MAYOR PRO TEM ARREST, WHAT HE
DID THE FORCED POLICE TO DETAIN
HIM.
YOU ARE WATCHING ACTION 9
EYEWITNESS NEWS.
THE PANTHERS HAVE FIRED HEAD
COACH RON RIVERA MAKING THE
ANNOUNCEMENT ON TWITTER THIS
AFTERNOON.
COACH RIVERA IN THE MIDDLE
OF HIS NINTH SEASON BUT ALSO IN
THE MIDDLE OF A FOUR-GAME
LOSING STREAK.
WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE
BREAKING DOWN THE REACTION FROM
BOTH THE TEAM AND THE FANS.
LET'S GO TO OUR SPORTS
DIRECTOR WHO SPOKE TO SOME
CURRENT PLAYERS WHO TOLD HIM
THEY CAN'T BELIEVE THIS
HAPPENED.
THERE IS A SENSE FROM THE
CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD THAT
DAVID TEPPER WAS NOT GOING TO
MAKE A MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE SEASON BUT THOSE
CONVERSATIONS HAPPENED BEFORE
MAYBE THE WORST LOSS OF THE RON
RIVERA ERA.
IT WAS AN EIGHT POINT LOSS TO A
DREADFUL WASHINGTON TEAM THAT
WAS THE BREAKING POINT FOR
DAVID TEPPER WHO LAID HIS CAR
ON THE TABLE.
SAYING MEDIOCRITY WOULD NOT BE
TOLERATED.
THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES HE WAS
SAYING EFFORT WAS NOT PART OF
IT.
RIVERA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A
PLAYERS COACH, FIERCELY LOYAL
TO HIS GUYS AND THEY HAVE
REMAINED SUPPORTIVE.
ONE PLAYER TOLD ME HE WAS
SHOCKED BUT IT'S NOT HIS JOB TO
SAY IF HE DESERVED IT.
SAYING HIS ATTITUDE THROUGH THE
WINS OR LOSSES WAS ALWAYS
POSITIVE AND HE BELIEVED IN HIS
PLAYERS.
ANOTHER SAID, HE WAS A GREAT
MAN AND COACH AND I LEARNED A
LOT FROM HIM ON HOW TO BE A MAN
ON AND OFF THE FIELD.
HE TAUGHT ME THREE THINGS I CAN
CONTROL, YOUR INNER APE,
ATTITUDE, REPARATION AND EFFORT.
DAVID TEPPER ALLOWED HIM TO
EXPLAIN .
AS MUCH RESPECT AS I HAVE
FOR RON.
I THINK THE CHANGE WAS
APPROPRIATE TO BUILD THINGS THE
WAY I WANT THEM TO BE BUILT.
I AM HEADING INSIDE TO TALK
TO DAVID TEPPER ON CAMERA AND
WE WILL HAVE THOSE COMMENTS
AFTER THAT MEETING.
I HAD AT 6:25, JOE PERSONS JUST
SPOKE TO DAVID TEPPER AND WILL
JOIN US LIVE . THANK YOU FOR
THAT UPDATE AND REACTION.
OF COURSE RON RIVERA WAS NAMED
THE TEAM'S FOURTH HEAD COACH IN
2011.
DURING HIS TIME HE MADE THE
PLAYOFFS FOUR TIMES WITH THE
TEAM INCLUDING THE DIVISION
TITLES.
AND OF COURSE THAT MAGICAL RUN
TO THE SUPER BOWL IN 2015.
FINISHING WITH A WINNINGEST
RECORD.
OF COURSE DAVID TEPPER SAID HE
WAS FORCED TO MAKE A CHANGE.
AND LET'S TURN NOW, I KNOW YOU
SPOKE TO SOME OF THE FANS.
Reporter: ONE FAN TOLD ME HIS
WIFE SENT HIM A TEXT WHEN SHE
FOUND OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
THIS NEWS IS RESONATING WITH A
LOT OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
I CAN'T SAY THAT FANS ARE
ESPECIALLY SHOCKED AT LEAST ON
THE BUSINESS SIDE.
THE PANTHERS JUST DROPPED FOUR
GAMES IN A ROW INCLUDING SUNDAY
AND AT THE END OF LAST SEASON
THEY WERE ON ANOTHER LOSING
STRETCH.
WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FANS WHO
SAID IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR A
CHANGE.
BUT WE ALSO HEARD FROM PEOPLE
WHO HAD RESPECT FOR RON RIVERA
THE PERSON, HIS COMMUNITY
SERVICE AND HOW HE CONDUCTED
HIMSELF.
I DON'T THINK IT IS TOO
SURPRISING.
ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW OWNER.
IT'S NOT SHOCKING.
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD DUDE.
HIS TIME COACHING WAS UP.
IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE SO
YEAH.
I SUPPORT HIM MOVING ON
THAT HAS BEEN THE SENTIMENT
FOR FANS WHO GOT TO KNOW COACH
RIVERA OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
QUITE A FEW SAID THEY RESPECT
HIM BUT FEEL NOW MAYBE THE TIME
TO MOVE ON. AND Q, SO RIVERA
HAVING A WIDE IMPACT IN THE
COMMUNITY.
THE FORMER PANTHERS WIDE
RECEIVER STEVE SMITH HAD THIS
REACTION.
I THOUGHT WAS GOING ON.
IT HAPPENS.
STEVE KNOWS IT HAPPENS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS
MAJOR BREAKING STORY AND BRING
YOU WHATEVER THE PANTHERS OWNER
TELLS US, AS SOON AS THAT