Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Carolina Panthers : 1985-??

tricey_web · 02-10-2019, 04:08 PM

Sounds of static, snatches of music. The unmistakeable sound from moving through the frequencies on an AM radio.

ANNOUNCER : … we contacted the senator's office, but he declined to comment.

You are listening to WCTZ Charlotte on 873 AM, the first for Sports Talk across the Carolinas.

IDENT : WCTZ Drivetime with Kenny and The Bear.

THE BEAR : Hello out there. Charlotte, Greensboro, Myrtle Beach ... across the Carolinas. It's 5 o'clock, it's Monday December 23rd 1985 and it's time for Drivetime here on WCTZ.

And what do we have to talk about tonight? Well our top story tonight is simply this ... it happened, the final game, the final nail ... Carolina Panthers football has achieved notoriety and infamy after just one season. 16 games, 16 defeats. Our question today is should we rename the team from the Panthers to the Kittens?

KENNY : Ha ha, I hear what you are saying Bear, but I've been scratched up by a Kitten but I don't think these Panthers would trouble a butterfly. Panthers? How about the Cotton Puffs?

THE BEAR : We joke, of course, we hate the situation and we know there are some good people who worked hard to bring professional football to Charlotte, but you've got to ask - when will football arrive? Because this ain't football, folks.

KENNY : Do you know I got asked yesterday by my buddy whether I thought the Panthers would win a game next season, and I told him "this is the NFL, baby, and that means Not 'Effin Likely".

THE BEAR : Alright alright, who is to blame, Kenny? 16 games, 16 losses, and in very few of those games were we even in with a chance at half-time.

KENNY : Well, I blame the NFL and Pete Rozelle himself. He got so scared by the USFL, the lawsuit and all their money and he panicked and gave a team to every city that threatened to fall in with Trump. First he gave the green-light to Tennessee to move out of Houston, St Louis to move out to Arizona and the Chargers to move back to LA, and then Baltimore and Houston came calling to ask for their NFL teams back. 28 became 30 and next thing you know Jacksonville and Charlotte have an ownership group, investment, a stadium, and then a team!

THE BEAR : It was very fast. In May we had just the Tar Heels and by July we had the N-F-L. They brought with them a lot of money though, the new owners.

KENNY : A lot of money for the lawyers fighting the USFL and none for their teams to sign decent football players.

THE BEAR : Yes, it was sudden - too late for the draft and free agency, the league was 32 teams strong. Well 28 strong, and four that could barely lift weights.

KENNY : And the realignment? I mean Seattle forcing a move to the NFC? The Colts out of the East? I mean I know it made no sense to have Tampa Bay in the Central and Atlanta in the West, but in a moment the league ignored tradition and changed our game.

THE BEAR : Four new teams, Kenny, and there wasn't the talent to go around.

KENNY : Four new teams and no expansion draft. I mean how are you supposed to build a team from the left-overs in Training Camp. I think every win by the expansion teams was a little miracle in itself.

THE BEAR : Don't go forgetting Al Davis.

KENNY : Al 'freakin Davis. Of course. Midnight, 30th June. He announces the team is moving back to Oakland. Back to Oakland! He's not done being sued for moving them out of Oakland in the first place, and he wants to go back. Did you forget your keys, Al?

THE BEAR : Maybe he left the gas on at home?

KENNY : Maybe he didn't like the neighbourhood in LA.

THE BEAR : But you got to love the sound of the 'Oakland Raiders'.

KENNY : Oh, yeah - now that is tradition. That's them done for sure, I can't see them ever leaving that city now. They know where their home is.

THE BEAR : We knew the Panthers didn't have much of a chance at the beginning of the year, and maybe things will be different in the future, but I hoped for at least two wins. Maybe three.

KENNY : Nah-ah. Zilch. Nada. Zero. Nuthin'. No wins. And we played like we deserved less than that.

THE BEAR : True true. The one thing that makes me feel better about our situation is that the Texans didn't win a game either, and they got to play Jacksonville twice this year.

KENNY : Jaguars, Texans, Ravens, Panthers - four names that scare exactly no one in the NFL.

THE BEAR : Except for the Giants.

KENNY : Ha ha, the Giants!

THE BEAR : Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall, Phil Simms, Joe Morris …

KENNY : The New York Football Giants

THE BEAR : Bill Parcells and his 10-0 record, down in Jacksonville.

