PANTHERS LAY OFF MORE THAN 20 EMPLOYEES

The Carolina Panthers have gotten in on the whole “sky is falling” routine, reportedly laying off nearly two dozen employees. We realize that the economy is bad right now. But there’s a real difference between not making money and not making as much money as you’d like to make. If the Panthers are still profitable (and surely they are), why send good people into unemployment? Though the numbers are debatable, the NFL continues to be a very profitable enterprise. Thus, we can’t help but wonder whether one or more franchises are using the current climate as cover for trimming expenses. Let’s face it, firing people in times of perceived prosperity is downright cruel; doing it when companies supposedly are struggling makes it much more palatable. The problem is that, if enough companies that otherwise are making money do the same, a bad economic situation (as judged by the number of people receiving unemployment benefits and other public assistance) becomes even worse. Don’t get us wrong. NFL franchises and every other business on the planet have the right to handle their affairs as they see fit, as long as they comply with applicable legal requirements. But we’d have much more respect for companies that don’t wait to do so until the chances of facing external criticism are minimal.