Locally, this game will be kind of cool -- a rare chance to see the Carolina Panthers on "Monday Night Football."
Nationally, though -- what a clunker! You can imagine what NFL and TV executives were thinking when this one got put on prime time back in the spring -- two dynamic quarterbacks, two teams at least likely to be in the playoff hunt (or surely at least one would be) and the cacophony of noise that is always there in a night game in Philadelphia.
Well.... The noise will be there, although the Eagle fans are angry and liable to turn on their 3-7 team at any second. One of the quarterbacks will be there for sure in Cam Newton, although he has regressed in Year Two. Michael Vick may not play for Philadelphia, and even when he has he has been a turnover machine too often in 2012. And ain't nobody going to the playoffs -- with the Panthers at 2-8, the teams have only five wins between them. I don't envy Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico trying to make this one sound good for a national audience.
-- Head coaches Andy Reid and Ron Rivera worked together for years in Philadelphia (with Rivera coaching under Reid). Now they are in roughly similar situations, with both men's job security in question. Reid has even been speculated to be a possible successor to Rivera in Charlotte should both be fired at season's end.
-- When the Panthers played (and won) at Philadelphia in the 2003 NFC championship game, some players refused to even let their friends and families travel to the game. The reason? A well-founded fear of the nastiness that is prevalence at an Eagles home game, which is one place that you truly never want to be caught wearing a jersey for the opposing team.
-- While the Panthers' record is slightly worse than the Eagles, I actually think they are a slightly better team. At least the Panthers have led most of their losses in the fourth quarter. By that time the Eagles are often out of the game. My prediction: Carolina 20, Philadelphia 16.
We're moving!
9 years ago
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5 comments:
This was the first article I read this morning. Thanks for the laugh:()
Man, u r hysterical!
Scott, you are still suffering from too much tryptophan in your system. The Panthers NEVER, EVER win on Monday Night Football. The Pussy Cats are not going to be victorious in Philly, although they may want to consider offering Andy Reid a job next year. Regardless of how the Eagles did this year, he has been a winning coach in a very tough town.
The Panthers final record will be 4-12
I'm calling it "The Rivera-Reid-Resume-Builder-Bowl". Makes it easier to watch than "Monday Night Football"
As if the Panties "edging the Eagles" will matter? Puh-leeze. Hope Rivera enjoyed his brief visit to Charlotte, too. It's almost been like a vacation for him since he actually hasn't done much of
anything while he's been here.
Hope it ends in a draw. Bye Ron!
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