Patrick Willis comes to Alex Smith’s defense

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said that winning trumps stats in the grand scheme of things in the NFL, he cited Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as an example of a player who puts up monster stats but the team had a losing season.

Upon hearing about what Smith said, Carolina linebacker Jon Beason stepped in Newton’s defense. Now 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis is standing up for his man. Willis took to Twitter to defend Smith in this he said/he said debate about stats and winning.


“Wins are Wins I stand with My Qb Alex Smith and all my teammates. I can’t wait for the season,” Willis wrote.

All in all both have valid points. The 49ers win in spite of Smith, how do you describe their flirtation with Peyton Manning. And once the Panthers get a few more pieces around Newton (a defense) they will be a force in the NFC.

Panthers’ Steve Smith knows why NFL players are broke

Year after year you always hear stories of professional athletes going broke. No matter how much money some of these players make there will be at least one that has a sad tale of wasting or mismanaging scores of money.

Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith usually isn’t the voice of reason, but he has a pretty good reason of why players are going broke.

“Mismanagement of money doesn’t change because you have a lot of money, there are a lot of guys out there that make a lot of money and that make a little money and still live paycheck to paycheck,” Smith told WFNZ in Charlotte on Wednesday.  “You know, ignorance of how the financial game works or managing money doesn’t exclude you because you have a lot of it, it just enables you to make bigger and dumber mistakes because you have a lot of money.”


Smith also explained that players “sometimes mismanage and mistrust people that they shouldn’t have [trusted],” and that efforts to educate players only go so far, given the nature of how they are paid.  “Just because you are in the NFL doesn’t mean there is a different standard, a lot of people work paycheck to paycheck,” Smith said.  “I’ll tell you why so many players are broke, 17 weeks out of the year you get paid, and the rest, you have to manage.”


“Some people get dangerous, get desperate, and that’s how you get these guys that do drug runs and start driving down highways with kilos of marijuana just so they can get that fast cash.”


Look at what happened to Nate Newton after he retired. He was busted twice for rolling the dopewagon. Recently Sam Hurd was busted for trying to score kilos of cocaine and marijuana.

This is something the NFL needs to get a handle on because if players are trying to get some fast money to make up for what they’re losing you’ll have some of these players going to jail.    

Panthers rookie Joe Adams isn’t fazed by NFL speed

When it comes to the game of football every level you advance the speed of the game is faster. College is faster than high school, NFL is faster than college. If your former Arkansas receiver Joe Adams the speed of the NFL is no big deal.

Adams proclaimed that since he was on the mighty SEC he’s already used to seeing this kind of speed.

“It’s not overwhelming at all. I played in the SEC, where guys are pretty much this fast,” Adams said. “Now, they’re probably not this big.” 


Memo to Adams. The NFL is a different game. The SEC might be the fastest conference in college but in the NFL you get to play against others that are better or just as good. Also just as fast and they didn’t all play in the SEC.

Adams claims to have run a 4.25 40 time but that doesn’t mean jack in the NFL. Everyone is fast when you get to the league.

Smith Taking His Fellow Receivers To Hawaii

At the start of the NFL season there were stories about Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith wanting a trade out of town. It turned out to be all talk and Smith brushed it aside and had one of his finest seasons. He’ll be rewarded by going to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii but he won’t be alone.

Smith has told his receiving mates that he’ll be paying for them to join him in Hawaii. What a noble gesture from someone that has been perceived to be a hot head.

“They kind of looked at each other, and I said, ‘I’m serious,’” Smith said. “Once they got the call from my travel agent, they kind of knew it was for real.”

“All those guys ran routes to get me open. At times they took it for the team and ran some clear-out routes for me,” Smith said. “For me to sit here and say I did it on my own and all that stuff, it’s unfair. This is an opportunity for me to thank them and enjoy as a group the success that we all played a part in.”

No one can ever accuse Smith of not being a team player.

  

Panthers LB Has His Guns Stolen

I guess returning items after Christmas isn’t the best errand to run on the way to the shooting range. I know it’s not the ideal trip, but some people do it. Like Carolina Panthers linebacker Kion Wilson. The problem with the trip was that Wilson had his guns stolen from his truck.

While Wilson went to return some items to a Charlotte area Best Buy store, Wilson had four guns stolen from his Ford F-150. A Glock 23, a 12-gauge shotgun, a 57 FN handgun and a Smith and Wesson were reported stolen to the Charlotte police on Monday. Before you question why Wilson possesed such an arsenal, the guns are registered and he is licensed to travel with them, hence the trip to the shooting range which he was going to after stopping at Best Buy.

