Firing Panther GM Marty Hurney now makes no sense

   Why now?

    Why would the Carolina Panthers fire general manager Marty Hurney six games into the season? How will a new general manager fix the roster now?

     Obviously, the Panthers are flawed. A team doesn't lose as many games as it has, close or otherwise, without flaws on its roster and with its philosophy.

     But owner Jerry Richardson told me before the season that he wouldn't trade Hurney for any general manager in football. The Panthers were undefeated then. They've lost four straight and are 1-5 now.

     If a sacrifice was required, Hurney was the obvious candidate. Every player and almost every employee on the football side of the operation went through him, was hired by him.

     Hurney doesn't call plays or devise strategy. But he hired the people who do.

     Perhaps a fall guy was required.

     But the Panthers have never been so fragile that they would fire a key employee to satisfy angry fans.

      The timing makes no sense.

       Meanwhile, it's just another quiet week in Pantherland.

 

 

Comments

[John]

No this was a bad time to fire him. They should have done this three years ago. He was not good at his job.

[bull123]

get your head out of Martys tail...he failed & should be gone

[I'm Right]

This actually gives me hope for next season. I lost all hope for this season when we decided to try and stop Atlanta instead of trying to beat them. If we can get a new GM in he can spend the rest of the season learning about everyone on the team and seeing what positions we need help at, who needs to go and who can be traded. Hopefully he'll get rid of Rivera and his picking up all the ex-Chargers except Vincent Jackson who would have actually made an impact here. Kalil may have been right with his newspaper ad, just a season or two early.

[Dogsgottago]

More of the same ole same ole from the Big Rat.

[redikat]

I think the timing was meant to send a message to the rest of the Panthers organization. Perhaps by making this move now, Richardson will inspire everyone else to step up their game, while there are still games left to be played this season.

[Jerry Jones]

I believe that Hurney got fired part of it because of the bad job he has done as GM in Carolina in the last 3 years. But the other reason he got fired is as a warning to the Panthers players as well the coaches from here on out you either win games or you will be out of here.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

It makes perfect sense if you are attempting to bring in a new coach who wants GM authority.

[Mike P]

I think this firing officially puts Rivera and CO on the hot seat...

[PantherSurvivor]

Lets not deceive ourselves, we didnt have back-to-back winning seasons before Marty became GM.

Marty was always the puppet and so will the new GM...its the reason Polian left initially.

[bull123]

one more thing....this guys failed performance has set us back years....your support for him destroys your credibility & just lets us all know what we all figured...you a just a patsy for his losing ways

[Steve]

Why not get rid of him, get someone else in here before the trade deadline and maybe get some help for these guys. A WR or CB, S, OT...any number of positions that need upgrades. We have D Will to trade, get something back for him.

[TP]

So who is the interim GM?

[Clifford Franklin]

It is what it is...

[WayneN]

It was a good business decision and anyone with football knowledge knows that. Reporters who lack knowledge of the NFL are the ones that will not understand

[Mainone]

HA HA HA I feel great about this .. Wake up Rivera and follow your owner's lead..fire Chud ..warn McDermott.. replace Murphy and you might survive as head coach. GPKP !!

[gary jeffery]

The Panthers will still only win one more game this year against KC. Rivera will go by the end of the season. Cam Needs to spend the off-season learning how to play qb at the professional level not at his current college level. Trade D-Will the first chance they get. With a 2 and 14 record they should have the opportunity to get some decent draftees.

[Mainone]

Coach Rivera..Play Gettis , bring up Jared Green,Lamont Bryant, Armond Smith ,Ray Dominguez,and Ray Dominguez .. Let's move forward with this. Coach start leading with some fire in your words and act with confidence . Be decisive ..GPKP !!

[Mainone]

Sorry, I meant to say Nate Chandler instead of two Ray Dominguez's... Good thing I'm not a coach ..........ha ha ha we'd be twice as bad !!!

[Richard]

This move at least lets the fans, that are left, know that Panther management is still breathing and maybe will serve notice to the coaches and players that nothing is a guaranteed. Produce or hit the door.

[glenn]

It's about time! He invested way too much money at the RB position and drafting another LB when the needs were D-Line and WR. He also neglected to get Cam any help resigning an aging 5'9" 33 year old receiver instead of trying to get a younger one with some height. He also blew it with the Jake Delhomme Contract and countless other failed draft picks (Armani Edwards). This bum should have been gone long ago.

[jtg0128]

Very good move. Now they need to do the same with other personnel i.e. Steve Smith, Jordan Gross, Chris Gamble....

They need a new GM who doesn't have any emotional ties to the players and can get some quality personnel to Charlotte that know how to win games......

The timing may or may not good but it still needed to happen......

[Adam]

This move has been coming. The whole Jake Delhomme contract solidified it. This happened now not so we turn around this year and make playoffs... but probably more so to give a longer time period to find replacements and let the fans and players know that losing is unacceptable. Stop blaming Cam btw, he's not the one calling the shots to have a college run game and gaining 0 yards once per drive... my finger is pointed at the O line and the secondary as far as players go. Again, this is a good move and I'm eager to see who we bring in. We have an attractive team to work with and Rivera is on the hot seat!

[Ben]

Why wait? If you know you're going to fire the guy, fire him and start the new search and get the new guy in here and let him start learning the organization and the needs. It's stupid to wait.

[J]

Tom, this is not about JR bowing to the screams of angry fans. It's about the fact that Hurney signed all the big names of a 3-14 team to contracts far above what any one of them would have received on the open market, that he allowed personal feelings to trump sound business decisions (Jake's contract extension), that he stocked the scouting department with a bunch of Madden-playing 20-somethings instead of real scouts, and that the last 3 games established what this team is about - eeking out just enough offense to get a 4th quarter lead that is easily overcome by the opposition. Firing him now tells the rest of the organization that no one is untouchable. If a real GM can be hired now, he will have time to assess the team and make the roster decisions necessary without Hurney's blind loyalty, and develop a plan to build the team ahead of the other 5-7 teams that will fire their coaches and start over after the season.

[Joe]

Rivera should be the one to go. Last year he had no plan and the Panthers did well, this year he has a plan and, by God, he's sticking to it, even in the face of continued defeat.