Charlotte, you sure are a forgiving lot.

So, let me get this straight (Panther fans), if I walk into my place of employment, have a disagreement with a co-worker and punch him or her in the face you’re going to rally around me so that I don’t get punished?

Let me answer that question for you — hell no. If the incident makes the front page of the newspaper (which it wouldn’t) you’re going to say, “that crazy fool should be in jail.”

Why is Steve Smith any different? Because he can catch a football? Because you have his jersey in your closet?

Smith, who by all media accounts, has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season, should be in jail.

But he’s the star of the Panthers, and he’s been forgiven. To hell with that! If the fight had happened on the field, you could say, well, football is a violent sport and shit happens. But Smith sucker punched Ken Lucas on the sideline. That isn’t cool. And this isn’t the first time Smith has gone ape-shit on a TEAMMATE.

In 2002, Smith beat up a teammate during a film session. A film session?

He cost the Panthers a game a few years back when he kicked an injured Texan player and earned a 15-yard penalty. The Houston Texans, who really sucked that season, went on to win a game Carolina should have won.

I read an article on The Charlotte Observer’s Web site that offered bunch of excuses for Smith’s behavior. He’s small and grew up in LA and there wasn’t a father around.

So what?

He’s a multi-millionaire who gets paid to play a child’s game. Go see a therapist. Get some help (obviously the league-mandated anger management classes didn’t help that much).

Smith should go to jail. If he had broken a dog’s nose, he’d be in jail.

Doesn’t Ken Lucas deserve the same justice as a dog?

Not in forgiving Charlotte.

Here’s what some fans have been saying around the Internet about Smith vs. Lucas:

From www.charlotteobserver.com

Guys, we get it. You're mad that he's only getting a two game suspension out of this while one of us would've likely been thrown in jail over it. That's fine, but constantly harping over this when the Panthers already dealt with the issue and are looking pto the future now is not really kosher.

Also, to those of you calling him names like jerk and punk, that's not making you morally superior.

It's easy to be mad over this, but at the same time, at least he's trying to make amends and not blaming it on anyone else but himself. Don't be the judge of someone and think you're high and mighty because I'm sure that if you HONESTLY looked at your own life, you've done something STUPID that you needed to apologize for. Steve Smith is human like the rest of us, and before all of this, we've all praised him for his accomplishments on the field.

It was just and unfortunate incident between teammates. If the PANTHERS lose their first two games, as a result of Smith's suspension, that two will be most unfortunate.

Wow you people on here are complete jerks. Like none of you have ever done anything to regret? Pacman Jones is still in the NFL after so many arrests, fights and being involved in a shooting that ruined a mans life. So you idiots calling for Smith being banned or traded GET A CLUE! Smith has done great work for Charlotte over the last 5 years and one incident erases all that? Typical idiotic behavior from fairweather fans. At least he steps up and accepts responsibility for his actions which is probably more than you bashers can say.

O.K people enough of all this! What Steve Smith did it was wrong no if and but about it. I think coach Fox and the Panthers organization handle it very well. I am also very cautious to what the media print and say. I mean come on, how do we really know Ken Lucas has a broken nose, maybe it is just bruised. He was on the field at fan day, now how do you do that with a broken nose especially considering the heat. If you've ever had a broken nose you would know that a broken nose and hot weather makes for a bad combination. Now, I'm not saying that this matters or not. The situation was still a bad situation. But, let us not be to quick to judge. Ken Lucas and Steve Smith both are very aggressive players, and everyone knows that Steve Smith is a ball of fire and ready to explode when he is on the field, and in most cases we are cheering him on. Steve Smith is a stand up guy. Last season was bad and ugly for the Panthers, but Smith stayed the course with everyone else and was not a hell raiser. Lucus Showed us last season that he could deliver a hit with the best of them and he is a standup guy as well. I would not be surprise that before the regular season starts these two guys will shake hands and all is forgiven like it never happened.

It is amazing how quickly the Panthers organization, the local media, and so called Panther fans have turned on Smith after nothing more than a training camp fight that happens all over the league every year. Give me a break!

Can you say hypocrisy? If this were a wide receiver on another team (Dallas, Atlanta or anywhere else outside of the 704 area code), these same fans would be calling that player all kinds of names and talking junk about the team. In fairness, there are some comments in cyberspace doing the same thing to Smith.