A Tribute to #21

Marcus Lattimore, the University of South Carolina running back tore several ligaments in his left knee Saturday vs. Tennessee after tearing the ACL in his right knee last season.

                

Lattimore was the 2009 South Carolina Mr. Football coming out of Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

                

As a freshman, Lattimore was voted as the SEC Freshman of the year, the National Freshman of the year, and was named to the All-SEC 1^st team at seasons end.

               

  Last season, as a sophomore, Lattimore was named to the All-SEC 2^nd team after missing about half of the season. Before Lattimore went down against Mississippi State last year he was the nation’s leading rusher and seemed a clear cut favorite for the Heisman trophy.

                

Lattimore bounced back from his ACL tear to have a solid junior year where he broke Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers’ school record for career rushing touchdowns in an early season game vs. UAB. He later ran for over 100 yards and scored 2 touchdowns while breaking 2 more school records in South Carolina’s 35-7 beat down of the possible 2012 SEC East Champions, the Georgia Bulldogs.

               

  Because of injuries, Marcus Lattimore may not statistically be South Carolina’s best player ever, but he is certainly the most loved, most respected, and most important in the Gamecocks history. With Lattimore in the backfield, South Carolina has accomplished a number of firsts, including: beating the “Big 4” all in one season, a season with the most wins in school history, and many, many more, including winning the SEC East for the first time ever.

                

Marcus Lattimore’s play put the Gamecocks on the national map, but it is his character that separates him from other college football players. I know I have lived a short life but in all my 21 years, I have never seen an opposing team act like that after a player was injured. I have never heard the outcry from other teams and other players, that weren’t even involved in the game, the way Georgia, Florida, Auburn, LSU, and many others acted towards Marcus’ injury.

               

 I have had the pleasure, and it was truly a pleasure, to speak to Marcus Lattimore a few times in my life. I was covering my first ever game last year vs. ECU, and I was a nervous wreck at my first post-game press conference, but Marcus could not have been nicer to me. From that point on, he became my favorite athlete, and he will continue to be for the rest of my life.

                

There many fans who love their favorite athlete because of statistical dominance on the field, but when a fan loves their favorite athlete because of the person they are under the helmet that is truly special.

               

He may never play football again but he doesn’t need football. And although as much as all of us want him to, we don’t need him to play football again, what we need is for more people to be like Marcus Lattimore.

           

Just some of the famous people that sent messages of support to Marcus Lattimore: the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, New York Jets’ Tim Tebow, Washington Redskins’ RGIII, NFL Hall of Famer & NFL Network’s Deion Sanders, Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o, Houston Texans’ JJ Watt, ESPN’s Jay Bilas, Darius Rucker, Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson, Carolina Panthers’ Jonathan Stewart, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, ESPN’s Skip Bayless, Cincinnati Bengals’ AJ Green, New Orleans Saints’ Mark Ingram, ESPN’s Lee Corso, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN’s Buster Olney, ESPN’s David Pollack, LSU Head Coach Les Miles, UGA Head Coach Mark Richt, Auburn Head Coach Gene Chizik, Tennessee Head Coach Derek Dooley, Houston Texans’ Andre Johnson, UGA LB Jarvis Jones, Chicago Bears’ Lance Briggs, Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney, Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry, and just about every sportswriter or broadcaster around the country.

               

  The Georgia football team, fresh off their win against Florida, held hands and bowed their heads in their locker room and said a prayer that was organized by Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt, linebacker Jarvis Jones, injured-WR Michael Bennett, and freshman running backs Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley.

                

Now that is respect.

2012 NFL Season's Quarter Rankings

4 weeks into the 2012-2013 NFL season some, like myself, like to sit down and evaluate teams and players through 1/4 of this wonderful time of year. Many shows like ESPN's *Numbers Never Lie having been breaking down playoff chances for teams based on their records through these first 4 games and though stats show that your record so far does matter towards your playoff chances, I would put some stock into it but not too much because who knows what will happen when December hits and the race for all the Wild Cards and Division titles hits its pivotal stretch.

 Let's however look at the NFL season so far:

32. Cleveland Browns (0-4)

The Browns have a bright spot in rookie running back Trent Richardson but not much else. Both their offense and defense are balanced in the way that they are both one of the 5 worst in the league.

31. Tennessee Titans (1-3)

The NFL's 2nd worst defense resides there in Nashville along with QB Jake Locker who has injured his shoulder for the 2nd time and is absolutely facing off-season shoulder surgery, to go along with one of the league's toughest schedules.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)

The NFL's worst offense is quarterbacked by Blaine Gabbert and has a best player, MJD, that missed every single preseason workout and practice, sad man, sad. An improved defense is the only bright spot for the Jags, but they haven't been overly consistent.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)

Surprisingly the Chiefs, statistically, have the NFL's 4th best offense and a top 13 defense. RB Jamaal Charles is just now getting going and off-season acquisition RB Peyton Hillis has not been able to stay healthy to give the Chiefs the 1-2 backfield punch they were hoping for.

28. Oakland Raiders (1-3)

The team with the 2nd worst point differential in the NFL at -48 trails only Tennessee (-70) in that department. McFadden and QB Carson Palmer have had fine statistical seasons so far but it hasn't translated into wins under 1st year head coach Dennis Allen.

27. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

#1 overall pick Andrew Luck looks to be the real deal for the Colts but they have so much young talent mixed in with aging talent that it just doesn't mix well. It will be interesting to see what off-season moves Irsay makes this year.

26. New Orleans Saints (0-4)

Last season's NFC South Champs lost on a last second missed field goal last week, a last second made field goal the week before by the Chiefs' Ryan Succop and only lost by a touchdown to both the Panthers and Redskins. The Saints are much better than they appear in the record column but for now I have to put them here.

25. Carolina Panthers (1-3)

I could write a whole page on them if I wanted but I won't. A defense, who has Jon Beason back, is worse right now than at the same point last year and an offense that hasn't lived up to the hype are why the Panthers are 1-3. Bright spots include: Rookies Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman, and funny Haruki Nakamura jokes after this past Sunday.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)

Although the Bucs played the Giants close in the Meadowlands a few weeks ago, I still believe the Panthers and Saints are better than them. A very young team that has some ball players in rookies Doug Martin, Lavonte David, and Mark Barron hides the truth that I still think Josh Freeman is no good. Sorry.

23. Miami Dolphins (1-3)

We knew the defense was going to be pretty decent for this summer's Hard Knocks team but the development Ryan Tannehill has made in his first 4 games is phenomenal  his 431 yards last week was 1 off the record by last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Panthers QB Cam Newton.

22. Detroit Lions (1-3)

On a personal note the Lions and the play of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are killing me in fantasy as I have both on my team. On another note, I am not really sure what is going on with the still young Lions, and some of their players' statements today saying they need to "start playing more reckless" is probably not the answer. A bye week this week will hopefully get them out of their funk.

21. Buffalo Bills (2-2)

That expensive defense the Bills bought in the off-season has not lived up to expectations, however Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills offense is putting on its usual grand performance at the start of the season but expect that to die down as per usual.

20. St. Louis Rams (2-2)

A offense that has struggled under young QB Sam Bradford has been a bit disappointing in my eyes but Jeff Fisher has them playing hard and playing defense. A surprising 2-2 start for the Rams, let's see if they can continue it.

19.  San Diego Chargers (3-1)

With wins against Kansas City, Oakland, Tennessee, and a big loss to Atlanta, I am not impressed with the Chargers record so far this season. Although weird to point out that the Chargers have changed their team a bit by playing great defense and running the ball a bit more than passing it like they use to do back in the LT days.

18.  Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

The Steelers aging defense was an issue coming into the season but hasn't seemed to be so far as Pittsburgh has the NFL's 5th best defense. However, if the Steelers want to obtain a playoff birth while playing in the tough AFC North, some skill position players on offense have got to step up for Big Ben.

17. Washington Redskins (2-2)

Mike Shanahan and his son have done a great job with RGIII, using his strengths to get the best possible results from their electrifying rookie. Keeping RGIII healthy, who is a gosh darn winner, and improving the league's 29th worst defense are the challenges the Redskins face the rest of the way.

16. New York Jets (2-2)

The stock is down on the Jets after first losing All-Pro CB Darrelle Revis, then losing 34-0 to the 49ers while in the process of that also losing Pro-Bowl WR Santonio Holmes. In two weeks the Jets have lost their most talented player on each side of the ball which means only one thing: Tebow Time.

15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

Things could be much worse for the 'Boys, they could have gotten beat down Week 1 on national television by the Giants and be 1-3. They have serious offensive line problems and after getting down right physically beaten down by the Seahawks then barely escaping the Bucs then getting embarrassed by the Bears on Monday Night Football, this bye week is the best possible solution. Although, they do play Baltimore after that. Yikes.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)

Yes I am again putting a team with a 3-1 record below a number of teams with 2-2 records. The Bengals have a 0 point differential and have wins against Cleveland, Washington, and Jacksonville, not very impressive considering they also got destroyed by Baltimore in Week 1. They continue their streak of lower tier teams with games against Cleveland and Miami the next two weeks.

13. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)

I am a big, big fan of the Seahawks, I love the way they play defense with the amount of pass rushers they have to put pressure on the opposing QB as their big, athletic corners jam the opposing WRs at the line to give those ruthless pass rushers more time to get after it. Russell Wilson is a nice story but the jury is still out on him, although a beast in the backfield helps in Marshawn Lynch; Wilson just needs more help on the outside.

12. Minnesota Vikings (3-1)

By far and away, the Vikings are the most surprising team so far in this young NFL season. They have done it by having the NFL's most efficient QB in Christian Ponder and a top-tier defense. If they can get Adrian Peterson rolling at an All-Pro level again, well then watch out.

11. Arizona Cardinals (4-0)

Yes I know they are 4-0 but I am just not completely sold on the Cardinals. I am a big fan of quarterbacks and I just don't believe in Kevin Kolb. There is no doubting that, that defense is a bunch of studs but that offense is still 31st in the NFL. I just believe they are going to collapse any week now.

