First, thank you in advance for humoring me while I toss up a soccer-related post.The more I thought, talked, tweeted and texted Thursday about Jurgen Klinsmann’s controversial decision to leave Landon Donovan off the U.S.’s final roster for the upcoming World Cup, the more I kept coming up with analogies to what the Panthers did with Steve Smith this offseason.Many fans still don’t understand why general manager Dave Gettleman cut ties with his best player, or why he’d allow his receiving corps to be completely made over.We won’t get into the locker room/mentor stuff in this post, and there’s certainly more to both situations, but put some basics side-by-side, and the two cases look awfully similar.

THE DECISION MAKERS

USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann:The U.S. imported Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup with Germany, and who coached his country to the 2006 semis, to help mold the national team into an international threat.Since 1994, the U.S. has continued to make incremental progress in its overall talent level, but they remain well behind the world elites. Most American soccer fans still consider making it out of the group a success.Can you imagine countries like Germany, Spain or Italy having such low expectations? Yes, they’re all decades ahead in development and dedication to the sport, but being just ok is not something Americans usually just accept.For Klinsmann, that’s ridiculous. He’s trying to change attitudes not just on the national team, but with the American public as well.He understands Donovan’s popularity and importance, but nostalgia doesn’t earn you points.Panthers’ general manager Dave Gettleman:The Panthers imported Gettleman, who was part of three Super Bowl winning teams – Broncos (1997), Giants (2007, 2011) – to help mold them into a consistent winner.Since 1995, the Panthers have had some good years, but they haven’t had back-to-back winning seasons and have made just five trips to the playoffs. Some Panthers fans still consider a postseason appearance here and there a success.Can you imagine teams like the Steelers, Patriots or Packers having such low expectations? Yes, they’ve all been around decades longer, but being just ok is not something most NFL fans accept.For Gettleman, that’s ridiculous. He’s trying to change attitudes not just in the locker room, but with Panthers fans as well.He understands Smith’s popularity and importance, but nostalgia doesn’t earn you wins.

THE LEGENDS

USMNT midfielder Landon Donovan:Donovan played in three World Cups, and he set a U.S. record with 57 international goals. While American soccer is still relatively young compared to most world powers, Donovan is the best scorer we’ve produced.Even though he’s no longer elite, the 32-year-old can still play, and he could have contributed this summer. But to what end?Donovan was better than anyone that came before him, but in order for the USMNT to take a step forward, they need to bring up guys better than him. He represented a ceiling, one that’s too low for Klinsmann, and one that should be too low for U.S. soccer fans.Former Panthers’ receiver Steve Smith:Smith played 13 seasons in Carolina, and he set nearly every franchise receiving record. While the Panthers are still relatively young compared to most NFL teams, Smith is the best playmaker they’ve had.Even though he’s no longer elite, the 35-year-old can still play, and he could have contributed this year. But to what end?Smith was better than anyone that came before him, but in order for the Panthers to take a step forward, they need to bring up guys better than he is currently. He represented a ceiling, one that’s too low for Gettleman, and one that should be too low for Panthers fans.

THE LONG GAME

USMNT:It’s not like Klinsmann wants this World Cup to be a failure, but achieving real success in Brazil is going to be extremely difficult. Odds are against the U.S. advancing through its devastatingly difficult group made up of Ghana, Germany and Portugal.But Klinsmann wasn’t brought in just for the short term. He’s been charged with building U.S. Soccer into a sustainable and legit threat. You don’t do that by living in the past. Instead, you have to build in the present toward the future.If the U.S. is going to threaten the game’s powers, the best way to do it is by developing young talent. We know what Donovan could do, and that was great, to a point. Using fond memories to believe he’s still a necessity is accepting the status quo.Sure, there’s a chance a young star like Julian Green won’t pan out, but in order to build something better, you need to start with a new foundation.Panthers:It’s not like Gettleman wants this season to be a failure, but achieving real success in 2014 is going to be extremely difficult. Odds are against the Panthers making another postseason run in their increasingly difficult division and conference.But Gettleman wasn’t brought in just for the short term. He’s been charged with building the Panthers into a sustainable and legit threat. You don’t do that by living in the past. Instead, you have to build in the present toward the future.If the Panthers are going to threaten the NFC’s powers, the best way to do it is by developing young talent. We know what Smith could do, and that was great, to a point. Using fond memories to believe he’s still a necessity is accepting the status quo.Sure, there’s a chance a young star like Kelvin Benjamin won’t pan out, but in order to build something better, you need to start with a new foundation.[vc_row_inner]

BBR NUGGETS

• Charles Johnson as a high school running back looks terrifying. – Instagram
• Cam Newton joined Johnson with his own Throwback Thursday post. – Instagram
• Madden NFL 15 Cover Vote update: Newton advances to the final four, Luke Kuechly knocked out – ESPN.com
• Former Panthers’ tight end Wesley Walls elected to the College Football Hall of Fame – The Clarion-Ledger

COMING UP

We still have a bunch of leftovers from last weekend’s rookie minicamp. We’ll clear out the recorder and share thoughts from Gettleman and guys like safety Tre Boston, cornerback Bene Benwikere and Philly Brown.[share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true”]

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