Panther Owner Richardson = Fascist Martinet

[ZachEY]

Well we'll just have to wait and see how you feel about this when you're forced to rely on a cop with an ice cream cone tattooed on his face and nipple rings.

I must say, this seems rather unlikely.

[RutgersJetFan]

I must say, this seems rather unlikely.

If I knew how to use PS, this is right about the time I'd put Gucci Mane's head on the cop from The Village People's body.

[Gainzo]

Jerry Richardson is an idiot.

Richardson, who said that Newton “was dressed perfectly” for their meeting, was blunt. “I said, ‘Do you have any tattoos?’” Richardson told Rose. “He said, ‘No, sir. I don’t have any.’ I said, ‘Do you have any piercings?’ He said, ‘No, sir. I don’t have any.’ I said, ‘We want to keep it that way.’ . . . .

“We want to keep no tattoos, no piercings, and I think you’ve got a very nice haircut.”

Interjected the host: “You sound like a Lombardi.”

Said Richardson, “No, I just sound reasonable to me.”]

I think Cam Newton is going to be the next Kordell Stewart but those comments are ridiculous.

[T0mShane]

Has anyone asked former "Face of the Franchise" Jimmy Clausen if he was questioned on his tat preferences? Would seem to be pretty relevant to the story.

[villain_the_foe]

Actually, if Cam Newton wants to play in the NFL he does have to play for him.

Thats understood, but he doesnt have to play for him.

[villain_the_foe]

Well, yes and no. He was drafted by Carolina; he didn't sign with them as an unrestricted free agent.

His choice was to play for Carolina for tens of millions of guaranteed dollars or flip burgers for minimum wage plus autograph money.

You're totally right. But that doesnt mean that he cant play in the CFL for example. Im just saying that if Newton finds it a problem then he doesnt have to play for him. I think that holds true.

[Sperm Edwards]

This conversation was pre-draft. So if Cam Newton chose not to play for Jerry Richardson he could just have. A middle finger to Jerry would have been appropriate answer and surely got Cam from not having to play for Jerry.

The small side effect being he would have lost on the #1 pick money!

Nyah, not really. He acts like that and he drops plenty. Not due to talent or future prospect, but due to the presence or absence of paint or piercings. If he makes a bad impression (even on purpose), word gets around and he can or will drop more than just a slot or two. IMO it isn't a terrible tradeoff. Millions upon millions of dollars more to physically manifest a big "yes, sir" to your new boss.

I do understand it from Richardson's standpoint. He's being drafted and marketed to put asses in the seats. He feels it is less marketable. Throw in there a little of his own bias as to which type of people/players get loads of tattoos -- he may be willing to risk that on guys paid to play the 'I am a subhuman animal who kills opponents on the field' or on guys paid far less. But QB is, to many if not most, a more cerebral and more of a role-model position. He clearly doesn't associate someone with body-decorations as fitting that mold. He's writing the check so he can ask. Finding an issue with it is a bit PC-gone-wild.

Richardson is getting something that gives him more comfort in his new #1 overall pick, and Newton is getting paid more for being a teacher's pet. Richardson isn't the first boss to be set in his ways - ways that are in line with some and foreign to others - and Newton isn't the first employee to kiss his boss's a$$ with a lot of money on the line. IMO they're both getting something.

[Sperm Edwards]

You're totally right. But that doesnt mean that he cant play in the CFL for example. Im just saying that if Newton finds it a problem then he doesnt have to play for him. I think that holds true.

He's not forced to, as in he is not faced with no other choices in life per se, but the CFL isn't much of a career compared to the NFL. I think citing this technicality is beneath all of us since we all know no college superstar aspires to play in the CFL over the NFL.

If he wants to play in the NFL and not lose a motherload of money he'll otherwise never see, he has to play for Richardson. Life could be a whole lot worse.

[JetsFanInDenver]

Nyah, not really. He acts like that and he drops plenty. Not due to talent or future prospect, but due to the presence or absence of paint or piercings. If he makes a bad impression (even on purpose), word gets around and he can or will drop more than just a slot or two. IMO it isn't a terrible tradeoff. Millions upon millions of dollars more to physically manifest a big "yes, sir" to your new boss.

I do understand it from Richardson's standpoint. He's being drafted and marketed to put asses in the seats. He feels it is less marketable. Throw in there a little of his own bias as to which type of people/players get loads of tattoos -- he may be willing to risk that on guys paid to play the 'I am a subhuman animal who kills opponents on the field' or on guys paid far less. But QB is, to many if not most, a more cerebral and more of a role-model position. He clearly doesn't associate someone with body-decorations as fitting that mold. He's writing the check so he can ask. Finding an issue with it is a bit PC-gone-wild.

Richardson is getting something that gives him more comfort in his new #1 overall pick, and Newton is getting paid more for being a teacher's pet. Richardson isn't the first boss to be set in his ways - ways that are in line with some and foreign to others - and Newton isn't the first employee to kiss his boss's a$$ with a lot of money on the line. IMO they're both getting something.

