - $3.32 6. New England Patriots - $3.2 7. New York Knicks - $3.0 8. Washington Redskins - $2.85 9. New York Giants - $2.8 10. Los Angeles Lakers - $2.7 10. San Francisco 49ers - $2.7
Foxborough, MA — Tom Brady's four-game suspension from Deflategate will stand. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the Patriots' quarterback's appeal for a new hearing. In April a three-judge panel from the court reinstated the suspension.
@lawsonishere I didn't see this here, so I'm posting it for you. Thanks for the evaluation. I like what I've heard, except for two things... 1) Pouncey isn't part of this lineup until he gets thru Week 8 or so without some season-ending injury. I love the guy, but he's got to stay on the field if he's going to be counted as a positive factor in our season. 2) Big Ben isn't as injury-prone as in previous seasons, and it's because of Haley's system. I was skeptical, but not anymore. As far as last season's late injury went, well, you can't protect a QB from cheap shots by a vicious animal like Burfict. That's the NFL's responsibility. 3) I think Tomlin's a great coach, but unless you're equating stepping on the field v. the Ravens with playbook theft, phone destruction, videotape destruction, ball deflation and walkthrough taping, you have no god-damned business saying that Tomlin is like Belichick. He isn't like Belichick. He's a thoroughly decent human being with a family and a church and a basic sense of right and wrong, Ravens game notwithstanding. He doesn't deserve to be slapped with a backhanded-ass compliment like you did, bro, and I can't imagine you didn't know that when you ********ing picked up the mic. SMGDH. Mike Tomlin may have been to only two Super Bowls and won only one, but those two AFC titles and that one NFL title were earned with honest sweat and time, with no bending of any League regulations or rules by the Steeler organization. Belichick is the "So? Whatcha gonna do about it- ask for my rings back?" example of NFL coaching. When you've lived as long as I have, you'll see more than just a scoreboard and stat sheet.
Hey, if that was the other guy in your audio, I apologize to you. But Tomlin doesn't deserve to be compared to the sporting equivalent of John Gotti.
I think your splitting hairs , I mean was jp Morgan not a good business man? I think he was a corporate thug but he was ruthless in a ruthless world and was effective in his field. Same goes for the hoody. I mean look what happened to the kangol Bruce Arians under Tomlin, being an NFL head coach requires being ruthless. He is like the hoody because he is up there with the upper echelon of coaches , I don't see how that's a backhanded compliment. The hoody is the standard of NFL coaching at the moment. One could make the arguement that Tomlin hastened the departure of lebeau, a lot of people would feel emotional about that , I didn't and he improved the defense with minimal change in talent. I just don't get biased or overly emotional about the patriots even though I have suffered a ton of ass kickings from them.
Auria protects the Steelers like they are his kids. Tomlin is a fine coach, but he is an ass. So is Joey Porter. His actions in the Cincy game should have gotten him suspended. Oh well.