CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Twenty-four hours after new Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera unloaded Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman from his roster, he unloaded more than 1,000 items he accumulated in nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Only this time it was for charity.
Rivera and his wife, Stephanie, held a yard sale on Saturday at the Humane Society of Charlotte with the entire $30,237 raised going toward a new campus and research facility for one of their favorite charities during their time in the Queen City.
Approximately 3,000 people stood in line for the opportunity to purchase everything from one of the countless T-shirts Rivera had made with inspirational and promotional slogans to the military paraphernalia he acquired working with the USO of North Carolina to the shoes he wore on the sidelines.
Former players Luke Kuechly, Greg Olsen and Cam Newton also contributed items to help the Humane Society reach its goal of $15 million needed to build what vice president of philanthropy Dona Stucker called a facility in a “real bad state of disrepair.”
Even Rivera’s dogs, a full-blooded golden retriever named Tahoe and Sierra, a mixed-breed adopted from this shelter, contributed to the fundraiser with leashes, collars, dog beds and even a dog crate.
It was reminiscent of the annual garage sale former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant held for years.
“I didn’t realize how much stuff we actually had,” Stephanie Rivera said while holding onto Sierra’s leash.
Neither did Ron Rivera, who admitted it was tough deciding what items to keep and what to sale. Among those were items from his first win in 2011, first playoff win in 2014 and win in London this past season.
“This is kind of our swan song, our last opportunity to really say thank you one more time,” Rivera said.
Rivera was fired with four games left in the 2019 season. He left with two NFL Coach of the Year Awards, a 76-63-1 record that made him the winningest coach in Carolina history and what he called “a lot of stuff.”
Fans began lining up for that stuff hours before the noon start. Steve Osment and his family drove five hours from Richmond, Virginia, to participate in the sale.
They didn’t leave disappointed, buying three hats, a toboggan, a sweatshirt, a jacket, a dog bed, a cat bed, tennis shoes, dress shoes and a belt Osment said “I’ve been needing for the past year.”
“We’ve always loved Ron,” Osment said. “We just adopted a dog from a shelter. We like what he’s doing. For everything he’s been to the community and team, we love him and always will love him.”
Rivera, 58, talked a little football before the gates opened. Regarding the release of the 32-year-old Norman, who was also released under him at Carolina in 2016, the coach said that was made in an effort to get younger.
Regarding whether quarterback Cam Newton, rehabbing from Lisfranc surgery, will remain with the Panthers in 2020, Rivera said, “I just know a healthy Cam, I would never bet against him.”
Regarding the retirement of middle linebacker Luke Kuechly at 28, the release of Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen and other roster moves by new Carolina coach Matt Rhule, Rivera said: “It’s kind of the turn of the era. Now it’s a time for the new regime to come in and build it their own way.”
Rivera’s focus this day was on raising money with a sale that was spawned by a conversation between Stephanie and Tammy Reid, the wife of
PITTSBURGH — Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is calling Myles Garrett’s assertion that he used a racial slur a “bold-faced lie,” and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is supporting his quarterback.
“1000% False,” Rudolph tweeted after Outside the Lines aired a new interview with Garrett after the NFL reinstated the Cleveland Browns defensive end. “Bold-Faced Lie. I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur. This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.”
1000% False.
Bold-Faced Lie.
I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur.
This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.
— Mason Rudolph (@Rudolph2Mason) February 15, 2020
In the interview with ESPN’s Mina Kimes, Garrett said Rudolph used the slur as he was being sacked with eight seconds left in the Thursday night game on Nov. 14.
Tomlin, though, strongly supported his quarterback in a statement issued Saturday morning — an unusual move for a coach who rarely speaks publicly in the offseason.
“I support Mason Rudolph not only because I know him, but also because I was on that field immediately following the altercation with Myles Garrett, and subsequently after the game. I interacted with a lot of people in the Cleveland Browns organization — players and coaches,” Tomlin said in the statement.
“If Mason said what Myles claimed, it would have come out during the many interactions I had with those in the Browns’ organization. In my conversations, I had a lot of expressions of sorrow for what transpired. I received no indication of anything racial or anything of that nature in those interactions.”
Rudolph’s agent and attorney, Tim Younger, said the “defamatory” statements by Garrett exposed him to “legal liability.”
“We waited to hear the entire interview,” Younger said. “Garrett, after originally apologizing to Mason Rudolph, has made the ill-advised choice of publishing the belated and false accusation that Mr. Rudolph uttered a racial slur on the night in question.”
Garrett, who was reinstated by the league Wednesday after a six-game suspension, made the accusation against Rudolph during the interview with Kimes that aired Thursday night during SportsCenter.
“He called me the N-word,” Garrett told Kimes. “He called me a ‘stupid N-word.'”
In the interview, Garrett blamed Rudolph for starting the fight that led to $732,422 in fines and the discipline of 33 players, and said Rudolph used the slur as he was being sacked by Garrett.
Rudolph initially engaged with Garrett on the ground, and then charged at him after Garrett forcibly removed Rudolph’s helmet. Then, Garrett hit Rudolph over the head with it.
“I don’t say the N-word, whether it’s with ‘a’ [or] ‘er.’ To me, personally, [it] just shouldn’t be said, whether it’s by family, friends, anyone,” Garrett told Kimes. “I don’t want to use it because I don’t want [people to] find that appropriate around me for anyone to use.
