Raleigh, NC
Several years ago, the Carolina Panthers lost the Superbowl in a heartbreaker to the Patriots. This year, they are dropping games to teams like the Cleveland Browns. Next year, the Panthers may be losing to Charlotte's Independence High School.You heard it correctly, and you heard it here first. The Panthers are leaving the NFL and will enter play with North Carolina's 4A high school football division next season.
The Panthers, the worst team in the NFL, will finish the remainder of their current, abysmal season in the NFL. Even former player and interception maestro Jake Delhomme said he is embarrassed by the Panthers lack of performance on the field this season. Coach John Fox said he had originally hoped to enter the high school ranks this season. "Apparently, the high school season isn't as long as ours and they were actually already in the playoffs," Fox explained.
Fox says the Panthers have decided to not officially withdraw from the NFL until after the April draft. The Panthers will most likely have the first overall pick in that draft.
"I feel really confident in our chances next season. With the players we have now, plus the chance to add a top college player in the draft, we should be a competitive club again next season," Fox said.
Independence High's football coach Tyler Dayton is excited about the Panthers moving leagues and hopes the team joins the same conference Independence plays in. "You better believe the Panthers will be able to compete at our level," Dayton told reporters yesterday. "I would expect them to do very well and make the state playoffs. I expect them to be our toughest opponent next season. A win against them will take our program to a new level and put us back on the national high school football stage."
When asked if the threat of a lockout or an 18 game season played in the teams decision to leave the NFL, Fox said no. "I really feel like we will be more competitive in high school, 4A ball. Losing is bad for morale. We should be able to win some ball games next year, and maybe even make a run into the playoffs," Fox went on to explain.
Rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen is excited about reentering high school. "I haven't had the chance to win games since high school," he said. "Those Notre Dame teams were terrible. And this season is a wash. I am just ready to win again."
Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith is another Panther's player who is excited about the opportunity, and also hopes to finish his degree. "Man, I going get two, three hundred yards every night. Ain't nobody can stop me. Look out, here I comes."
Linebacker Jon Beason, who is much more articulate then Smith, is also far less enthusiastic. "We are professionals. We are men. We are grown ups, not boys. This season has been difficult. But we need to learn from it, and grow up as a football team. We will be better as an NFL club next season," Beason commented. "Going back to high school? Are you kidding me? That's just embarrassing."
The move to high school will also likely put kicker John Kasey in a match with his son, who is a kicker at a Charlotte area high school.
The NFC south is also looking for a team to replace the panthers. Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith would like an SEC school to join the NFC South. "I'd love to see Auburn join our division. Cam Newton has already been paid, why not pay the rest of them, too?"
Quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints wants a different team, one from North Carolina, to replace the Panthers. "I would love to have the North Carolina Tar Heels join us. They have played through adversity this season, and are a talented group. And they have several NFL talents on their squad. We just have't seen their NFL talents this year because they have all been suspended for alleged NCAA violations," Brees stated.
UNC is an interesting choice that would keep professional football in North Carolina. The team also has more NFL talent riding the bench than the Panthers have on the field. Over 16 UNC players have been withheld from games for several alleged violations, including academic cheating and the receiving of excessive benefits. An example of an excessive benefit received by one UNC player includes the estimated cost of spending the night at a friend's house (former teamate Hakeem Nicks) instead of paying for a hotel room while staying in New York City. Another player received a free dessert at Chili's after his food came out wrong, which is also an apparent violation of NCAA rules.
John Fox also mentioned that Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has contacted him about the process of entering the high school ranks. Fox says that in a brief phone conversation late Monday night, Spoelstra told him that he, too, would like to see his team win, and would really like to see Cry Baby James finally get a championship. Perhaps high school is the best place for that to happen. Spoelstra has made no comments of this conversation or any plans he has for taking the Heat out of the NBA. Attempts to contact Spoelstra were unsuccessful.
No comments:
Post a Comment