A couple of notes as we start another week with the Panthers looking promising after their exhibition win Saturday night:
-- My column for Monday's newspaper, which can be seen here, talks about the energy on the field and in the stadium Saturday night. It was such a rare thing, that sort of energy, in 2010. Nice to see.
-- Along with a reporter from a Raleigh TV station, I conducted an impromptu question-and-answer session with New York Giants defensive tackle Marvin Austin following the game. Austin, who used to play for UNC, is a central figure in the school's NCAA investigation. You can find that here.
-- John Kasay's thank-you letter to fans, which I shared in a column last week after Kasay entrusted it to me to do so, had an incredible response. It's up to more than 1,100 "Likes" on Facebook, which is far more than any other story I've written. I know that's not a bit because of me. I believe it's partly because more people are on Facebook now but mainly because Kasay's gesture was so touching and so rare among today's professional athletes. If you missed that column, here's the link.
-- Finally, I promised a winner in the "half-penny contest" from last week. I had found a penny neatly cut in half on the Panthers' practice fields in Wofford and asked readers to theorize on what that meant.
I got a lot of funny responses, and they're worth a second to look at if you have time. (I think the real answer, that the penny was cut by a sharp lawnmower blade, was probably accurately portrayed by several readers as well).
In a close call, though, I'm going to actually give two copies of the book away. The first goes to the very first respondent (he's "anonymous," so he'll have to contact me at sfowler@charlotteobserver.com) the prize of a signed copy of my book about the Panthers' Super Bowl run.
That reader quipped of the half-penny: "I think that's left over from the Fox lame duck year. Whenever he tried to put his 2 cents in, Richardson said no and gave him his change back."
The second goes to the "Renfrows," who wrote: "I knew Rivera was looking for a nickelback, but this just makes no cents."
We're moving!
9 years ago
Posts
12 comments:
If I had the blessing of a job of being an NFL kicker for just ONE year I would write a letter to the fans & owner to thank them....it's a kicker...your job at the Observer is tougher....
Thank you Scott. You write well.
How many "anonymous" posters have contacted you so far to take credit for the first ha-penny comment?
yawwwwwnnnn
more of the same from the CO writers..............
How about a poll on the Panther announcers?
Mick Mixon is LAME and too effeminate for football announcing
Eugene Robinson needs speech lessons
Mike Craft needs weight-watchers and an education
Zoki is alright
Rosinski firing was a HUGE mistake
Of all of these ... Mixon may be the WORST announcer for all NFL teams
Anonymous
Although I have never been a kicker, Kasay wasn't just a kicker, he was coolness personified on the field! You believed he would make it every time, if he didn't you just sighed and said he would next time. That man won more games for the Panthers than any other player! By the way any kicker in the NFL has a very hard job.
"Hugh said...
Although I have never been a kicker, Kasay wasn't just a kicker, he was coolness personified on the field! You believed he would make it every time, if he didn't you just sighed and said he would next time. That man won more games for the Panthers than any other player! By the way any kicker in the NFL has a very hard job."
I completely agree with everything Hugh said. Kasay is a class act! He was the only bright spot in our season last year. We relied on him for our points! I, for one, miss him on our team! I wish him and his family God's richest blessings!
Scott,
My take on the kickoff rules change is if they are looking to make it safer, just get rid of kickoffs and everyone starts at the 20. Then, at least we don't have a commercial set, followed by a meaningless touchback kick, followed by another commercial set!
Kickoff returns are some of the most exciting moments in games... if you aren't going to have them, why should we watch?
NFL = No Flippin Logic on this one!
If I were a company buying advertising on NFL broadcasts, I would insist on a clause in my contract that stated that my commercial could not be aired before or after a kickoff... this fan will be using that time to go for food/drink because the NFL has now killed the excitement of that play!
On another topic... Tennessee's RB Chris Johnson wants to be "the highest paid player at any position, not just RB".
Yet, his stats for last year was 6th in carries, 4th in yards, 41st in yds/carry and 7th in TDs!
ROTFL! He isn't even higher than 4th at his own position, let alone in the league! Get a clue Chris!
For my part every person ought to go through it.
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