“When he said it, it kind of sparked something, but I still tried to let it go and still walk away. But once he came back, it kind of reignited the situation. And not only have you escalated things past what they needed to be with such little time in the game left, now you’re trying to reengage and start a fight again. It’s definitely not entirely his fault; it’s definitely both parties doing something that we shouldn’t have been doing.”
Rudolph was fined $50,000 for his role in the incident. He appealed the fine, but it was recently upheld, a source told ESPN.
The Steelers and the Browns were also each fined $250,000.
Garrett first alleged Rudolph used the slur in an appeals hearing with the NFL in an effort to get his suspension reduced, ESPN previously reported. Garrett later said he never intended for the accusation to become public, but said, “I know what I heard.” At the time, an NFL spokesman said the league “found no such evidence” that Rudolph used the slur.
Rudolph strongly denied the allegation in November and called it “totally untrue.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” the quarterback said Nov. 24. “I couldn’t believe he would go that route after the fact.”
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said Thursday that the Bucs have not gotten any closer to clarity on their quarterback situation and whether Jameis Winston will return in 2020 because they’re waiting to see what’s behind Door No. 2 when it comes to available free agents.
“No, because you don’t know who’s available. You’re just sitting and waiting to see is there someone available? And is he a better option?” said Arians, referring to the possibility that some players could be re-signed on tagged before they hit the open market. “I don’t think there’s that many guys involved. … I’d be shocked if it’s two.”
Looking ahead to the offseason:
• Ranking the top 50 free agents »
• Biggest looming free-agent decisions »
• Top offseason needs for all 32 teams »
• Free agency coverage » More NFL »
One quarterback who will be on the open market is Philip Rivers, whom the Los Angeles Chargers agreed to part ways with this week after 16 years. While Arians did not speak about any quarterback specifically, league sources have told ESPN that Rivers, who just relocated his family to Florida, has piqued the Bucs’ interest. Would he make sense for Tampa Bay?
At 38, he said he wants to keep playing.
“I do feel I have some emotional fire and passion still left,” Rivers told the Los Angeles Times. “I know I have the passion for the game that I think is going to last my lifetime. And I think I have the ability left to go play at a high level.
“Some people might disagree that I can still play. But I would say I definitely can do it. I cleaned up a few of those other things, and if I’m playing consistently, I can still do it physically.”
Here are a few factors for the Bucs to consider when looking at whether Rivers is a fit.
The turnovers
Rivers is coming off statistically one of the worst seasons of his NFL career, producing career lows in Total QBR (48.6) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.15). He threw 23 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions, tied for second most in his career and just one off from his career-high of 21 and third most in the league behind Winston (30) and Baker Mayfield (21). Since Winston came into the league in 2015, he has the most interceptions with 88 — but Rivers is second with 76.
If the Bucs’ primary concern is indeed eliminating the turnovers, this would be an issue — although two years ago, Rivers managed to throw just 12 picks with 32 touchdowns, leading the Chargers to a 12-4 record. He threw just 10 picks the year before.
High-volume throwing
It should be noted that Rivers had 591 passing attempts last season, the second most of his career. While Arians’ preference is to maintain a balanced offensive attack, the Bucs didn’t have that last season. Some of that was a function of playing from behind, but it was also the result of not running the ball very well due to a combination of poor blocking at times, missing holes and having negative run plays. The result was Winston having a league-high 626 passing attempts. If Rivers struggled with 591, the Bucs’ high-volume passing might not be an ideal fit.
Many would argue that Rivers needs a balanced attack that the Bucs simply didn’t have last season. Check out the numbers for when he did and didn’t have LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield.
Deep passes
Arians’ “No Risk It, No Biscuit” philosophy also involves taking chances downfield. Rivers attempted 76 passes of at least 20 or more yards downfield, his highest total in the past five years and 23 more than he had in 2018, according to ESPN Statistics & Information research. His efficiency numbers on those deep passes were not very good and showed noticeable drop-off from the 2018 season.
The age issue
While Rivers is 38 and not a long-term solution, it would afford Arians the option of not starting over with a brand-new quarterback. He’s under contract for four more seasons, but many close to him, including inside the Buccaneers’ facility, believe he could retire after three years, giving the Bucs a smaller window under Arians.
Arians not only has developed young quarterbacks but also has worked with veterans, trading for 33-year-old Carson Palmer in 2013. He was enamored with Palmer’s deep-ball ability and his level of experience. In Rivers’ case, the deep ball might not be there, but his durability is remarkable. He has been sacked 160 times since 2015 — nearly as many as Winston’s 169 sacks — but has started all 16 games every season of his career after he took over for Drew Brees in 2006.
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Stephen A. Smith explains why Philip Rivers should retire after parting ways with the Chargers.
Winston also has been durable, playing this past season with a broken thumb and ankle injury, and fighting through a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder before having to miss three games in 2017.
Does he have the ‘it’ factor?
While Rivers ranks ninth in NFL history with 123 regular-season wins and he has produced 32 game-winning drives, he’s most often remembered for the games he didn’t win. Rivers has lost 63 one-score games, the most in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Stats & Info research. But his best days might be behind him after the Chargers finished 5-11 in 2019, although injuries, particularly along the offensive line, certainly played a role in that result.
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick will release a memoir sometime this year through a company he has founded called Kaepernick Publishing. Audible will release an audio version of the memoir.
“I want to tell the story of my evolution, and the events that led me to protest systemic oppression, in hopes that it will inspire others to rise in action,” Kaepernick said in a statement Thursday.
According to the statement released by Audible, the memoir will share the life experiences that led Kaepernick to risk his career as an NFL quarterback in one silent act of protest.