10. Denver Broncos (2-2)

One of the most balanced teams out there. I thought the defense would be a little bit better, although it's still 7th, but it's still early. I love Peyton Manning and what he has been able to come back from, so I will be paying very close attention to the progression of that offense as the year goes on. The year Peyton came off his knee  injury in 2008, a year he won MVP, the Colts offense also started out slow so we'll see if the '12 Broncos progress like '08 Colts.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)

I am putting a little bit more stock into the Eagles 3-1 start than most people are because I see all that talent they have on the field and I just believe if Michael Vick, who is the key, can stay healthy and stop being so turnover prone, this team can be scary good.

8. Chicago Bears (3-1)

The Bears looked very impressive the other night on Monday Night Football against the Cowboys and I just believe they are about to go on a 5 or 6 game tear but they are so inconsistent that I am hesitant to truly believe that. If that offensive line can keep Jay Cutler upright then that offense has so many weapons, they could finish 1st in the NFL in total offense.

7. New England Patriots (2-2)

I am a big fan of Tom Brady and what he brings to the table. I also am a big fan of how the Pats revamped their defense in the draft, including the stud they got in DE Chandler Jones. New England has the #1 offense in the NFL at the moment mostly because Belichick has gone back to being more balanced, which is the type of offense they had when they actually won Super Bowls.

6. New York Giants (2-2)

The Giants have looked amazing at times (i.e. vs Carolina) and awful at times (i.e. vs Dallas and the 1st 3 quarters vs Tampa Bay) but I still believe in the defending Super Bowl champs. Eli is having yet another superb year and that defensive line is absolutely terrifying. They also were about 3 yards short Sunday night on a field goal from being 3-1.

5. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

They are two points away from being undefeated but you can go the other way with that by saying the Patriots basically went into Baltimore and beat them, only the Pats fell short. Joe Flacco has been the craze so far this year with the discussion about whether he is an elite quarterback or not. It sounds a lot like Eli;s controversy last year, but will Flacco deliver a Super Bowl to Baltimore?

4. Green Bay Packers (2-2)

Another team whose record could have swung a number of ways, but I love the young talent Ted Thompson infused into this Packers defense. Also you can never count out Aaron Rodgers and that offense along with Cedric Benson, who I think in the backfield could be the X-factor in a number of games come December and January.

3. Houston Texans (4-0)

JJ Watt, the consensus 1/4 NFL Defensive MVP by analysts, is wrecking havoc along with the rest of the Texans defense and in the process grabbing the top spot in total defense in all of the NFL so far. On offense, Matt Schaub is having so much success without fully utilizing All-Pro WR Andre Johnson it's scary. I am however a bit concerned with how many carries Arian Foster is getting, he's projected to get something ridiculous like 412 carries which will eventually burn him out as they hit the home stretch.

2. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

I'll admit I am a huge homer for teams with great QB's but me putting the 49ers at #2 tells you how much I think of their ground game, their defense, and most importantly their coach. Harbaugh is a manic and I love it; The job he has done with Alex Smith is simply amazing, and barring major injuries this team is headed to the top.

1. Atlanta Falcons (4-0)

As much as it pains me to put my least liked team in all of sports at #1, I'm trying to be objective so I have to. The Falcons have simply been the best so far which has even produced MVP talk for QB Matt Ryan, a player who has never won a playoff game. (Yes I just took a shot there at Matty Ice)

A 1/4 NFL Season Awars article is coming tomorrow. Enjoy. 

NFC South Preview

From 2002 to 2009, no team in the NFC South earned back-to-back playoff appearances. In 2010, the New Orleans Saints changed that by clinching a Wild Card berth, a year removed from winning the Super Bowl. Then in 2011, the Atlanta Falcons accomplished the same by clinching a wild card spot after winning the division in 2010. The Carolina Panthers have never, ever had consecutive playoff appearances and haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have made lots of intriguing moves this off-season, haven't been to the playoffs since 2007, when current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden was their head coach. Many analysts, including ESPN's John Clayton, believe the South is the toughest division in all of football so here is a preview and a few predictions for this division:

4th Place: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

            -The trend in the NFC South from 2003 to 2009 was the team that finished last in the division the previous year would improve enough to reach the playoffs but what happened in 2010 and 2011 will undoubtedly happen again in 2012. The Bucs made some moves after their 4-12 season last year, including hiring Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano to be their head man. I thought they enjoyed a good draft by adding S Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin, and LB LaVonte David, who will all start right away. They made significant upgrades on both sides of the ball in the free agent market by signing WR Vincent Jackson and S Eric Wright. 4th year QB Josh Freeman lost 20 pounds this off-season by "cutting out late night fast food runs" and is hoping to regain his form in 2010, a season in which he was named a Pro Bowl alternate. I really like the Bucs defense, especially the secondary featuring Aqib Talib, Ronde Barber, Eric Wright, and Mark Barron but I'm not fond of the Bucs offense, mainly because of their offensive line. Freeman will have to have better protection to cut down on his 22 interceptions from last year, which was the 2nd most in the NFL. I will say the Buccaneers have a bright future ahead of them but in a very tough division they finish 1 game better than last season at 5-11.

