Trying To Get In Peppers' Head

Ever wonder why Julius Peppers' standoff with the Panthers gets so little play? I have, many times.

What, for instance, is his exact gripe with Carolina? Who on the team, coaching staff or front office peed in his Wheaties? Don't know.

Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer wrote a column about the reluctant Panther that expresses the same confusion about what motivates Peppers and his desire to play somewhere else. A good read.

The basic facts in Peppers' situation are pretty clear. He can either play defensive end for the Panthers in 2009 and be paid $17 million or he can stay home and A) hope for a trade or B) wear out his Netflix account.

And while the choice would be simple for 100 percent of the Regular Joes and Janes to make, for an enigmatic person who does not sweat his longterm financial security, predicting what Peppers will do is a lot harder.