KENNY : Still my favourite moment of the year. His face, his face. Mouth open. Speechless. I mean have you ever seen Parcells speechless?

THE BEAR : 19-14 the Jaguars win it, their second victory ever, putting the Mighty Giants in to the same bracket as the Houston Texans.

KENNY : I mean the shock, the humiliation, they lost to a bunch of Division 1-AA rejects, and then they can't do anything right. Washington, Minnesota, Philadelphia, all defeats.

THE BEAR : They lose the division, and now they got to play the Packers in the wild-card. Green Bay in the snow next week instead of a week off getting ready for, I don't know, the Redskins or the Saints or something. Awful. The embarrassment!

KENNY : What's the name of their Defensive Co-ordinator? Billy-tick?

THE BEAR : Bill Belichick

KENNY : Belly-wig?

THE BEAR : Belichick

KENNY : Whatever, it don't matter. Parcells looked so mad at him, he will be coaching Junior College in Wyoming next season and we won't hear from him again after these playoffs. I'm as sure of that as I am of anything.

THE BEAR : OK, I have Ted from Raleigh on the line. Ted, what do you think of them Panthers?

TED : Panthers? I think if we signed that pink cartoon panther he'd probably make the roster ahead of these guys.

KENNY : At least that cat is pretty cool under pressure. Our QB fumbled snaps every time a team showed blitz.

TED : The offensive line wasn't going to stop it.

THE BEAR : We're talking about Retzlaff? Dennis Retzlaff? 14 interceptions. 8 touchdown passes.

TED : I heard he was on a pay to play contract, so he didn't want to get hurt.

KENNY : Pay or play contract, I think, and he chose the pay, because he certainly couldn't play.

TED : This team really sucked, and I'm glad the season is over. Every contract has expired, right, so the owners better not re-sign any of them and get some guys who really care next season.

KENNY : Some of these guys looked like they'd never been in uniform before.

TED : Yeah, yeah - 100%. I mean I'll go next season, because we see some great players down here. Just none of them wear blue and silver.

THE BEAR : Thanks for the call Ted. Now is that Jay in Roanoke?

JAY : Hey there.

THE BEAR : Hello Jay, what do you think of the Panthers?

JAY : Yeah, they are so bad. Some days it was funny - guys falling over each other, when the corner forgot to put on his helmet and walked off the field to get it leaving his man open. If you see their games as comedy, then it was worth every cent.

KENNY : I was crying some weeks, but I wasn't laughing.

JAY : Do you think they'd let us play Houston the day before the SuperBowl, just to see which team actually sucks the most?

KENNY : The problem is that it might never end. Nuthin' - nuthin' in quadruple overtime. They might still be going when Rozelle flips the coin in New Orleans the following day.

JAY : It would be a good way to give something back to the fans. I think we could take Houston. Udeze was a good player, they aren't going to get past him in the secondary.

THE BEAR : Rickey Udeze? Strong safety out of Indiana? You are right, he was one helluva player. Carried the defense on his own some weeks.

KENNY : Shoulda carried them to the bus station and sent them all home.

THE BEAR : Thanks for your call Jay. Now we've got Larry in Rowan County. Larry, how bad were the Panthers?

LARRY : Hi, Kenny, Bear - first time long time. I love the show.

THE BEAR : Very nice of you to say that, I promise I won't cut you off.

LARRY : Ha, well my point is this. Jerry Richardson, the owner.

KENNY : Yes, that's the man, Richardson. He owns some restaurants, grew up here.

LARRY : He seems like a good man, loves the area, makes his home here. He's not some guy who made his money some place else who wants to buy in to a glamourous NFL team, like that guy at the Niners. He's one of us, right?

KENNY : Yes, one of us. I saw him at the games, head in his hands, living and mostly dying with every numbskull play.

LARRY : Right, he is Carolina through and through. My question why did he do this to us? I mean we're a punchline to every New York or LA comic right now. People won't have any respect for us.

KENNY : It's a good point. Richardson knows the game, as well. He was a receiver in Baltimore in '59.

LARRY : That right? Has he still got his cleats? I think he can probably play better than the chumps we had out wide this year.

THE BEAR : And there it is people, football is done for now. In the next hour we will talk about rumours of an NBA team coming to Charlotte and we ask is there anything that Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson can't do after he tells CBS that he plans to play professional baseball and football in 1986.