3rd Place: Carolina Panthers

            -With all the high optimism in the Carolinas surrounding this team, I could easily justify writing a "homer" analysis piece and give the Panthers a 10-6 or a 11-5 record with them going deep into the playoffs. But, I actually don't believe it. I do love this team and think there is something special about it but I do believe the Panthers are 1 year away. Carolina added 3 key contributors in this April's draft in LB Luke Kuechly, G Amini Silatolu, and CB Josh Norman. The Panthers offense will be one of the Top 5 offenses in the league as they were last season and will probably be even better because of the addition of all-around back Mike Tolbert. The Panthers are heavy in talent in the backfield but don't have enough weapons on the outside which will make it tough if they get off to a slow start and have to play from behind for most of the game. Carolina features arguably the best linebacking corp but the worst defensive line in the NFL and that defensive line needs to put pressure on the QB to help out the Panthers struggling secondary that I feel only features one quality player in CB Chris Gamble. The Panthers defense has a lot to prove for me to believe in all the hype. Combine the lack of defensive talent in the back 4 and front 4, a tough division, and an even tougher schedule, I'm putting the Carolina Panthers at 8-8 for the 2012 season.

2nd Place: New Orleans Saints

            -The NFL is a quarterback-driven league and if you don't believe that you are naive. The Saints have the best QB in the division which is why I think they will overcome Bountygate but not to the extent that they will win the division. Bountygate removed their head coach, several key players, and ravaged there 2012 Draft. I do however like New Orleans 3rd round pick, NT Akiem Hicks, who has supposedly been impressing during training camp and OTAs. He is the defensive Amini Silatolu; They are both small school players, who didn't qualify academically at DI schools and who are known for their mean streaks. The Saints also countered the suspension of LB Jonathan Vilma by signing LBs Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne, and trading for LB Barrett Ruud. Also watchout for 2011 1st round pick DE Cameron Jordan, I think he'll be a breakout player this season. On offense, I don't think they'll miss a beat even with the departure of WR Robert Meacham; Brees will make any WR look good, they still have TE Jimmy Graham, they have a stable of running backs that go 4-deep and signed 2011 Pro Bowl G Ben Grubbs to solidify their offensive line. Like I said before, I think the Saints will overcome Bountygate but ultimately I think they'll finish 10-6, and lose a tie-breaker to the Falcons for the NFC South crown.

1st Place: Atlanta Falcons

            -I actually think the Saints or the Panthers have the best offense in the division and the Bucs will end up with the best defense in the division, but overall, I think Atlanta has the best team. The best way I can describe the Falcons is just solid. They aren't going to turn the ball over but they will take it from you, they have explosive athletes on offense to break the game open but also have backs they can use to control the clock. They have pass rushers that will get the quarterback and they have three corners that can stick with their guys long enough to get coverage sacks. They will be solid on special teams, put up a lot of points of offense, and will be middle of the road on defense, knowing all of that adding their easier schedule than most, I say the Atlanta Falcons are the 2012 NFC South division champions.....but will lose in the 1st round of the playoffs like the last 2 years.

And yes I just took a shot at the Falcons....I had to.

The "Carolina Way"

While our nation was watching the horrific events that happened at Penn State unfold, an ugly situation was erupting in Chapel Hill, NC. Many members of the media were questioning why the events unraveling at Chapel Hill were not being covered simply because of this scandal at Penn State. Well, worry no more members of the media, the academic scandal at UNC is about to explode.

Newspapers, TV & radio stations throughout the state of North Carolina have been out of control the last few days with the leak of former UNC star DE Julius Peppers' transcript. Yet, at the moment, you can not find a single article on the ESPN.com homepage concerning the UNC academic scandal (ESPN President John Skipper is a UNC alum, coincidence?). Don't worry though, soon ESPN will have no choice but to cover what is happening in Chapel Hill and you can bet once they get involved, so will the NCAA.

The release of Peppers' transcript brings three ugly conclusions to the plate of North Carolina fans.

Without even knowing it was Julius Peppers' transcript we can tell that:
1. The transcript contains the classes known as the "tainted classes" in UNC's AfricanAmericans department.
2. The student was SURVIVING at UNC because of these "tainted classes".
3. Academic fraud has gone as far back as 2001 (UNC thought it only went back till 2007).

Another hurtful thing the leak of this transcript does is possibly incriminate classes that hadn't been considered some of those "tainted classes".

When UNC halfheartedly launched their own investigation into these cases of academic fraud they came up with 54 "tainted classes". 67% of the enrollment in those classes were athletes, mostly football players, but this is where this scandal hits deep for UNC fans: Without a doubt, these cases of academic fraud have been some-what connected to the Men's Basketball team.

Of those 54 "tainted classes", two were bogus, not real classes with only one student enrolled. That one
enrolled student according to the University of North Carolina? A member of the Men's basketball team.


Now there are still way more questions to be answered. However, it seems as if these cases of academic fraud could easily stretch back to the Dean Smith days because on the 1997 Final Four & ACC Championship team, Vince Carter along with 2 other teammates were African-American studies majors.

It's hard to believe that guys like Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge, Matt Doherty, Mack Brown, Butch Davis and many others didn't know that their players were being steered toward classes that either gave out grades or simply didn't exist but if they did know about it, there is going to be a whole lotta hell to be payed in the form of firings, vacated seasons & records, removal of banners, scholarship reductions, probation, and maybe worse.


