Steve Smith Sr. trolls Dave Gettleman hard

A certain former wide receiver of the Carolina Panthers had some immediate thoughts on the firing of the team’s general manager.

Thanks to social media, the reaction to news of any kind these days is swift. And it can sometimes be merciless, especially within the confines of 140 characters.

In 2013, the Carolina Panthers named Dave Gettleman their newest general manager. During the 2014 offseason, the team opted to move on from arguably the franchise’s greatest player. Wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. was given the pink slip after 13 seasons with the club. He remains the Panthers’ all-time leader in catches (836), receiving yards (12,197) and total touchdowns (75).

It was a decision that did not go over well with the 2001 third-round draft choice from the University of Utah. Smith would go on and spend three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring and moving onto television earlier this year.

So when news came down today that Gettleman had been fired by the Panthers, the big-play performer turned commentator wasted little time giving his thoughts on the decision by founder and owner Jerry Richardson.

https://twitter.com/89SteveSmith/status/886992866479710208

Ouch. Obviously there are still a lot of hard feelings when it comes the Smith. The fiery veteran has never been afraid to voice his opinions so this reaction is hardly surprising.

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As for the Carolina Panthers, it will be fascinating to see who takes over for Gettleman. And perhaps that decision won’t be made until after this season. We have seen a few franchise part ways with their general manager post April’s draft. Unfortunately, if Ron Rivera’s team manages to bounce back after an ugly season, Gettleman won’t be around to enjoy it.