It was a sad day in the Carolina’s and for Carolina fans on December 4. It was officially announced that Panthers’ head coach, Ron Rivera, was let go.
Ok, I was personally very shocked by this news. I mean, I just thought this was crazy! I did not see this coming. I mean, you’ve got to be kidding. I just did not expect this.
If anything, the Giants should be considering coaching changes. The Dolphins and the Bengals should possibly be considering coaching changes. Yes, the Panthers have lost four in a row but making the drastic decision of letting go of your head coach who has been there since 2011, is not what I saw coming.
I have always said that if I were an NFL player, I would want Ron Rivera to be my coach. He is personable, he is caring, and he is passionate. He wants to win and win big. He cares about his players. He was a fun coach with all of the t-shirts he would wear with the different sayings and inside jokes with the team and fans. He also pushed his players and worked them hard.
I don’t think any of the players were expecting this because of how devastated and shocked they all seem. Cam Newton seems devastated, Christian McCaffrey was disappointed, Greg Olsen is upset.
There was a significant lack of football related answers when players were asked about Coach Rivera. Players weren’t immediately saying answers involving football. They answered with answers involving thoughtfulness and generosity. They had a deeper respect for their coach than you normally see. They felt like a family. But being a “family” doesn’t matter in the business that is the NFL.
Coach Rivera would always support Greg Olsen’s charity, The HEARTest Yard, which helped in the growth and building of the cardiovascular and congenital heart outpatient clinic at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of Olsen’s sons was born with a rare congenital heart condition and Rivera has always supported it.
Christian McCaffrey spoke to the press in the locker room talking about how often Rivera would ask about McCaffrey’s family. He would always check in and when Christian was first drafted, and arrived to the Panthers facility with his family, one of the first things he noticed was how Rivera hugged his mother.
Cam Newton thanked Rivera on social media thanking him for giving him an opportunity and told the NFL’s Ian Rapoport, “This one hurt deep!” Like Cam and many other players such as Luke Keuchly, Rivera has been their only NFL head coach.
Keuchly SPOKE A LOT about Rivera when talking to the press stating how unfortunate the situation is and how much he’s taught him about handling adversity and how to treat others in addition to football.
Rivera himself seemed very disappointed and hurt but in an interview with Tiffany Blackmon that I had watched, he said he wasn’t shocked, just disappointed.
I mean, wow. Just wow. I understand this is a business and this happens. I mean, I was devastated when Tom Coughlin was let go. I was expecting it, I just didn’t want to see it happen or admit that it was going to happen. Same thing with Victor Cruz being released. I can talk about that another time, but that was a day I don’t think I can ever forget. I was devastated and I can imagine and completely relate to Carolina fans right now.
I’m not even a die-hard Panthers fan and I’m saddened over this. I think I feel this way because of the respect I have for him and his players. The Panthers are such a “stand up” team with great men who I hope are professional enough to not let this get to them and have it negatively impact their playing.
Will fans and maybe even players hold this situation against David Tepper? Yeah maybe. He is the boss man. For those of you who don’t know, David Tepper is the Panthers general manager. He thought that this was the perfect decision and made it. I see why fans and players could be angry with him. I absolutely see that. But I also commend him for making a change as soon as a problem arose. I don’t quite understand why the Giants haven’t had the same sense of urgency.
I think if the Panthers go about everything in the correct manner, then the fans will be more comfortable seeing their team with a new coach who is hopefully improving the team. If they don’t go about this the right way, then I fear that Carolina is going to start looking a lot like East Rutherford, New Jersey if you know what I mean. I fear that Charlotte is going to start to look a little like Miami. Like … dare I say… Cincinnati.
I truly, truly believe that the Panthers will not end up like the Bengals or the Dolphins. They, in my opinion, are nowhere near being in the state that the Giants are in. I just don’t want them to wind up like them. This Panthers team has some BIG names on it. We’re talking Keuchly, McCaffrey, Olsen, Boston, Moore, Turner, Samuel. We’re talking McCoy, Thompson, Jackson, Irvin, Bradberry, Reid, and Slye. There is something not happening. Not clicking. Which I don’t quite understand because they seem to have the utmost chemistry off the field.
They need to get their mojo back now more than ever before because of their beloved coach who has become their former coach. For me, it was sort of difficult to listen to Christian McCaffrey say how much he wished he had done more. That they had won more games for him. Made better plays for him. I’m sure all of the players feel that way. I know I would. I hope they can use this situation at least as some motivation and finish off the season throughout the next four games in honor of Coach Rivera.
To wrap it up, I have to say that I have enjoyed watching Coach Rivera coach this team and be the fourth head coach in the history of the organization. There isn’t anyone quite like him in the league and I think that’s a wonderful thing.
I’d like to end this wishing Coach Rivera the best of luck in the future because he deserves it. Luke Keuchly said it best: “He’s a special person, a special coach, and he meant a lot to this city. We’re definitely going to miss having him around.”