True!

[kelticwizard]

OK....so no one here works in an industry in which you're required to abide by an appearance standard? I'd bet almost every professional here, regardless of industry, has to abide by some degree of standard. My line of work, we're not allowed to wear any obvious jewelry on duty or have tattoos which would be exposed while in uniform, especially short-sleeve shirts. It's a reasonable request that when people call the police, they do not want an officer to show up with a giant effing earring, tatts up and down the neck and arms, or some ridiculous beard/goatee.

How this is "Facism" is beyond me? As long as the same standard is present for all individuals.

A. Very little of Cam Newton or any football player is exposed when he is wearing his team's uniform.

B. As the article pointed out, Richardson had hired other players with tatoos and didn't mind it a bit. So apparently everyone is NOT being treated equally.

C. There is a big difference between being a police officer, who represents nothing less than the power of the law, and a football player, who is an entertainer.

[BroadwayJ667]

Frankly this story has been blown so out of proportion. While I disagree with Richardson's policy, if he has one. He is merely asking these questions to the player he sees as the face of his franchise and in corporate america (which I loathe) they want people to be squeaky clean (with Newton I see the irony).

Tatoos and piercings are the devil to all the soccer moms and soft folk of america who can't let people be individuals but rather another pile of dough that has to be molded into cookie cutter material.

So Richardson asks these questions to see how much he can market Newton.

*end rant*

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

It's one of the great ironies.. Cam doesn't have to play for him if he disagrees with the policy, yet he can't move to another team in the same league. At least not this year.

[Boozer76]

The issue really lies in this simple question-Would Jerry Richardson be asking this question if Cam Newton was white? Methinks not.

[Barcs]

Seriously???? They are afraid of having players with tatoos or piercings??? LOL no wonder these idiots never go anywhere. That's almost as bad as the sideways hat thing. Let em dress and style themselves the way they want. It doesn't change their performance on the field. I would have told the guy to go **** himself and signed with the next team.

[Sperm Edwards]

Seriously???? They are afraid of having players with tatoos or piercings??? LOL no wonder these idiots never go anywhere. That's almost as bad as the sideways hat thing. Let em dress and style themselves the way they want. It doesn't change their performance on the field. I would have told the guy to go **** himself and signed with the next team.

For an extra $10M guaranteed I would have said, "I have no tattoos or piercings, am not getting any, and would gladly blow you right now in front of everyone in this room just because I think you're so handsome and want to show you what a team and pro-owner player I am, Mr. Richardson." OK maybe not the last part, but you get the drift.

Go to work for a couple of decades and then see how fast you turn away an instant 8 figures just so you could say you told off some old jerk, whose money you'll still be enjoying long after he's dead.

[nycdan]

For an extra $10M guaranteed I would have said, "I have no tattoos or piercings, am not getting any, and would gladly blow you right now in front of everyone in this room just because I think you're so handsome and want to show you what a team and pro-owner player I am, Mr. Richardson." OK maybe not the last part, but you get the drift.

You mean you would do all that but you wouldn't say 'Mr. Richardson" when you were done?. Wow...I admire your principles.

So how does everyone feel about Hooters' waitresses right to add 50 lbs. to their asses and still keep their jobs? I gotta say, if you worked at a bank and got your eyelid pierced, you are definitely not increasing your chances of getting promoted or even retained during layoffs. White or black... Sometimes there are conditions to getting the big bucks. Sperm is right. Roll over and say thanks while you're cashing that eight-figure check and don't whine about the right to stick a piece of metal through your nipples. Or go flip burgers and look like Marilyn Manson. The choice is always there.

[Sperm Edwards]

You mean you would do all that but you wouldn't say 'Mr. Richardson" when you were done?. Wow...I admire your principles.

So how does everyone feel about Hooters' waitresses right to add 50 lbs. to their asses and still keep their jobs? I gotta say, if you worked at a bank and got your eyelid pierced, you are definitely not increasing your chances of getting promoted or even retained during layoffs. White or black... Sometimes there are conditions to getting the big bucks. Sperm is right. Roll over and say thanks while you're cashing that eight-figure check and don't whine about the right to stick a piece of metal through your nipples. Or go flip burgers and look like Marilyn Manson. The choice is always there.

I believe I did add "Mr. Richardson" in there.

[Bleedin Green]

I believe I did add "Mr. Richardson" in there.

His joke

Your head

[WWWWombat]

You're totally right. But that doesnt mean that he cant play in the CFL for example. Im just saying that if Newton finds it a problem then he doesnt have to play for him. I think that holds true.

So he'd have to go to Canada and earn a lot less money while playing a slightly different game. Sounds like a monopoly to me =\

[Thor99]

Eli didn't want to play for the Chargers, Cam could have orchestrated a similar ploy.

[WWWWombat]

Tell that to Carson Palmer.