The NCAA needs to go back and refine their search from earlier this year. The NCAA didn't find any of the bogus classes from 2007-2011 nor did it uncover Julius Peppers' transcript which was uncovered by a random NC State fan (he then posted it on PackPride.com). The "expert" NCAA investigators, if they are who they say are, need to go to Chapel Hill and dig as deep as possible.

"The Carolina Way" defined by UNC Chancellor Holden Thorpe is:

"The extraordinary substance that we have academically combined with a humility that comes from putting the institution above any individual."

Well, it seems to me that "The Carolina Way" is tainted classes, and likely worse.

A Purrrseason Preview (Defense)

A  Purrrseason Preview

            The fans that prowl the Carolinas have very high hopes and expectations for their Carolina Panthers this season. To go along with the fans large expectations for the team, the players have their own high hopes. In the last 3 months, three Carolina Panthers (Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, & Ryan Kalil) have made guarantees that they would win the Super Bowl this season. Yes, 3 months, 3 Super Bowl Championship guarantees by 3 different players. The Panthers have made this season a mission and all of Carolina hopes they deliver.

Here is a position-by-position preview of the team as they open camp:

Defense/Specialists

Defensive Line:

            -The defensive line is without a doubt the weakest unit of this year’s Carolina Panthers. Charles Johnson is the biggest threat to an opponent’s backfield on this line; He has 20.5 sacks combined the last two seasons. I’m still not sure Johnson, who is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery, is worth the money the Panthers are giving him, but granted they couldn’t afford to lose him. Johnson will be the 15^th highest paid athlete in the world this season and he better play up to it. Lots of hype is surrounding DT Ron Edwards who was a free agent signee in 2011 from the Kansas City Chiefs but tore his tricep in training camp last year and missed the whole season. Edwards contributing at the DT position is critical to the Panthers season and improving the league’s 25^th defense that featured the 26^th most sacks in the NFL last season. The other starters look to be DT Terrell McClain and Greg Hardy (“The Kraken”) at DE. Hardy, who gained 23 pounds this offseason to get him to 300 lbs., said he has maintained his speed to go along with his weight gain. It’s great that Hardy has worked that hard physically to get his body into that shape, but he has to approach the mental part of the game better, he plays at one speed and that needs to change. 2^nd year DT Sione Fua will rotate in this season after being shoved into a starting role as a rookie last season. This unit needs to just reach the “bend, but don’t break” point and I think the Panthers will be just fine.

Linebackers:

            -The Panthers used their 1^st round selection on Boston College LB Luke Kuechly who had quite the decorated college career. During Kuechly’s junior season he won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. During his sophomore and junior seasons he led the NCAA in tackles and finished 2^nd all-time in NCAA history in tackles, and was 13 short of owning the all-time NCAA record. During his junior season, Kuechly averaged 16 tackles a game, something only 1 other player in the history of college football has accomplished. Kuechly has been starting at weak side linebacker during the offseason, with Pro Bowler Jon Beason in the middle, and James Anderson on the strong side. Beason says he prefers to be in the middle but Coach Ron Rivera has said that both Beason and Kuechly will see time in the middle. Beason is coming off an Achilles injury he suffered in Week 1 last year and looks to return to his previous form that earned him three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. On the strong side, Anderson is a much underestimated player by many people; Only 3 players have had more tackles combined the last two seasons than James Anderson. This linebacker unit for the Panthers has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. Thomas Davis, returning from yet another knee injury, will rotate in at both outside linebacker positions. I love Thomas Davis and what he has done during his years in Carolina and I understand his knees are supposedly fine now but I think Kuechly and Anderson are primetime football players and need to be on the field as much as possible. I just hope Coach Rivera feels the same.

Secondary:

            -A much underappreciated part of the Panthers 2011-2012 season was the play of CB Chris Gamble. Gamble, someone who has never made a Pro Bowl, played at an All-Pro level last season in my opinion, and I know many experts who agree. The Panthers and their fans should be very excited if Gamble can replicate that kind of season again. The Panthers secondary needs to have the same mindset of the defensive line, “bend but don’t break”.  Brandon Hogan, Captain Munnerlyn, and rookie Josh Norman are the three cornerbacks in the running for the starting right cornerback position. Hogan barely played last season because of an ACL tear he suffered in December of his last season at West Virginia. He’s healthy now and battling Norman and Munnerlyn for that starting spot. Munnerlyn, a much-maligned corner out of South Carolina, started the majority of the games last season but has serious competition this season. Rookie CB Josh Norman has shown great lateral quickness to go along with his big frame during the offseason and actually may start Week 1 in Tampa. An unnamed Charlotte Observer columnist told me, “The front office doesn’t think Brandon Hogan is going to be quite what they thought he was going to be and they think Josh Norman is going to be more than they thought he’d be.” Only time will tell but I think Gamble and Munnerlyn will be the Week 1 starters but eventually Gamble and Norman will be the starters with Munnerlyn becoming the Nickel corner, a position I think he can really excel in with his tackling and blitzing abilities. Hogan and former New England Patriot Darius Butler will simply add depth to the position. At the safety positions, Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin will both return as the starters. Fans have been critical of both Godfrey and Martin, but the two players have the coaches’ full support. I am actually a fan of both players and believe that they both may have breakout years this season. The Panthers signed former Baltimore Raven S Haruki Nakamura this offseason and although many believed he was brought in to challenge Godfrey and Martin for one the safety positions, he was actually brought in just to provide depth and help the Panthers dreadful special teams.

