Greg Olsen Says His 'Mutual Parting' With Panthers Wasn't Actually Mutual at All

We've gotta get over this liguistic disease infecting public relations shops and jounalistic outlets everywhere. We have to before it's too late, folks. We simply must eradicate the scourge of "mutually agreed to part ways."

When coaches or executives are fired and their team wants to let them down easy, or when a player isn't given a new contract and embarrassing them before the public is advised against, official press releases and audience-facing statements tend to adopt langauge suggesting that both parties somehow arrived at this decision mutually. This is almost NEVER the case -- and we ought to thank Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen for speaking the truth when so few are willing to do so.

To be clear, it's not like Olsen is full of contempt for his longtime team. He had already considered retirement in the past, and may very well still opt to do so. But when it was originally reported that he wouldn't be back in Charlotte next season, we rightly scratched our heads over why he would "part ways" with his team without retiring straight away. Why would such a stalwart, stand-up guy want to play for anyone else?

Well, folks, we have our answer. Under new head coach Matt Rhule, the Panthers are cleaning house. Hell, they may even decide they don't even want Cam Newton anymore. If a new start really is in the cards, the least they could do is cease using such achingly imprecise (if not downright incorrect) language in reference to fan favorites with boatloads of games under their belts.