Baseball great Jackie Robinson was instructed by Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey to "turn the other cheek" when it came to dealing with racial comments as he broke baseball's color barrier in the 1940's. Now, Panthers CB Ken Lucas is literally doing just that after taking a punch from teammate Steve Smith that left him with a broken nose and swollen cheek. Lucas has physically "taken one for the team" by not retaliating against Smith. He accepted Smith's apology not just for himself, but for the entire Panthers team which could have been pulled apart by this breach of conduct. Lucas' reaction shows his personal character and also his willingness to not let a bad moment bring down the season.
Smith has been appropriately remorseful for his actions. It was six seasons ago that he also had a similar one-sided fight with former teammate Anthony Bright. Ironically, Smith alluded to his personal change in character from that time just four days earlier in an interview at Wofford College. I listened to both players speak on Monday, and both spoke from the heart and seem genuine in their desire to put the ugly incident behind them.
There will be an impact on the football field though as the Panthers will be without their biggest playmaker for their opening games versus San Diego and Chicago. Ryne Robinson has a banged up knee, which further depletes the position. Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett will be the starters, while Dwayne Jarrett will have to step up. Another player to keep an eye out for this preseason is number-11 Jason Carter, who spent most of last season on the Panthers practice squad and has showed promise in training camp.
Some thoughts from Spartanburg...Julius Peppers looks to be in the best shape of his life. In fact, when he's not wearing pads, he looks like he's wearing pads. Jon Beason again showed that he can be the leader of the defense by jumping in to break up the fight between Smith and Lucas. Rookie Charles Godfrey is the clear-cut leader to start at the other safety position opposite Chris Harris. The Panthers offense will be as good as the offensive line will allow it to be with all five starting positions different from last year. GM Marty Hurney says if he had it all to do again, he would pick Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah again with their first round picks.
Bank of America Stadium has had it's busiest off-season. The most noticeable change will be the giant endzone video screens in HD. You'll also see flat-screen televisions in the concourse and an improved sound system. Stadium President Jon Richardson says the addition of barbeque last season was a big hit and will continue with a new BBQ shack this season. He says he experimented with garlic fries because they were popular at San Francisco 49ers games, but found that was not the taste of Panthers fans, who prefer the local cuisine.
How dare you compare this irrelevant issue of two players jawing and one getting jawed to not only a sports changing, but a society changing event that took the nation by storm. I like both of these players equally but we all know they like to “talk” a bit while on the field. But comparing this pathetic event of tempers flaring to one of the most demanding positions any player in any sport has ever found themselves in is an absolutely ridiculous and feeble comparison. You should be ashamed and embarrassed for even mentioning this cock-eyed contrast. By the way, I am a caucasian American man and I believe that you should not disgrace the trials and torment that a revolutionary player, such as Jackie Robinson, went through by comparing his journey to that of a “bar-room brawl.” So for that I say how dare you?
Posted by: pecman | August 06, 2008 at 01:18 AM
How dare you compare this irrelevant issue of two players jawing and one getting jawed to not only a sports changing, but a society changing event that took the nation by storm. I like both of these players equally but we all know they like to “talk” a bit while on the field. But comparing this pathetic event of tempers flaring to one of the most demanding positions any player in any sport has ever found themselves in is an absolutely ridiculous and feeble comparison. You should be ashamed and embarrassed for even mentioning this cock-eyed contrast. By the way, I am a caucasian American man and I believe that you should not disgrace the trials and torment that a revolutionary player, such as Jackie Robinson, went through by comparing his journey to that of a “bar-room brawl.” So for that I say how dare you?
Posted by: pecman | August 06, 2008 at 01:20 AM
How dare you compare this irrelevant issue of two players jawing and one getting jawed to not only a sports changing, but a society changing event that took the nation by storm. I like both of these players equally but we all know they like to “talk” a bit while on the field. But comparing this pathetic event of tempers flaring to one of the most demanding positions any player in any sport has ever found themselves in is an absolutely ridiculous and feeble comparison. You should be ashamed and embarrassed for even mentioning this cock-eyed contrast. By the way, I am a caucasian American man and I believe that you should not disgrace the trials and torment that a revolutionary player, such as Jackie Robinson, went through by comparing his journey to that of a “bar-room brawl.” So for that I say how dare you?
Posted by: pecman | August 06, 2008 at 01:21 AM
Wow, the previous person felt so strong he commented three times! 8) Well, as someone who got to meet Jackie Robinson when I was a child, I feel he would have been appalled by todays' "hotdogs". Modern football players celebrate every minor achievement in a way reserved for winning the game in the days of Jim Brown.
Jim Szoke is right that it was an ugly incident and one we should reflect upon. Sports is not all about entertainment, it is also supposed to involve sportsmanship.
Posted by: John Bailey | December 31, 2008 at 09:00 AM