The value of the guns is estimated at $1,700. Police are investigating into who stole the guns and the police report indicated that the door lock on the truck was damaged as well.

I know the NFL might look down on Wilson for having the guns, but more importantly there are some guns that might end up in the wrong hands if they aren’t tracked down.
    

Warren Moon Wants Newton To Start In Carolina

When you draft a “franchise” quarterback there usually is some pressure from fans to start the rookie right away, even if he might not be ready to handle the rigors of the NFL. I’m sure the Carolina Panthers felt that way, especially since their only quarterback with any kind of experience is Jimmy Clausen. They probably didn’t need Hall of Famer and Cam Newton’s mentor, Warren Moon, popping off about Newton being the starter in Carolina.

“Cam has a chance to start day one just because of where they are right now at the quarterback position,” Moon told Burns and Gambo of 620 KTAR in Phoenix. “No really strong incumbent starter there, and then the fact that they have a new coach, new scheme, might as well start with a new quarterback.”

I can see his point since Clausen is only a second year player with limited experience. But it is a new scheme that neither one of them knows very well due to the lockout, which puts both of them behind the eight ball. Also I wouldn’t sell Clausen short. He could give Newton a run but I feel the Panthers will bow to the pressure and have Newton as the starter.

“There is a good chance that could happen,” Moon said. “I just don’t know what the organization’s thinking is right now. Do they want to throw him out there game one of the season or do they want to wait a few games into the season? That’s just a decision that they’re going to have to make, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the day one starter because he was drafted number one overall to be their guy for the future and why not make the future now?”

I know Moon probably knows what he’s talking about and has more football knowledge in his big toe than I ever will. I just would like to see the Newton era last more than a few games. Put him in with the first teamers in the preseason and see how things shake out. If he beats Clausen with a superior perfromance, put him in. If the Panthers start Newton just because Moon and the fans think he should be the starter from day one, they’ll be in for another long season.   

 

    

Julius Peppers’ Father Arrested On Drug Charges

It won’t be a happy father’s day for the Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers father. Peppers’ father lost his law enforcement job after being arrested on drug charges.

The State Bureau of Investigation said Thursday that 50-year-old George Thomas Kurney was arrested following a joint state-local investigation.



Nash County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Joyner said Kurney was dismissed from his sheriff’s deputy job after his arrest Wednesday. Kurney was taken to the Wilson County jail shortly after 11 p.m. and released about an hour later on $1,000 bond.

I don’t know the bond between father and son in this case, but I would think that Peppers is hoping for the best.

Quote Of The Week: Cam Newton

Cam Newton isn’t the most quotable person around, but this one caught my eye. Here’s Cam speaking on his upcoming NFL career.

 “It’s not something that’s going to be instant, like instant grits. It’s more like collard greens that need to sit and wait.” 

Don’t take this the wrong way, bu you can tell he was raised down south.

Marcell Dareus Can’t Wait To Play The Panthers And Broncos

Buffalo Bills first round draft pick, Marcell Dareus, is a little pissed about being taken number three in the draft. To me and many others that’s not to shabby. Anyone would be happy to be chosen that high. Marcell should remember that Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders was selected at number three. Don’t try to tell that to Dareus.

He was specific in an interview about what teams passed him over in an interview with Michel Irvin on   WQAM in Miami. It doesn’t take much to figure it out either since he was selected at number three. And he was hot about it.

When he was asked whether he should have been picked number one, his answer was “Yes”. Then he let the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers know that he’s going to bring the pain.

“If I ever get a chance to play Carolina I’m going to make them pay for passing up on me,” said Dareus. ”Denver I’ll get a chance to play them in the regular season (this year) and I’m going to make it hell for them every time I play against them.”



“I worked my butt off to the point where I’m not going to give you a reason not to pick me,” he said. “You’re not going to look at me and be like, ‘Well he’s good, but…” That ‘but’ word is never going to come up when you mention my name. My sole focus was for me not to give you a reason to not pick me and you still don’t? Okay, I understand you have needs somewhere else, but if you need somebody to control your front and be a commander across the front and not let anything happen? I work my butt off to do that, and you pass me up still? Okay, I’ve got something for you.”

This is something I may keep an eye on if there is an NFL season.