[sportscurmudgeon]

Let's be a bit analytical here. Trust me, it won't hurt that much...

Gardner has had a bad year and has been a less than positive influence with the Panthers; but that is not news. That's what he has been and has done since he came into the league.

Coles is a different story. If Jerry Rice had been the guy trying to catch passes from Vinny T. and Brooks Bollinger for all of his career, he wouldn't be on the fast track to the HoF either.