Grinds my gears? Seeing that ESPN list of draft risers and sleepers, and not a single Panther on it. Not one. That used to be our brand. We were the school that turned three-star recruits into NFL starters. That 2002 team with Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant, they were household names before they ever played a down on Sunday. Now? We're an afterthought.
This whole NIL and portal circus has us chasing ghosts. Kids come in for a year, get their bag, and bolt. Where's the program building? Where's the development? Coach Majors would have a fit if he saw this. He built men, not mercenaries. You think Hugh Green or Dan Marino were worried about their brand? They were worried about beating Penn State and Notre Dame, rivalries that actually meant something.
We're playing Miami of Ohio on a Monday night? That's what it's come to? I remember when a non-conference game meant something. When the Backyard Brawl was the highlight of the year, not some MAC team we're supposed to be grateful to schedule. The soul of this sport is gone, replaced by TV deals and players jumping ship at the first offer. We used to be a destination. Now we're just a pit stop.