Specialists:

            -While the Panthers let the last original Panther go in K John Kasay last offseason because of frustrations of having to have one player as the place kicker and another player to handle the kickoffs because of Kasay’s lack of leg strength, the Panthers are right where they were in 2010. Kasay’s replacement, Olindo Mare, certainly may be the most disliked Panther right now. Mare got booed, very loudly, on the first day of training camp because he hit a kick off the upright. Although the Panthers had the 4^th best touchback percentage in 2011, the front office brought in former Canadian Football League K Justin Medlock. The big leg UCLA-product has seemed to put the ball even further into the stands than Mare did last season. Medlock has NFL experience with many NFL teams and was a consensus 1^st team All-American in 2006 while at UCLA. Medlock also has plenty of place-kicking talent in case the villain, Olindo Mare, experiences some late game chockery again (I think I possibly just made up ‘chockery’). 

The Panthers used their 6^th round pick in 2012 on Wisconsin P Brad Nortman. Nortman was very impressive during OTAs, absolutely booting some balls and seems to be an upgrade from long time punter Jason Baker. In terms of kick and punt returners, WR Kealoha Pilares, WR Armanti Edwards, CB Captain Munnerlyn, and rookie WR Joe Adams figure all to be in the mix. Fans should get very excited when they see Adams on the field, his return skills, speed, and quickness are elite and that is exactly why the Panthers drafted him. My guess is that Pilares will begin returning kicks with Adams returning punts but by week 6 or so, expect Adams to be the full-time returner.

            When reading this, keep in mind that great all-around defenses have not been the secret to championships (well a good pass rush has but besides that it hasn’t been). In the 2011-2012 season the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants had the 22^nd best defense, their opponent, the New England Patriots, had the 31^st defense, and the team that finished the regular season with the best record, the Green Bay Packers, had the 32^nd defense in the NFL. Yes the worst. So again: Bend, but don’t break.

A Purrrseason Preview (Offense)

A  Purrrseason Preview

            The fans that prowl the Carolinas have very high hopes and expectations for their Carolina Panthers this season. To go along with the fans large expectations for the team, the players have their own high hopes. In the last 3 months, three Carolina Panthers (Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, & Ryan Kalil) have made guarantees that they would win the Super Bowl this season. Yes, 3 months, 3 Super Bowl Championship guarantees by 3 different players. The Panthers have made this season a mission and all of Carolina hopes they deliver.

Here is a position-by-position preview of the team as they open camp:

Offense

Quarterback:

          -Cam Newton enters his second season as the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while coming off possibly the greatest rookie season in history. Newton seems to have done everything this offseason to avoid the dreaded off-season slump. He came to every single voluntary workout and participated in every single practice during OTAs. It is very important for the Panthers season that Newton improves on his season from last year, and Head Coach Ron Rivera believes that also. During OTAs Rivera was asked about the possibility of Newton going through a sophomore slump and Rivera responded with, “We’re going to go as far as he goes.” That’s a lot of pressure put on the young quarterback’s shoulders but as Pro-Bowl offensive tackle Jordan Gross said, “He’ll be fine dealing with pressure. No one puts more pressure on Cam Newton than Cam Newton.”

         

            *Derek Anderson will continue to be the back-up with 2010-2011 starter Jimmy Clausen as the third stringer. Panther fans should feel comfortable with their back-up quarterbacks; Anderson is a 1-time Pro Bowler with the Cleveland Browns in 2007 and is very familiar with the offense. Clausen has shown significant zip on his passes this offseason and has impressed Coach Ron Rivera.

Running Back/Fullback:

          -Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, also known as “Double Trouble”, combined for one of their worst seasons in history as a backfield duo last season. Both backs played injured for most of the year last season, however both enter training camp this July 100% healthy and would like to keep it that way. Arguably the biggest move by the Panthers this off-season was signing free agent all-purpose back Mike Tolbert. Tolbert, a former San Diego Charger, was attractive to the Panthers because of his offensive versatility. Tolbert will play some sort of a fullback/H-back role for the offense and will be utilized in creative ways by offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. Chudzinski, who players & coaches refer to as Coach Chud, has been described as a “mad scientist” by Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart, and many other players. During scrimmages this off-season, Chud has had Tolbert lined up in the backfield as the primary blocker, but also out wide in the slot and even out as wide as a primary receiver. In the OTAs lone scrimmage, Tolbert received as many touches as Williams and Stewart. Many players are looking forward to the extra dimension Tolbert will bring to the offense, and Panthers fans should too.