...

02-10-2019, 04:08 PM	#2
tricey_web n00b Join Date: Apr 2005	Sounds of static, snatches of music. The unmistakeable sound from moving through the frequencies on an AM radio. ANNOUNCER : … we contacted the senator's office, but he declined to comment. You are listening to WCTZ Charlotte on 873 AM, the first for Sports Talk across the Carolinas. IDENT : WCTZ Drivetime with Kenny and The Bear. THE BEAR : Hello out there. Charlotte, Greensboro, Myrtle Beach ... across the Carolinas. It's 5 o'clock, it's Monday December 23rd 1985 and it's time for Drivetime here on WCTZ. And what do we have to talk about tonight? Well our top story tonight is simply this ... it happened, the final game, the final nail ... Carolina Panthers football has achieved notoriety and infamy after just one season. 16 games, 16 defeats. Our question today is should we rename the team from the Panthers to the Kittens? KENNY : Ha ha, I hear what you are saying Bear, but I've been scratched up by a Kitten but I don't think these Panthers would trouble a butterfly. Panthers? How about the Cotton Puffs? THE BEAR : We joke, of course, we hate the situation and we know there are some good people who worked hard to bring professional football to Charlotte, but you've got to ask - when will football arrive? Because this ain't football, folks. KENNY : Do you know I got asked yesterday by my buddy whether I thought the Panthers would win a game next season, and I told him "this is the NFL, baby, and that means Not 'Effin Likely". THE BEAR : Alright alright, who is to blame, Kenny? 16 games, 16 losses, and in very few of those games were we even in with a chance at half-time. KENNY : Well, I blame the NFL and Pete Rozelle himself. He got so scared by the USFL, the lawsuit and all their money and he panicked and gave a team to every city that threatened to fall in with Trump. First he gave the green-light to Tennessee to move out of Houston, St Louis to move out to Arizona and the Chargers to move back to LA, and then Baltimore and Houston came calling to ask for their NFL teams back. 28 became 30 and next thing you know Jacksonville and Charlotte have an ownership group, investment, a stadium, and then a team! THE BEAR : It was very fast. In May we had just the Tar Heels and by July we had the N-F-L. They brought with them a lot of money though, the new owners. KENNY : A lot of money for the lawyers fighting the USFL and none for their teams to sign decent football players. THE BEAR : Yes, it was sudden - too late for the draft and free agency, the league was 32 teams strong. Well 28 strong, and four that could barely lift weights. KENNY : And the realignment? I mean Seattle forcing a move to the NFC? The Colts out of the East? I mean I know it made no sense to have Tampa Bay in the Central and Atlanta in the West, but in a moment the league ignored tradition and changed our game. THE BEAR : Four new teams, Kenny, and there wasn't the talent to go around. KENNY : Four new teams and no expansion draft. I mean how are you supposed to build a team from the left-overs in Training Camp. I think every win by the expansion teams was a little miracle in itself. THE BEAR : Don't go forgetting Al Davis. KENNY : Al 'freakin Davis. Of course. Midnight, 30th June. He announces the team is moving back to Oakland. Back to Oakland! He's not done being sued for moving them out of Oakland in the first place, and he wants to go back. Did you forget your keys, Al? THE BEAR : Maybe he left the gas on at home? KENNY : Maybe he didn't like the neighbourhood in LA. THE BEAR : But you got to love the sound of the 'Oakland Raiders'. KENNY : Oh, yeah - now that is tradition. That's them done for sure, I can't see them ever leaving that city now. They know where their home is. THE BEAR : We knew the Panthers didn't have much of a chance at the beginning of the year, and maybe things will be different in the future, but I hoped for at least two wins. Maybe three. KENNY : Nah-ah. Zilch. Nada. Zero. Nuthin'. No wins. And we played like we deserved less than that. THE BEAR : True true. The one thing that makes me feel better about our situation is that the Texans didn't win a game either, and they got to play Jacksonville twice this year. KENNY : Jaguars, Texans, Ravens, Panthers - four names that scare exactly no one in the NFL. THE BEAR : Except for the Giants. KENNY : Ha ha, the Giants! THE BEAR : Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall, Phil Simms, Joe Morris … KENNY : The New York Football Giants THE BEAR : Bill Parcells and his 10-0 record, down in Jacksonville. KENNY : Still my favourite moment of the year. His face, his face. Mouth