After he torched the Panthers on Sunday afternoon—he caught seven passes for 139 yards and scored two touchdowns—Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith didn't have a whole lot to say about his former team. He did take one jab at them. But outside of that, he didn't talk as much trash as we expected him to. But that doesn't mean that he's happy with the way that his relationship with the organization ended this spring.
Earlier today, Smith called in to Charlotte radio station WFNZ's "Bustin' Loose" show and sent a steady stream of shots in the Panthers' direction. He took aim at Panthers coach Ron Rivera, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman, and his former teammate Greg Hardy. Check out some of the best quotes from the interview below:
On Rivera not letting him know that the Panthers were going to release him: "Every time I keep reading stuff and reports come out, I just think I was stabbed in the back. Just like Coach Rivera said he wasn't a sore loser, but yet he never spoke to me through the whole ordeal. Not one time. He didn't look at me man-to-man and say this was going down. He said he's a players' coach but he never came in and said, 'Hey, Smitty, this is going on. Wanted to give you a heads up.' He hid in his office."
On Gettleman not telling him that he was being released face-to-face: "He doesn't even have the cojones to tell us to our face. We have to hear it from someone else. Then he calls and says it wasn't personal. If the first thing that comes out is, 'Well, it wasn't personal,' then guess what? It was personal."
On the Panthers keeping Hardy on their roster but releasing Smith because he was a distraction: "I've always been a distraction? But I didn't hit my wife. Yeah, I hit some teammates six or seven years ago [Ed. note: Smith was involved in a couple of memorable training camp fights during his time in Carolina.], but I didn't beat my wife. I didn't get arrested for DUIs. I didn't fall off no motorcycles…All I did was charity work in Charlotte. I made some mistakes. But building this big ol' crutch about it like as if I pushed their hand?"
Yikes. Carolina should be happy that they don't have to face Smith again this season. Because clearly, he's only growing angrier with the Panthers organization as the days go by.
[via Pro Football Talk]
