Something named John Delong has hit the nail on the fucking head.

Honestly I've never heard of this John Delong guy but he gets a pass from me because he has written the best article I've ever read about the Panthers since the time I went back and read everything I've ever written about the Panthers and that's a pretty big accomplishment if I do say so myself.

One of the functions of this blog will be to talk about the Panthers even when there's nothing to talk about, and usually since the motto of this team is "It Is What It Is" there's nothing to talk about. That means I have to shit on other peoples' analysis but boy howdy their ain't much to shit on here.

John Delong writes for some newspaper called the Winstom Salem Journal. This was surprising to me because I thought all Winstom Salem had were cigarette factories and dead basketball coaches. I think he's been on Primetime with the Pacman to eat some ribs or something but anyway this article has been brought to my attention and I would like to show you guys some things.

This is news, and yet it is hardly news at all since Richardson had accidentally - we’re told - let it slip to Cris Collinsworth of the NFL Network weeks ago that Fox and Hurney were safely and securely in the future plans.

There is nothing funnier than reading all the not so subtle quips in the local media illustrating how pissy they are they get no access to this team. But I like this rage. Use it. let it grow within you. in time you may be as ridiculous as new york editorial writers.

The only thing left to find out is which coaches and players Fox offered up to take the fall for a second straight non-playoff season.

Oh come the fuck on Delong. im not sure if you don't get internet access under the bridge it looks like you live on but we know that hurney's already stated everyone is coming back. the lord savior darin gantt already told us so. we also know that fox never, EVER, throws someone under the bus so i'm not sure what you're smoking. fox is much more content to wallow in mediocrity and be considered a "players' coach" than actually put someone against the wall.

But we never see Richardson the owner humbled. We never see Richardson the owner do the things that Richardson the public man might do. We see no public accountability at the top, no public vision at the top, and that translates to the average PSL owner as arrogance. And Richardson can be that way because he has PSL owners, who built the stadium that makes him millions, in a vice. They dare not give up their PSLs and forfeit their investment and take a financial bath, so they must suffer through seasons such as this past one and keep hoping that next year will be better. The fans have clout in some NFL cities; they can boycott games. The fans have no clout in Charlotte, because it costs them money to show their displeasure.

There's a lot of truth to this. richardson is generally regarded as one of the best owners in the nfl since he's one of the few former players that own a team, if not the only one. I'm not sure I'm in statistics right now and I can't think clearly. however he's so fucking set with this psl thing it sickens me. not only does he have the guarantee that no one will ever give up on the panthers from a hope standpoint (the second i stop caring they'll win the superbowl) but from an economic standpoint as well.

Just when you think you're out the PUUUUUUULLLLLLL you back in!

The teams that succeed are the ones that learn from their mistakes and change. The Panthers may change some assistants, a backup quarterback for sure, and players at other positions. The biggest change needs to be in attitude, though. When you’re 7-9 and won three meaningless games just to salvage that record, and when you have missed the playoffs three of the past four years after going to the Super Bowl and have a ready-made excuse for each of those years, and when you come away from it all as arrogant as ever, there is a fundamental problem that has nothing to do with David Carr, Keary Colbert or even Doubtful Dan Morgan.

You couldn't hit the nail on the head more if you tried with like an atomic powered hammer that Thor once used. There is a problem with the actual mindset of the Panthers and there has been for a while. But wait, there's more....

My take on John Fox - and I don’t claim to know him well but I’ve been around him and other professional and college head coaches enough to form some impressions - is that he has reached the stage of his coaching career where he has lost a bit of perspective on what got him where he is today. He has lost perspective on what got him an NFL head-coaching job, and what got the Panthers to the Super Bowl in his second season.

He came in as a confident, but humble and reverent, coach. He inspired others, good things happened, he turned the team around quickly and he took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Then it went to his head.

okay i just hit critical mass of head nodding. when fox came in he was a complete badass who took no shit from anyone and slapped anyone in the face who disagreed with him. he's lost his way. he's like seabiscuit in that he's forgotten how to be a horse. fox has forgotten how to be a coach.

i think fox gets a lot more credit than he deserves for the dramatic turn around of the panthers from a talent infusion standpoint. the team was mostly unchanged from the team that went 1-15 in 2001. He added 3 players on offense and basically two on defense. Granted, those five new players were peppers, delhomme, davis, spoon, and gross, but i've convinced myself he just got lucky with davis and delhomme and how the hell could you fuck up drafting julius peppers?

oh sorry houston didn't see you standing there.

anyway as much as i would love the chin to be roaming the sideline the best case scenario is for fox to unfuck himself and come out swinging next year. that leads to a decade of dominance and all panthers fans laugh as we stare at our collection of lombardi trophies and giggle about the time we wanted fox fired

but of course that won't happen wooooooo 8-8 here we come!