         

             *A player to watch out for, more than likely only in the preseason, is rooking running back Tauren Poole out of Tennessee. Poole went undrafted out of UT and the Panthers signed him as an undrafted free agent in May. Poole was an Academic All-American every year at Tennessee and  rushed for over a 1,000 yards in his first year starting as a junior, when he was named as an All-SEC Team selection but went on to have a rough senior season only rushing for 734 yards. Poole impressed me with his blend of size and speed, and also impressed the Panthers enough to sign him to a permanent team contract.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

          -The unquestioned leader of this unit is 5-time Pro Bowl WR Steve Smith, whose recent actions are just another example of how he’s grown up. Certain events transpired during the years of 2004-2007 that made people question his character (events that I will not speak of because as a Panthers fan I’ve blocked out because he’s the greatest Panther of All-Time). Smith recently donated $100,000 to the victims of the Aurora, CO shootings and their families. In the last 18 months, Smith has shown several times that he is now a great leader on the team to go along with the great family man and Christian he has always been off the field. Quite possibly the most anticipated position battle for the fans is the 2^nd wide receiver spot. Sorry to tell fans, but there is going to be no battle. Rivera and Co. love the work that3rd year WR Brandon LaFell has been putting in to go along with his talent and Rivera has said several times that LaFell is the Panthers #2 receiver, yet media people and fans seem never to take that to heart. Also I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say that I was impressed with WR Kealoha Pilares in his 1^st season and what he can bring to the Panthers receiving corp. This past week’s trade for former Oakland Raider receiver Louis Murphy brings another LaFell-like receiver to the roster; Murphy brings depth to the group and provides insurance for oft-injured WR David Gettis. Gettis, who in my opinion is becoming very Jeff Otah like, is beginning training camp on the PUP list and will start when team doctors feel like he can. The Panther coaching staff, along with fans, would love to see a 4-wide receiver set featuring Smith, LaFell, Gettis, and Murphy, a group who could cause many problems for an opposing secondary. Rookie speedster Joe Adams out of Arkansas will mainly be seen in the return game but could be useful in the slot with his elite quickness.

           

             -The acquisition of TE Greg Olsen from the Chicago Bears last season proved to be a valuable asset for sensational rookie QB Cam Newton. Olsen, who was not utilized correctly in Chicago, found a home in Chudzinski’s offense as well as in Charlotte. Olsen, a new father, said he and his family love Charlotte and the people that make the city what it is and he also stated he would love to finish his career as a Panther. The Panthers didn’t bring back his tag-team partner Jeremy Shockey, and are not likely to, because the coaching stuff very much believes in young tight ends Gary Barnidge and Ben Hartstock. Barnidge, who was having a great training camp last year until breaking his ankle, is 100% healthy and ready to show what he can bring to the table. Hartstock, who is more of a blocking tight end, compliments Olsen and Barnidge very well, who in my opinion are much underrated blockers at the tight end position.

Offensive Line:

          

               -The Panthers believe that they have one of the most underrated offensive line units in the NFL. I agree, with a line anchored by Pro Bowl Tackle Jordan Gross and Pro Bowl Center Ryan Kalil, the Panthers have experienced veterans at the two most important positions along the line. Only the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers have had two players along the offensive line elected to the Pro Bowl in the same year in the last three seasons but only the Panthers have accomplished that in consecutive years. Gross, in an interview with WFNZ in Charlotte in July, was asked about Week 3's showdown with the reigning Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and their vaunted front 4, his response: "Just make sure to watch me that Thursday night."


               -In April, the Panthers invested their 2^nd round pick in Midwestern State guard Amini Silatolu who has been starting at LG since OTAs opened. Silatolu, a controversial pick to the casual football fan, has impressed players and coaches with his strength, hard work, and willingness to learn. Sticking Amini in between Pro Bowlers Gross and Kalil will help him exponentially in his rookie season. On the other side, the Panthers traded RB Mike Goodson to the Oakland Raiders for T Bruce Campbell but the right side will likely feature Geoff Hangartner at RG and 2011 undrafted rookie Byron Bell at RT. The front office and coaching staff obviously believe in Bell because of their recent trade of oft-injured T Jeff Otah to the New York Jets. Bell impressed in his rookie season and looks to continue is improvement during training camp and into this season.

2012 Olympics

How awesome this is.
First of all, how can you not be excited about the 2012 Olympics being held in London.  Not excited for the fact that they are being held in London in particular, but the fact that they are being held at all.  This is perhaps the crowning achievement in sports history, one that stretches back to the furthest annals of recorded history.  The first records of the Olympics were dated in 776 B.C, but it is almost certain that the games were held prior to that.  After being banned in the year 393 A.D, the modern day Olympics were revived and started back up in 1896 in Athens, Greece.  The Games have united us ever since, a chance for countries to set aside their political differences and agendas for some good old fashioned competition.  Although some major sports such as baseball, football, soccer and others have championships such as the Super Bowl or the World Cup that are more valued then the Olympic Games, there is no substitute for the Olympics in the global sense.

Now I'm going to watch as much of the games as possible, but I will be 100% sure to watch each and every USA Men's Basketball game, just as I have watched each and every exhibition game thus far.

For those who would like to join in supporting our national team every step of the way to gold, here is their schedule.

