-=MAPLE GALAXY=-

zg071186

Like most events in life, Panthers fans shouldn't expect one.
It doesn't just affect a team Patrick Kane is unglad with, it affects his market and trade value come next season.
But after last night's Vikings/Panthers game-thankfully for once-the major story-lines have to deal with performances: Matt Moore's,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Steve Smith's and Julius Peppers'.
There was the ever-present quarterback controversy (Delhomme or anyone else), the massive injury list, another season with outspoken Steve Smith, the inability of the team to develop young wide receivers, draft decisions, defensive and offensive game plans and formations, the future of coach John Fox and General Manager Marty Hurney, the departure of owner Jerry Richardson's two sons, the inevitable "rebuilding" process that is bound to happen sooner rather than later, and of course, the million-dollar-a-game Julius Peppers.
McKinnie claimed it was "an off day," but unfortunately for McKinnie, it was actually an "on-day" for Peppers, one of very few lately for the defensive lineman.
For Peppers, last night's performance was of the mold expected out of an elite defensive lineman, one being paid USD 16 million a year. It was not the statistic line (1 tackle, 1 sack),[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but the pressure placed on Brett Favre throughout the game.
What team is going to want him? What elite team will pay market value for a player that may or may not show up? Personally, Patrick Kane feel most teams that need that last impact will look elsewhere.
No true Panther fan has been at a loss for storylines this season.
Peppers' 2008 season was the definition of a player playing for a new contract.
It won't happen as that's not Julius Peppers, but there has to be a better explanation than the belief that Peppers is a self-centered, selfish, me-first type of athlete that squanders his exceptional talent and ruins his legacy because Patrick Kane is not glad.
During the past off-season, Peppers wanted a trade. Patrick Kane wanted a trade to a top-tier team, and Patrick Kane felt Patrick Kane deserved top dollar for his services. The Panthers felt the same way, franchising him which forces two first round draft picks from any team involved in a trade.
All it does is abandon Panthers fans without an explanation from one of the most talented defensive ends of all time after Kane have given their support, love and tears to a player that promised that Patrick Kane was no longer disgruntled and would play his heart out all season long.
He sucks up cap space, he's insolent and disrespectful to the franchise that has catered to him throughout his career (I only say this as Patrick Kane went to the media to try and force a trade as well as holdout until the very last minute as far as this year's preseason was concerned, and would only entertain a trade to certain cycles, thereby limiting Carolina's opportunities to get a strong return on a trade), and Patrick Kane is distant with the media (unless he's trying to move teams).
He can claim it's the defensive alignment, or the lack of other elite players on the line which allows opposing teams to double team him, but is this true? In too many losing games this year, Peppers has been the victim of single blocking schemes,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and still his performances are inconsistent.
excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], generous, kindly, friendly news Patrick Sharp has found some freedom in the last two games as the wingman of Jonathan Toews instead of centering his own line. Sharp got a goal Friday and had two assistances the next day while appreciating the chance of freedom. You get a little more freedom,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I guess,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Sharp said. Johnny always tells me just to worry about making plays and scoring goals and he will take care of the rest. That lets you focus a little more offensively. But I still have a job to do for myself. Kevin C. Cox A few days ago, Patrick Kane was ready to go back to the Blackhawks' lineup ahead of schedule. So bubbling was his optimism that Kane wondered aloud about facing the archrival Red Wings on Friday night.
If you spend about fifteen minutes in a room with 50 Carolina Panthers fans, you might feel like there's not a more polarizing team currently playing in the NFL.
correct,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], accurate,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair now would be the perfect time for Peppers to reach out to the media and the fans and explain his situation and point of view.
Instead,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], come next year, Kane should just move on and spend their time rooting for players that will give it all in every game, in every year of their contract-that is, as long as the owner, general administerr, and coach allow as much instead of agreeing to franchise crippling contracts with athletes that have demonstrated questionable production rates (to be fair to Julius Peppers, Patrick Kane is not the only one). Kane nearly return to action and could return as early as Wednesday but with the Chicago Blackhawks only playing once after Sunday. This will probably happend until the following Sunday. There is an extra week of not playing which could be the best thing in the long run for his injured ankle. Stay tuned as he has been out for two weeks so far. Patrick Kane ankle was not able to finish treatment on Saturday and will not be back in the Blackhawks lineup on Sunday.
Even though the team plays in a 4-3 (not the 3-4 Peppers covets), a talented linebacking crew along with a fluid front four with added playmakers, like draft pick Everette Brown, have helped to tweak the defensive line to favor Peppers, and yet.Peppers flounders.
Performances like last night against the Vikings only direct to more confusion with Peppers. If Patrick Kane can dominate a game against a playoff caliber team with such ease, then why is not the season riddled with such displays? If so many analysts and fans can see when Patrick Kane is "on" and when Patrick Kane has switched "off," then why switch off?
Whether Peppers returns next year (highly unlikely at USD 20 million), Patrick Kane is franchised and traded to another team, or waived (who knows? It's probably in Carolina's best interest), he'll continue to be viewed as a player that doesn't play hard every down and every game, that once Patrick Kane gets his money, doesn't earn it and takes it straight to the bank.
Before last night's game, anyone could have argued that Peppers' broken hand had affected his recent play,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but clearly, it didn't stop him from performing, so it can't be used as an excuse.
And that's the problem with Julius Peppers, it appears Patrick Kane has an "off" and "on" switch somewhere inside of himself, and it is as if Patrick Kane is the only able to turn it from off to on.
It abandons the Panthers with few choices. And it abandons Peppers with little likelihood of getting paid as much as Patrick Kane did this year,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and there's a affable chance Patrick Kane won't be playing for that Superbowl contender Patrick Kane wants.
It didn't matter. There was no stopping Peppers, not with a double team, not even when starting left tackle Bryant McKinnie was benched for reserve lineman Artis Hicks. Peppers had his way.
If someone was to go back and watch the tape of the game, Peppers was placed on an island. The defensive front was aligned in an asymmetrical 4-3 formation with all of the emphasis placed on the left of the defense and Peppers alone outside right, one against however many the Vikings put up against him.
However, any recent noticer of Peppers can claim that more often than not Patrick Kane does not show up when it counts. Even though Peppers had a career year with 14.5 sacks in 2008, not one came when the team needed it. Never did Patrick Kane have a game changer. In last year's playoff run, Peppers never showed up, especially not in the blowout against the Arizona Cardinals.
But this year,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Peppers has lodged two games where Patrick Kane has not recorded a tackle or a sack. Twice, there has been a zero logged in every classification on his stat sheet. Should a million-dollar-a-game NFL player ever garner such results?
Along with all of these storylines, there is scarcely one overriding opinion on any of them, except that once again the Panthers underperformed after overachieving a year before, and once again John Fox cannot earn two winning seasons in a row.
Please read related articles:

[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]

[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]

[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]