There will be no hoverboards in the Carolina Panthers facility with two games separating the team from its first-ever Lombardi Trophy, because Ron Rivera is taking no chances.
Ron Rivera banned hoverboards in the Panthers locker room after watching them blow up on YouTube
Rivera isn’t risking player safety so his players can play on hoverboards.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Rivera banned hoverboards from the team facility just before Christmas, according to Panthers tight end Ed Dickson, and he isn’t risking the health of his team down the stretch. That’s not a bad idea either, considering how many people immediately crashed when they got one for Christmas.
While the boards haven’t been allowed at Bank of America Stadium for a few weeks now, he publicly revealed the ban at his weekly press conference on Monday.
Among the hoverboard fans is quarterback Cam Newton, who has been seen riding through Charlotte on one, even cruising through oncoming traffic prior to Rivera's ban. While telling Newton not to ride at the team facility isn't going to stop the MVP candidate from ever riding one again, Rivera likely talked to his quarterback about being careful about his health.
“What if something crazy happens?” Rivera said on Monday. “I will say this, too. I caught them drag racing in the freaking hallway one time, too.”
The Panthers' NFC Championship opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, also have a coach who isn't too excited about the idea of his players riding hoverboards.
@jjones9 Asked Arians about those before the season. "If one (player) falls off, they're all gone." Peterson bought one for all the DBs.
— Shane Dale (@ShaneDaleABC15) January 18, 2016 Both the Cardinals and Panthers have suffered some significant injuries during the 2015 season, with Arizona losing Tyrann Mathieu in December and Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin missing the entire year. But hoverboards won't be claiming any victims on either roster as long as Rivera and Arians have anything to say about it.
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