open. Speechless. I mean have you ever seen Parcells speechless? THE BEAR : 19-14 the Jaguars win it, their second victory ever, putting the Mighty Giants in to the same bracket as the Houston Texans. KENNY : I mean the shock, the humiliation, they lost to a bunch of Division 1-AA rejects, and then they can't do anything right. Washington, Minnesota, Philadelphia, all defeats. THE BEAR : They lose the division, and now they got to play the Packers in the wild-card. Green Bay in the snow next week instead of a week off getting ready for, I don't know, the Redskins or the Saints or something. Awful. The embarrassment! KENNY : What's the name of their Defensive Co-ordinator? Billy-tick? THE BEAR : Bill Belichick KENNY : Belly-wig? THE BEAR : Belichick KENNY : Whatever, it don't matter. Parcells looked so mad at him, he will be coaching Junior College in Wyoming next season and we won't hear from him again after these playoffs. I'm as sure of that as I am of anything. THE BEAR : OK, I have Ted from Raleigh on the line. Ted, what do you think of them Panthers? TED : Panthers? I think if we signed that pink cartoon panther he'd probably make the roster ahead of these guys. KENNY : At least that cat is pretty cool under pressure. Our QB fumbled snaps every time a team showed blitz. TED : The offensive line wasn't going to stop it. THE BEAR : We're talking about Retzlaff? Dennis Retzlaff? 14 interceptions. 8 touchdown passes. TED : I heard he was on a pay to play contract, so he didn't want to get hurt. KENNY : Pay or play contract, I think, and he chose the pay, because he certainly couldn't play. TED : This team really sucked, and I'm glad the season is over. Every contract has expired, right, so the owners better not re-sign any of them and get some guys who really care next season. KENNY : Some of these guys looked like they'd never been in uniform before. TED : Yeah, yeah - 100%. I mean I'll go next season, because we see some great players down here. Just none of them wear blue and silver. THE BEAR : Thanks for the call Ted. Now is that Jay in Roanoke? JAY : Hey there. THE BEAR : Hello Jay, what do you think of the Panthers? JAY : Yeah, they are so bad. Some days it was funny - guys falling over each other, when the corner forgot to put on his helmet and walked off the field to get it leaving his man open. If you see their games as comedy, then it was worth every cent. KENNY : I was crying some weeks, but I wasn't laughing. JAY : Do you think they'd let us play Houston the day before the SuperBowl, just to see which team actually sucks the most? KENNY : The problem is that it might never end. Nuthin' - nuthin' in quadruple overtime. They might still be going when Rozelle flips the coin in New Orleans the following day. JAY : It would be a good way to give something back to the fans. I think we could take Houston. Udeze was a good player, they aren't going to get past him in the secondary. THE BEAR : Rickey Udeze? Strong safety out of Indiana? You are right, he was one helluva player. Carried the defense on his own some weeks. KENNY : Shoulda carried them to the bus station and sent them all home. THE BEAR : Thanks for your call Jay. Now we've got Larry in Rowan County. Larry, how bad were the Panthers? LARRY : Hi, Kenny, Bear - first time long time. I love the show. THE BEAR : Very nice of you to say that, I promise I won't cut you off. LARRY : Ha, well my point is this. Jerry Richardson, the owner. KENNY : Yes, that's the man, Richardson. He owns some restaurants, grew up here. LARRY : He seems like a good man, loves the area, makes his home here. He's not some guy who made his money some place else who wants to buy in to a glamourous NFL team, like that guy at the Niners. He's one of us, right? KENNY : Yes, one of us. I saw him at the games, head in his hands, living and mostly dying with every numbskull play. LARRY : Right, he is Carolina through and through. My question why did he do this to us? I mean we're a punchline to every New York or LA comic right now. People won't have any respect for us. KENNY : It's a good point. Richardson knows the game, as well. He was a receiver in Baltimore in '59. LARRY : That right? Has he still got his cleats? I think he can probably play better than the chumps we had out wide this year. THE BEAR : And there it is people, football is done for now. In the next hour we will talk about rumours of an NBA team coming to Charlotte and we ask is there anything that Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson can't do after he tells CBS that he plans to play professional baseball and football in 1986. ... Last edited by tricey_web : 02-10-2019 at 04:09 PM.