Ric Flair flew to Appleton, Wis, Saturday on a Lear jet. Of course he flew on a Lear jet.
Flair went to the San Francisco 49ers' hotel, strutted into a room full of coaches and players and met with the team. This was the night before the 49ers played, and defeated, the Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers apparently asked Flair to talk to the team, and WWE, the organization for which Flair works, sent him.
Flair has long known Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco's coach. Flair says Harbaugh used to watch him wrestle when Harbaugh played for the Chicago Bears.
Flair is a former Panther season ticket holder. He bought the tickets from Kevin Greene, the former Panther linebacker, and sometime pro wrestler, who now coaches linebackers for Green Bay.
The WWE released a video of Flair meeting with San Francisco. Greene saw it and sent Flair a text message that said: "Say it ain't so."
Again, Greene's employers were playing the 49ers the next day.
Flair told San Francisco that "Ric Flair's heart is with the 49ers all the way to the end."
The Carolina Panthers play the 49ers Sunday in Charlotte. Many Panther fans aren't pleased that Flair consorted with an opponent and some of the players aren't, either.
Flair lived in Charlotte from the 1970s until 2012, when he moved to Atlanta.
Flair says the players on the team he's closest with are Cam Newton and Steve Smith.
I asked Smith Monday if he saw the video, released by the WWE, in which Flair gave a pep talk to the 49ers.
"Hmmmm," Smith said. "As a guy who act has a Ric Flair robe, I'm real disappointed in seeing that. Real disappointed."
Smith bought the shiny bejeweled robe, which is red, his favorite color, at a charity auction.
Ever wear it?
"Yeah, I wore it," says Smith. "I'm not going to say where or when."
You should have worn it to a game.
He planned to wear it to the home opener in 2007, when the Panthers hosted Houston.
Says Smith: "But Jake's (Delhomme) like. 'Don’t do it, I have a bad feeling about that game. So I didn’t. I was gonna wear it coming out of the tunnel."
Delhomme was right; Houston won 34-21.
And now?
"I'm not sure if he’ll (Flair) get the invite here," says Smith. "That Golden State Bridge has been burned."
Cornerback Drayton Florence brought Flair's signature "woo" chant to the Panthers.
Will you continue to use it?
"We’ll discuss it," says Smith. "We’ll have to have an executive meeting."
Florence was more succinct. When asked about Flair's celebration he said, "I ain't talking about that."
Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn was less angry.
"I'm sure they gave him a little money," says Munnerlyn. "But, no, I don't feel beytrayed. We said the chant and they (the 49ers) brought him in. At the end of the day it's a football game going to be played. It's not about Ric Flair, it's not about wrestling, it's about playing football Sunday at 1:05."
Classy statement from Captain Munnerlyn...get it done at BOA!
Posted by: francis ford colio | January 06, 2014 at 06:40 PM
Woo!
Styling and profiling with the 49ers.
Panthers in the playoffs? Not for long.
Nature boy out!
Posted by: Ric Flair | January 06, 2014 at 06:55 PM
And he's mad that we quit using that video of him saying Wooo! after he beat his wife. Good riddance, don't beat your wife.
Posted by: Thomas Cochran | January 06, 2014 at 06:57 PM
Ric Flair is such an over with has been. But he'll do anything, make any lame attempt, to remain relevant in 2014.
Flair's a sellout, pure and simple.
Posted by: Mike | January 06, 2014 at 07:32 PM
Moved to Atlanta? I see him around Charlotte all the time. Usually in one bar or another.
Posted by: MrG | January 06, 2014 at 09:05 PM
Does Mike Persinger do anything as editor there? Doesn't look like it, holy typos...
Posted by: Fred | January 06, 2014 at 10:07 PM
There's a reason Flair isn't in Charlotte anymore. He'll be out of Atlanta when he runs out of friends to borrow money from....and NEVER pay back. WrestlingClown, if you have any cash left in your pocket when you wake up tomorrow...put it on the Panthers. You may pull in enough to pay your weekend tab.
Posted by: willy loman | January 07, 2014 at 01:01 AM
He was paid to appear. This is absurd. SF organization is trying anything to get an edge. Using a wrastling clown for football purposes. What a waste.
Posted by: Grumperson | January 07, 2014 at 08:01 AM
Wooooooooooo! Panthers by 7! Gonna get " Funky Like a Monkey!!!"
Posted by: Ripp | January 07, 2014 at 09:50 AM
HEY YOU GUYS LEAVE >> THE NATURE BOY << ALONE,,, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO PICK WHO EVERY HE WANTS TO.. THIS IS AMERCAN ,AND WE ALL CHANG THINGS ALL THE TIME.. IN LIVE IN KY,, BUT MY HEART IS IN LOUISIANA ((( GEAUX SAINTS ))).. (( WOOOOOO KEEP ON STYLING AND PROFIlLING,,, RIC FLAIR,,, YOU DAT MAN )))
HOPE TO C U AT THE SUPER BOWL
SAINTS --- 49ER
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Posted by: ROGER THIERY | January 07, 2014 at 02:13 PM
Roger you're a special kind of stupid aren't you?
Posted by: Bob | January 08, 2014 at 11:23 PM