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April 22, 2008
Minter comments on Rucker retirement
Mike Rucker and Mike Minter are best friends. They may as well be brothers.
So it hurt Minter, the former Panthers' safety, to miss Rucker's retirement press conference Tuesday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.
Minter wanted to be there so much, but he had a business appointment in Wilmington that he couldn't cancel.
Speaking by phone, Minter said Rucker's retirement brought back memories of his own emotional farewell at training camp in Spartanburg last year.
"I know how he feels," Minter said of Rucker. "I know what he's going through. But he can walk out with his head held high knowing he left the organization better than when he found it.
"When you look at a football player, when you look at a professional, you look at a guy like Mike Rucker, a guy who maximized his talent and a guy who really made a mark on the history of Carolina Panthers' football."
-- Charles Chandler
Posted by Observer Sports on April 22, 2008 at 07:10 PM | Permalink
Comments
John Kasay, the man responsible for losing the Super Bowl, should be next to hang up the cleats!
Posted by: byebye | Apr 22, 2008 7:19:14 PM
All I know is they better not build any more damn statues of guys no one outside of Charlotte, NC knows. That means you Kasay, Minter, and Rucker. I've got that under control.
Posted by: StatueoftheFatGuyNoOneKnowsattheStadium | Apr 22, 2008 7:22:26 PM
byebye,
Did John Kasay's kick out of bounds contribute to the loss in SB XXXVIII? Yes. Did he lose the game? No. If you are honest with yourself then you know our defense was absolutely out of gas. The Patriots had the good fortune of having the ball last in a fourth quarter where both defenses were done.
I don't necessarily think Kasay should get a statue (haven't made up my mind on that), but your comment is uninformed and classless.
Meanwhile, Kasay is still a pretty good field goal kicker. 24/28 on FGs last year and perfect on extra points.
Posted by: Matt | Apr 22, 2008 8:10:22 PM
Anyone who wants Kasay gone has been spoiled by having such a talented kicker all these years. I can't count how many games Kasay has won for us, and without his leg we would never have made it to the superbowl that season.
Kasay is still better than most kickers in the league as far as fieldgoals go, and I will take him back as long as continues to produce.
Posted by: Daniel | Apr 22, 2008 8:17:48 PM
Kasay kicked it out of bounds, yes.. but those 4 3 and outs lost us the game in the first quarter.
Posted by: Delhommie | Apr 22, 2008 8:29:33 PM
Move on grow up, quit complaining.
It's great to see this kind of friendship between 2 outstanding citizens of Charlotte. Stop recommending people to retire unless you plan to retire your stupid comments.
Posted by: getoverit | Apr 22, 2008 8:53:17 PM
Wht say we pick up SHAUN ALEXANDER for a chep price?
Posted by: paul | Apr 22, 2008 8:55:03 PM
I've pretty much retired to only showing up and playing hard for 3 games a season. Is that cool or is that cooL?
Posted by: Julius Pepppers | Apr 22, 2008 8:56:55 PM
Paul,
You mean the Shaun Alexander who hasn't done a single thing in 2 years. Yes he had some good years but I also remember him spending a lot of time in the negative yard direction at a certain game at B of A stadium this year. Don't think he's worth the risk.
Posted by: No | Apr 22, 2008 8:57:45 PM
I like Alexander coming to Carolina! Remember what happened to Stephen Davis when he signed with us when the Redskins gave up on him...he carried us to the Super Bowl!!! SIGN THIS GUY!!!!
Kasey is a great kicker guys...leave the guy alone! Any real Panthers fans would know that!
Posted by: Duston | Apr 22, 2008 11:29:22 PM
Duston.....
Are you kidding me? Davis was 29 and had never averaged under 4.0 ypc in his career before coming to Carolina. Alexander on the other hand is 31 this year and has averaged under 4.0 ypc the last two years....besides if you have seen him run or payed any attention at all the past two seasons you would know that signing him would be a disaster.
Posted by: BronxMike | Apr 22, 2008 11:55:35 PM
Kasay can stay as long as he wants...forget the Super Bowl screw-up, he has made a ton of huge kicks for us. If he retires after this season though, we should go for Ryan Succop, the kicker at USC. What a leg!
Posted by: Haywood Jablowmi | Apr 23, 2008 12:25:51 AM
Oh and Duston, the difference between Alexander and Davis is pretty clear...Davis was still running like a power back when he came here, while Alexander shies from contact and has run like a wimp the last 2 seasons. Not the power back we're looking for, at least not at the price he would command.
