Friday, May 1, 2009

No.90 a no-show -- get used to it

Julius Peppers wasn't there for the first day of the Panthers' minicamp Friday. And I would bet you he won't be there Saturday, or Sunday, or for any of the workouts in late May and early June that will attract just about everyone else in a Panther uniform.

I consider this a silent protest from Peppers, who wants to be unleashed to roam elsewhere but is being restrained by a $16 million yoke. Peppers doesn't want to be in Charlotte or with the Panthers anymore -- he's made that clear both through his agent and during the one interview he has given about the situation.

But the Panthers are also within their rights to restrain his freedom, and so they have. Now we've got a stalemate -- Peppers is also within his rights not to show up at minicamp, because he hasn't signed the "franchise tender" that will obligate Carolina to pay him $16 million this season once he does. (Can you imagine? There's $16 million waiting for you and you purposely avoid signing that contract? What a life.)

Now Panther head coach John Fox said Friday that he expects Peppers to be here "no later than training camp" and that he's hardly missing anything at this point. Fox, in other words, minimized the situation, which he always does whenever there's a hint of controversy around the Panthers. It's always just "part of the process."

But since I guessed correctly that Peppers wouldn't show up Friday on this blog last weekend, I'm going to make another guess now.

I don't think Peppers will be there for the first day of training camp, either.

I think No.90 is frustrated. I think he will try to force the issue a little more before just giving up and saying, "OK, never mind, I'm playing for you guys -- forget I ever said anything."

In other words, I don't think the Peppers situation will resolve itself anytime soon. Now I could be wrong -- perhaps Peppers will move into his dorm room at Wofford, happy as a lark, in late July with the rest of his teammates.

Somehow, though, I don't think so. My guess is that Peppers, at least briefly, becomes a training-camp holdout in Spartanburg as well.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pepper will NEVER suit up for the Panthers again.

Anonymous said...

Peppers will obviously not show up for any of the pre-season activities. The only question is whether missing all that time will affect his ability to perform in Ron Meeks' scheme next year. Then again, Fox has been overusing the cover two for years around here and Peppers has plenty of experience with it...

Anonymous said...

Please let Julius Peppers go. There is no need to keep him. Maybe once everyone stop depending on him to make big plays, much fewer except for last season, they will rise to the occasion. Teams play harder and go the extra mile when they do not have that one big superstar they expect to make plays. Who knows the incoming rookie might make people forget about Peppers. Let him go and drop the price of tickets $16,000,000.

James said...

Actually, its most likely that Peppers will play for the Panthers again...if he REALLY wanted to be traded, he would have signed his tender so that the Cats could trade him (or at least talk to other teams). My feeling is that Peppers didn't sign his tender b/c he wants to be picky about where he wants to go because he doesn't want to end up in somewhere terrible like Oakland.

As for him not showing up at minicamp...it really isn't a big deal..a lot of vets on other teams don't even bother to go. Peppers may not be at minicamp, but the Panthers know that they will be soooo much better with him, so they won't trade him (esp. b/c the draft is over and b/c he comes with a hefty price tag!)

So Panther fans, stop Pepper hating because he will most likely be a Panther again this season. I understand Pepper's position of wanting to be somewhere else just for something new and I understand that fans feel a bit betrayed by him for wanting to leave, but why the hate?? We are soo much better with Pep than without....

Anonymous said...

I did the math. Drop Pep's $16M salary and each ticket can be reduced by more than $22 !!! That's $16M divided by 720,000 (72,000 seats x 10 games for each seat). INCREDIBLE. Not worth the money!

Anonymous said...

He never showed up for the playoffs either...So far he has a perfect track record for 2009 not showing up...

Unknown said...

WHAT??? No "Pep is a good guy speach" from Scott Fowler this time around? Here's something to get used to Scott - Pep hasn't done anything for his team or his teammates in quite awhile. Sure he's within his rights to do these things, but he's shown absolutely no class in the way he has tried to publicly force the Panthers' hand - he almost single-handidly assured they had to pay Gross an extra $2 mil. Let's stick the SOB on the bench for a year, put him on every special team we run, and make him pick up his check at the front office every Thursday instead of doing direct deposit. What a pitiful excuse for a 'professional'...he should be playing for Donald Fehr in MLB...

Anonymous said...

I don't think some of you understand either. Sure, the Panthers would love to have Peppers. The intent on franchising him was to get something for him, with a real hope to trade him off. They didn't want to lose a player of his caliber for nothing. Now they're in a rut because no team that wants him is willing to pay his salary. I highly doubt they will attempt to keep him again next year after all of this.

Unknown said...

i get it.......talk about the rest of the team please.......

Anonymous said...

This situation is like a wife wanting a separation but still living under the same roof with the husband. She has no place to go and no one else who wants her. And now they won't talk to each other. So they stay together for convenience.

Anonymous said...

Wow Scott you are truly a genius - I can't believe you "guessed correctly" something that every other commentator has been predicting since the draft ended.

Brazen said...

Yeah, good one, Nostradamus. Perhaps you can predict if the sun will come up tomorrow, and then pat yourself on the back if you guess right. ;-)

Anonymous said...

"He wants guys that are reckless, flying around, competing every play," said linebacker Jon Beason.
"If you're not that type of guy, you're not going to play on this defense.

"It's pretty much the same," Brown said "Both guys are high-intensity, maximum effort guys.
So it felt like I was back there at Florida State. It wasn't any different."

Peppers is not this type of guy. Physically Yes, Mentally No. Come at him constantly and he mentally breaks down.

Let him go...already and move on!

Anonymous said...

P O P.........Piss on Peppers!

Anonymous said...

What a classy bunch. Panther fans are awesome.

Anonymous said...

great article...

This kind of action will spark negative yelping in any city. I just feel sorry for the beat writers who will have to deal with this junk daily...its may y'all....time to worry bout something else...

ktarheel said...

peppers is over rated he's had a couple of games that he has shoed up and played well but for the most part he's just another overrated player who thinks he should be paid alot of money for nothing so let the bum go.

Anonymous said...

Getting rid of Peppers would have zero impact on ticket prices. Come on people, it doesn't work like that.

Richardson isn't afraid to spend money. The Panthers use up all of their salary cap every year. If Peppers' $16-million disappeared, then other players would be signed, extensions would be made and it would max out again.

The Panthers don't put a team on the field at cut-rate prices. You can argue cut-rate talent on some of the players, but not cut-rate prices.

Unknown said...

Fowler, you outdid youself with this prediction. Guessing that Peppers wouldn't show up to minicamp??? Noone else would have the gumption to go out on that limb except you, Scott. Nice work!

Anonymous said...

`Just wait until he exits that tunnel... I, for one, won't have a silent protest.... I think I'll protest rather loudly.

Anonymous said...

Julius, whether you like it or not, you are a role model to many kids in and around Charlotte. I know the NFL is strictly a big business, but many of these kids do not understand that. You are a very talented player WHEN YOU WANT TO BE. Unfortunately you are now "biting the hand" that has fed you for many years, and will still take care of you very nicely for many years to come. Even though your present coaches and teammates won't say it publicly, you are now a detriment to this TEAM. This team will move on without you, and WIN without you (Believe it or not!). Until you are officially not a Panther, show some class and "Show Up", like you did PRIOR to the 2007 Season.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Peppers has a personal problem which will follow him wherever he goes.

Anonymous said...

If he holds out and doesn't play in the regular saeson games, the Panthers don't have to pay him right?

Let's see just how bad he wants out of Carolina.....

panthersnbraves