Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 29, 1993 TAG: 9310290006
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogazcyk
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
The southern reaches of what has been the Redskins' NFL reservation is being transformed into the Carolina Panthers' private litter box. One-third of the 100 affiliates on the Redskins' radio network are located in the Carolinas.
Now, the NFL's newest team is being as outspoken as possible about detouring a Washington monument en route to Canton, Ohio, as its head coach.
"If Joe Gibbs were available, he'd be on our very short list," said Mike McCormack, the Panthers' general manager. "Saying anything more would be tampering."
Gibbs retired from the Redskins' sideline last winter with three Super Bowl championships and two seasons remaining on a contract. He hasn't been paid by the club since he walked. He has a home in suburban Charlotte now to stay close to his NASCAR Winston Cup team, and he's worked a few Sundays for that coaching halfway house, NBC Sports.
Every day, Gibbs' retirement sounds more like a sabbatical. He's a North Carolina native, 52, who doesn't intend to coach next season because he wants to watch his youngest son, Coy, play his senior season at Stanford University.
Gibbs told The Charlotte Observer he "really wouldn't be interested in coaching again unless the thing was perfect."
His Redskins contract, if still valid, runs through 1994. The Panthers begin play in 1995. McCormack said the club could wait as long as January 1995 to hire a coach, although that isn't considered likely.
Gibbs also said, "I've prayed about it, and I plan to take this course: If they are interested in me, it probably would be the one place that would be the biggest pull for me."
It doesn't sound like Gibbs needs to clean his glasses to see himself wearing a black cat on his cap.
Gibbs would want a hand in personnel decisions. That likely wouldn't be a problem with the Panthers. Redskins coach Richie Petitbon, who since has been consumed by other concerns, predicted before the season that Gibbs would be the Carolina coach if the franchise were awarded because the new club would make the former Redskins boss "an offer he can't refuse."
Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, like McCormack doing little to douse the speculation surrounding Gibbs, told the Charlotte newspaper, "If you spend $200 million for a franchise and $160 million for a stadium, a coach's contract would be a minor detail. A minor detail. Money will not keep us from getting what we want."
Meanwhile, Charlotte already has what four other expansion hopefuls want. The NFL club owners' decision to delay the selection of a second new club until Nov. 30 appears to be little more than a wait to allow St. Louis to get its new ownership group organized.
If St. Louis doesn't get an expansion club, the owners know the New England Patriots - almost an expansion team - would be moved under the Gateway Arch. Baltimore is correctly whining about St. Louis' second chance, but its choice of Bombers as a nickname - over Ravens and Rhinos - kind of crashes.
Speaking of nicknames, Memphis wanted to be taken seriously as the Hound Dogs, although something that ain't never caught a rabbit was preferable to the Hunk-a, Hunk-a Burnin' Love. However, because of the St. Louis snafu, Memphis' bid isn't as dead as Elvis, although Jacksonville's is.
Here this week, only a cynic would ask if there aren't already enough bad teams in the NFL. One obvious answer is yes. Another answer, the one Carolina should be catty about, is that any team is preferable to none at all.
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by CNB