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Thanks
for the Memories That was quite a week in Carolina Panthers football history. Jerry Richardson has basically rid himself of over 30 million dollars in salary. The parting of Julius Peppers wasn't a surprise, but seeing Jake Delhomme pack his bags was a shocker. There were a number of people that called and emailed the show that were euphoric with the news that the 35-year-old quarterback had played his last game for the franchise. I totally understood where they were coming from, based on Jake's last season on the football field. But when you judge a player, you need to look at the big picture. And while it's true Delhomme has been brutal in recent memory, he generated much more good news than bad for the Panthers. On top of that, Delhomme might have been one of the very best professional athletes that I've seen address the media. It didn't matter if he was great or a dog, Jake faced the music. That's more than I can say for most professional players in this era of ego and greed. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Jake Delhomme was terrific away from the game. Between charity work and positive influence on the community, he was one of the Panthers' best of all time. It was fascinating to watch both press conferences surrounding Delhomme. Both Marty Hurney and John Fox were emotional in describing the decision to let Jake walk. It was apparent that the team was losing more than a quarterback. In addition, Delhomme's 13-million dollar severance will go down as one of the worst Panther moves ever.....easily in the Top 3. I figured Jake was going to break down a few times during his PC.....the guy was an emotional dude, and last week was no different. While many fans were jumping for joy, I found myself thinking back to his Carolina career and reliving the highs (2 NFC title games and a great Super Bowl performance) and the lows (the Arizona playoff game and the entire 2009 season). Jake wasn't a great quarterback.....but his place in Panther lore is established. It's a shame more pro athletes don't have the same approach to the game as Jake demonstrated. He was classy and the Panthers were better off for having him under center. Given all the changes with the Panthers, it does make you wonder what's going on at Mint Street. The team has released some serious salary and talent, and it appears that they don't plan on being much of a player in the free agent market. So, how does this team get better? Without a first round pick in the NFL Draft, how do the Panthers put a better product on the field in 2010? If the team plans on giving the younger players more cash and longer contracts, how does that equate to improving a team that disappointed at 8-8. Even though it's too early to judge and compare, there's no way anybody feels better about this team than they did at any point last season. Jerry Richardson has always been an owner that would "write the check" to do whatever it took, to put a quality product on the field. Does anybody get the feeling that the Panthers and Richardson in particular have decided to go in a different direction? Richardson is certainly front and center with the NFL's labor negotiations, and you get the impression that he is setting the bar with his own franchise on how he and the league expect to conduct business. With the exception of the Chicago Bears, there really haven't been the explosive deals that everyone anticipated with the opening of an uncapped season in the NFL. The Panther fans should be feeling a bit uneasy with the first round of moves.....but it's still early in the process. But if the team plans wholesale changes without reinvesting in bringing in new players, it does seem to defeat the purpose. Unless, of course, you are positioning your franchise for the lockout. The ACC Tourney gets underway this week in Greensboro, and the conference continues to get very little love on the national stage. It looks like Duke and Maryland and the rest of the group of potential 8-seeded teams. That's precisely why I think the ACC Tourney is going to be entertaining. Don't ask me why, but I have a funny feeling that we're going to be deprived of a Duke-Maryland title game. The match-up between the two ACC teams was fabulous last week in College Park, despite the idiotic Terp fans that decided to rip apart their campus afterwards. How can 28 people get arrested after a regular season game? Pathetic. Nevertheless, there are a couple of teams that must win in the Tourney....Georgia Tech has big problems making the Dance, and they open up with the Heels. It's hard to feel good about either team, based on their last performances. Tech lost at home to the Hokies, while the Tar Heels were completely embarrassed at Duke. Can Wake Forest find their mojo and turn around a season that slipped away over the last few weeks? Are the Hokies safe? I think they are in, regardless of what happens in Greensboro. It should be fun....so, let the Madness begin. Everyone knows about the Infamous ACC Index Card.....we've been following which teams get all the calls and shoot all the free throws in the league, for the past dozen years. After compiling the numbers this season, you'll never guess which team seemed to get the benefit of the doubt in ACC games.......the UNC Tar Heels. I totally understood the numbers last season....UNC was the dominant team. They pounded the ball down low to Tyler Hansbrough, and he was fouled over and over. The Heels dominated the numbers and rightfully so. But how in the world can you explain UNC being ranked first in three of the four categories and second in the other one? The numbers don't lie.....this year it is impossible to explain how this UNC team would lead the way.....but you can check it out for yourself:
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Packman
on Sports Commentary
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