So, if you haven't already noticed in reading our awesome blog, I love watching basketball.  Especially the NBA.  So the idea that all of our best players (not including Drose, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh & Dwight Howard, due to injury) from the best basketball league in the country, come together as one team to take on the rest of the world gets me pumped.  No matter the result of each game, whether its a blowout or a close game, having Chris Paul throw an alley-oop to LeBron or Kobe kicking it out of a double team to a wide open Carmelo Anthony is the sweetest thing that could happen to me this summer. ( sorry Euro 2012).  These guys also look to be enjoying playing with each other, and why wouldn't they?  It isn't often that you get to team up with the guys you compete against. (unless you are LeBron James)  Anyone who has played sports knows that playing with guys that are equally as talented as you is a whole lot of fun.  These players go from being the superstars on their respective squads to taking on different roles on a team full of star power.

Now we have the most talented squad in the world, and we are and should be heavy favorites to win the Gold and defend our #1 ranking according to FIBA. 
We cruised through our exhibition schedule that included a 22 point win over our closest competition in Spain, and a squeaky 6 point win over a sneakily good Argentina squad that beat us in the 2004 games.  As my friend Davis pointed out, we beat Spain the first time in 2008 by 34 before a close 11 point victory in the gold medal game.  So obviously, exhibition results don't really matter much, especially vs. Spain when MARC (with a c) Gasol sat out with a vagina ........ummmmm wassup I mean shoulder injury.  Side note.  Marc (with a c) Gasol was quoted as saying the following: "On a bad day for the '92 team, the current team would lose by just 15 or 20 points against them."- Marc (with a c) Gasol.

First of all, as I stated with my article comparing the '92 dream team to our current squad, it is ridiculous and impossible to compare teams/players/coaches from any sport in different years.  But such is the nature of sports, people are always trying to define who is the best ever and comparing different ages etc.  However, this is mostly done by the talking heads in media who have nothing else to do during the dog days of summer when Sportscenter's top 10 plays are flooded with baseball highlights.  Apparently, Marc (with a c) Gasol considers himself to be a Philosophizer ( scroll down to the bottom, but all are fantastic quotes.  I couldn't find a youtube clip sadly).  Does anyone know Marc (with a c)'s age when the Dream Team played?  I do, and the number is 7.  So obviously, he knew a lot about basketball as he watched far and away the best players in the world play each country's who's who of gym-class heroes.  Lesbi-honest, international basketball was trash back then, and has gotten a lot better, but still is not even close to the US team.  So shut the hell up Marc (with a c).  There is no reason for you to say that in the first place when your current team can't even hang with our injury depleted team.

That rant being over with, let's talk a little about Spain's chances of beating us.  They have a roster full of NBA talent, with the Gasol brothers, Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez, and Serge (3 goaltends in the first half) Ibaka.  They have a definite advantage of size down low.  The only way they can win is if they keep the game in a half court setting, and knock down a couple of open 3's when their bigs kick it back out.  They are capable of doing this, but this strategy depends on them being able to score almost every time they have the ball.  If they turn the ball over or miss a shot, the US gets to do what it is best at: transition basketball.  Our athletic guards are great at pushing the ball upcourt, and they are also great at creating turnovers by harrassing other nations guards.  So look for the US to keep up their defensive intensity to create easy buckets.  One thing that Fran Fraschilla has said during his color commentary is that teams will try to play zone to stop the penetration of the US.  This is a retarded strategy, especially when you have sharpshooters like Kevin Durant and Melo prowling the perimeter.  One thing I love about this current team is our scoring versatility.  In at least 4 of the 5 exhibition games, we have had a different leading scorer each game.  So even though Spain might make it a close game in the final, the USA will win every game by a landslide.

Another Side Note: Carmelo Anthony is far and away my favorite player without a title, and might (but definitely not) surpass King James as my favorite player.  Actually, until James does a chocolate Milk commercial, Melo is my favorite.  So everyone set their alarms for 9:25 Eastern time Sunday morning, and get ready to witness a ruthless march to the highest podium by our national team, starting vs France.

MELOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

******A couple of changes now that the guru(Davis Willaims ladies and gentlemans) has pointed out to me
1.The Gold Medal game vs Spain in '08 was a 2 point game with 2 and a half minutes left
2. This current team (2012) has played against more NBA players in their first 2 exhibitions then the Dream Team of '92 played in the whole Olympics (exhibitions included)
3. This one is my own.  These guys genuinely seem to like each other.  The whole decision with the BIG 3 in the Miami Heat was started when LeBron and Bosh and Wade started playing with each other and developing relationships when they spent time playing internationally.  We all know what happened from there. Melo, CP3 and the rest are all good friends due to the Redeem Team of '08.  If you follow players like Melo, Kevin Love, CP3 just to name a few, they have been sharing quite a bit of photos on instagram(gay) and tweeting at each other a lot.  Now even if Kevin Love is bullied (probabable) for being the only white guy with skill on the roster, it looks like the '08 core is meshing pretty well with the Kevin Durant squad of new guns that won the FIBA World Championships in 2010.  Like I said earlier, these guys look like they are having a genuinely good time.  And if they aren't, they are faking it pretty well.  This is a big deal, as teams such as Argentina have been playing together for almost a decade and have had time to build up some chemistry and teamwork.  If our program continues to progress at the level it is, we should be dominant for a long, long time.