Ron Rivera: Panthers will no longer use bats; no proof team uttered slurs

Carolina Panthers players wielded baseball bats on the field before Sunday's game against the New York Giants and at least one such player approached Odell Beckham Jr. in an aggressive manner.

That much we know because it was captured on video.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera downplayed the issue Tuesday, pointing out that his team and others have used such props in recent years.

"The bat is a huge misunderstanding," Rivera told reporters before conceding that his team will no longer use bats as part of pregame rituals.

"I'm going to eliminate it," Rivera said before taking a small shot at the NFL. "I want to avoid (the headache). It's the No Fun League for a reason."

It's also been reported by multiple sources that members of the Panthers uttered threats and homophobic slurs toward Beckham.

That much hasn't been proven, and Rivera said he wants to see the evidence if it exists.

"I heard nothing. Several people that were around (Panthers player Marcus Ball) heard nothing," Rivera said.

Rivera said Ball denied to him that he uttered such slurs.

The head coach added that he considers the use of homophobic slurs by players to be "an important social issue."