Steve Smith of the Panthers tears Freddie Mitchell a new one.
CHARLOTTE - It appears that Steve Smith is alive and well. That makes the Carolina Panthers very happy and, well, probably a little nervous, too. As Smith begins to feel better about recovering from the broken left leg that cost him all but three quarters and some change of last season, the mercurial receiver's mouth has been loosening up as well.
Say what you will about Smith, but he's pretty much always said and done whatever he wanted.
He doesn't worry about the consequences.
So it was last week that he openly ripped wide receiver Freddie Mitchell of the Philadelphia Eagles during an interview on Sporting News Radio.
"Freddie Mitchell has 22 catches (this season). He's not a premier receiver," Smith said. "My son in flag football had 22 catches. That's the level he's on."
Smith even took issue with the fact that Mitchell scored two touchdowns in the Eagles' second-round playoff win over Minnesota, one of which came when he recovered a teammate's fumble.
"Score with the ball. Don't catch somebody else's fumble.... Freddie Mitchell can't hold my jock," Smith said.
Warming up
Smith was just getting warmed up.
"Let's put my paycheck up with his paycheck. Let's put my touchdowns up with his touchdowns," he told the national-radio audience. "I got half of his receptions and I only played one game! And he got 22? Whoop-dee-do. He's an NFL player.
"You've got to be kidding me. He's a joke. All I have to say.... I was drafted in the third round. He was drafted in the first round. Hey, I'm not going to say it.... Bust.... Bust.... And I'm not talking about Jerome the Bus either. He's garbage and Steve Smith said it. If he's got a problem, he knows where to find me - North Carolina."
Guess what?
This time Smith's rant requires no request for further explanation, nor does it require the oft-requested demand for the apology that rarely comes. Mitchell ran his mouth first, telling reporters after the Minnesota playoff win: "I'm a special player. I want to thank my hands for being so great."
Then Mitchell further yanked open his mouth and inserted his cleated foot last week when he said he only knew the numbers - and not the names - of New England's cornerbacks. The foot went in a little more when he said he has "something special" planned for Rodney Harrison, the veteran Patriots safety, in the Super Bowl a week from today in Jacksonville.
Smith is right. Mitchell later said he was joking when he was asked to explain his insult directed toward the New England secondary. But one is left with the distinct impression that Mitchell, a fourth-year receiver, has no idea that the rest of the football world thinks he's little more than an underachieving, overpaid former first-rounder with a big mouth he can't control.
It almost makes you long for Terrell Owens to return for the Eagles and start flapping his jaws. At least Owens' play on the field warrants putting up with some of his antics.
And it makes Smith, who usually backs up his boasts as well, seem like an entirely rational individual.
This and that
Smith actually didn't have half the number of catches Mitchell hauled in this year, but he did have six in less than one full game. And Smith didn't even mention that it took Mitchell four years to catch 90 passes in the regular season; Smith caught 88 for 1,110 yards last season alone.... The Panthers are moving forward as they interview candidates to replace Bill Rosinski, their fired play-by-play announcer. Jim Szoke, a color analyst who worked with Rosinski for 10 years, was among those interviewed by team officials for the position last week. Mick Mixon, the color analyst for the North Carolina radio network, is among several college announcers also being considered.... Two area players who participated in yesterday's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. - which was scouted heavily by the Panthers and every other NFL team - were offensive linemen Jason Brown of North Carolina and Junius Coston of N.C. A&T. Brown played for the South, while Coston, somehow, ended up on the North squad.... General Manager Marty Hurney of the Panthers met with Joel Segal, the representative of wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, earlier last week in Mobile but nothing was resolved. The Panthers are hopeful that they can come to an agreement with Muhammad on a contract restructuring and extension. Otherwise, they could be forced to release Muhammad and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent on March 2 - because he would count a whopping $12.5 million against what likely will be a salary cap in the $86.5 million range.
