With so many different issues swirling for the Carolina Panthers this offseason, the team must manage this situation with interim GM, Marty Hurney, correctly.
The 2018 offseason is a time of transition for the Carolina Panthers. Jerry Richardson’s decision to sell the team as he faced multiple allegations of misconduct threw the organization into disarray at the end of the year. Things aren’t getting any easier as interim general manager Marty Hurney is being investigated by the NFL for a complaint originating from his ex-wife.
Wind the clock back to earlier in February when many were anticipating that Hurney would be announced as the organization’s newest GM. He was hired to replace Dave Gettleman, who was fired before the preseason even started. Hurney has been well received in the organization, even getting the endorsement from Panthers head coach Ron Rivera.
Hurney was the favorite to be considered for the role, but he wasn’t the only individual on the list as Jimmy Raye III from the Houston Texans, Lake Dawson from Buffalo and former Detroit Lions GM and San Francisco 49ers’ personnel executive, Martin Mayhew were all set to be interviewed as well.
Hurney has a wealth of positive clout built with the Panthers as he’s the individual responsible for bringing in many talented players including Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton and others. His moves helped this team develop into the 2003 Super Bowl contender, but he was eventually replaced by Gettleman. His success in 2017 set him up to be the frontrunner for the official title, but all that changed when the allegations by his ex-wife were revealed.
The complaint was initially filed on Friday by Hurney’s ex-wife, Jeanne Hurney. She was denied a temporary restraining order. According to David Newton of ESPN, Marty Hurney informed the team on Sunday who immediately informed the league. Even though the complaint was officially dropped, the league is still planning to complete a full investigation. That meeting is set for Friday and Hurney will meet with Lisa Friel, who investigates off-the-field misconduct. This situation is being treated as a violation of the personal-conduct code.
It’s important for the Panthers to take these allegations and the pending investigation seriously. In some regards, this may be enough to remove Hurney from consideration for the role. With Richardson’s unceremonious exit, the team needs to do all that they can to distance themselves from any sort of misconduct that further mares the team in controversy. Even though Richardson elected to sell the team that does not mean the league will not find a reason to punish the organization. Mismanaging this situation could further exacerbate the problem.
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As movements such as Time’s Up and Me Too continue to impact society, it’s important for sports leagues and professional teams to get these matters right. The Carolina Panthers were considering Hurley as the official GM just a few short days ago, but that has all changed due to these serious allegations. With the meeting and formal investigation looming it will be interesting to see if leadership within the organization elects to move forward with Hurney or removes him from consideration and goes with one of the other candidates in the queue.