Posted by: Haywood Jablowmi | Apr 23, 2008 12:27:57 AM
Leave John Kasay alone, who cares that he lost the Super Bowl! There will be plenty of other opportunities for us to win one, I mean, teams go to the Super Bowl just about every year! I can't believe we haven't been back yet. And if we do go back, and John chokes and loses another one, who cares! We'll go back again one day! Super Bowls grow on trees!
Posted by: Jay | Apr 23, 2008 6:58:39 AM
So who the F is ready for me to come back??? I'm a Marty Hurney Special, he loved me coming out of college. I can play Defensive End, count on it.
Posted by: Sean Tufts | Apr 23, 2008 7:01:32 AM
Alexander the Great didnt produce the last few years because he was injured and plus last year the Offensive line in Seattle was in turmoil. How else to you explain Matt Hasselback having to throw every down. Shaun Alexander would be a steal for the Panthers if we can get him! We dont need a #1 Back just someone to punch it in the endzone every once in a while. Atleast to take the load off of Deangelo. I hope your listening Marty, if you wanna go to the Super Bowl sign Shaun Alexander!!!!!!!!! He has atleast another season or two in him!
Posted by: Biged_luke | Apr 23, 2008 7:04:53 AM
NO way... Shaun Alexander wouldn't be worth the paper his contract is written on. Seattle's Oline in turmoil is still better than the Panthers currently. Its bad policy to sign a guy just because he has a big name.
WHO CARES who knows our guys outside of Charlotte?!! The leadership on the team and in the community that Minter and Rucker exemplified (plus they were dang good) makes them far and away deserving of statues!!
Posted by: Ry | Apr 23, 2008 7:14:01 AM
Sorry guy's but Shaun Alexander is done, if thye Panthers sign him it would bring 2 words to my mind: Barry Foster (ex Steeler) the Panthers signed him and he had nothing left. Larger running backs don't have long careers in the NFL, his last 2 years in Seattle prove that. And if you say forget the last 2 years because he was hurt then you help me make my point. That's what ends careers they start getting hurt!
Posted by: Chris G. | Apr 23, 2008 9:38:29 AM
Who is this Rucker guy everyone is talking about?
Posted by: Julius Peppers | Apr 23, 2008 9:43:57 AM
HJ, we already HAVE our next kicker on the roster. Did you not see Ryhs Lloyd kick as many touchbacks in one game as Kasay and Baker had all season?
People who blame Kasay for the SB are ridiculous. The defense gave up 47 yards in LESS THAN A MINUTE. A stop on that third down, and the game goes to OT. No way Vinatieri hits a 57-yarder, which he's done all of once in his career.
Sean, I don't think you can play DE, but you might want to reevaluate your stature within the organization. Now, I know we shouldn't have cut you after you had that knee injury, but, given that you were a 6th-round pick, neither Hurney nor anybody else liked you that much.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Apr 23, 2008 12:38:18 PM
Thanks Daniel. Much agreed. Matt.... hmmmm, the Patriots "won" that game because the refs gave it to them and because they knew the play calls!!! Both teams were souped up so that no longer was a factor. Listen..., the score was 0 to 0 in the second quarter. The pats obviously got shut down on fourth and short, but naturally the refs gave them the good spot. Too close to be overruled, the call did not get overturned. That stop would have swung the momentum early on and the Patriots would have never had a chance. Instead, in a scoreless game, they got to draw first blood with a field goal, ware down the defense aaaaaaaaaand nearly kill the team's confidence. But, that Panthers team fought to the end, despite all the BS officiating that continued on, just like they did all that year. In short... the Patriots are PAPER CHAMPIONS!!!!!
Posted by: SYRPIS | Apr 23, 2008 6:30:28 PM
Patriots won as many superbowls as our current president won elections. END OF STORY.
Posted by: SYRPIS | Apr 23, 2008 6:31:31 PM
I can't wait to hand this country over to the Taliban.
Posted by: Barack Hussien Obamma | Apr 24, 2008 12:49:44 AM
hey Barack stop calling my house wanting me to vote for you! To J.P. do you and Dan Morgan still talk about the good ole days when Fields played with you guys the RAMS SUCK X CLOWN X CLOWN X CLOWN.
Posted by: Tom Hanks for President | Apr 24, 2008 2:45:09 PM
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