 |
|||||||||||
Time
For A Refund The Carolina Panthers could not have scripted a better scenario, heading into their "statement game" with the defending world champion Indianapolis Colts. Two weeks to get healthy and prepare for a tired team coming off a short week...not to mention the game was being played in the Panthers' friendly confines. Unfortunately, it was the same old story....the Panthers were blown out and humiliated in front of the hometown fans, or at least whatever few decided to hang around into the fourth quarter. In what has become a Carolina Panthers' tradition, the local fans have decided that fourth quarter viewing is optional. I don't blame them for getting out of the stadium as soon as possible, in order to enjoy the remainder of the weekend. Why waste another beautiful afternoon in a listless place like Bank of America Stadium? I had dinner with CBS' Jim Nantz on Saturday night, and he told me that after meeting with Tony Dungy and the players, they were concerned with the short week and the number of injuries heading into the game. I told Nantz it wouldn't matter, and to keep his eye on the empty stadium during the second half of the game...it doesn't take Kreskin to figure this one out. The fourth quarter was a ghost town...no pun intended, considering Halloween is on Wednesday. I would be willing to bet that Jerry Richardson would have a hard time filling up the Bobcats Arena, much less his stadium, for the last ten minutes of any home game in recent memory. The team not only fails to win at home, they fail to play a competitive game at home. Consider that the team hasn't won in Charlotte since November 19, 2006....and the team is still looking for their first home win this season. The next chance at home is on November 15th against hapless Atlanta.....Happy Anniversary. What makes matters worse is the way the Panthers get destroyed at home. Forget last year, but in the three home games this season, the Panthers have been blown out, and have given up 34 straight points to Houston; 20 straight points to Tampa Bay; and another 31 straight points to Indy on Sunday. They are simply a lousy team in the Queen City. You know it's officially hoop season in the Triangle....the UNC basketball program is the preseason #1 team in all the land, and the fact that the Tar Heel football program is suffering through another mediocre season (2-6 after being manhandled by the Swiss).
Roy Williams is loaded, and he knows it. I'm not a big fan of any preseason polls, but everybody on Tobacco Road can use some good news. It's been one of the worst football seasons in recent memory, but that all should change in the immediate future...not that the football program is turning the corner anytime soon, but the fact that UNC, Duke and N.C. State should produce outstanding hoops teams this year. The ACC Media members recently voted Tobacco Road 1-2-3 in the latest ACC rankings....1990 is the last time Tobacco Road dominated the preseason rankings in the conference. The Heels will be outstanding, Duke should bounce back from an off season in 2006, and Sidney Lowe has Wolfpack fans thinking big again this year.....all three programs look solid on paper...plus, after watching dreadful football for the past couple of months, it's time to talk hoops in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. I couldn't help but laugh at the NCAA's latest venture; to clean up the language that can be found on and off the court during the winter months. This year, officials will be handing out technicals to any player or coach that is using profane language. I can't wait to see how this gets implemented by the zebras. Can you imagine if this rule is actually put into place and followed-up by the officials? How long can Mike Krzyzewski last? He can't get to the first television timeout of a game without being tossed.....and that probably would be true for his wife in the stands, too. I'll believe it when I see it....and hear it. Adam Morrison and Sean May are injured and out for the season.....did anybody notice? The Bobcats are already off to a tough start; the season officially tips off this week, and I wonder how many people even know? ...Or care? The final preseason game on Friday night against the Hornets in Winston-Salem barely drew flies to Lawrence Joel Coliseum...and that included an appearance by local hero Chris Paul. The news of Morrison's season-ending injury last week didn't generate a single phone call to my radio show....that's not a good sign, if you're the Bobcats and are looking for a breakthrough season. I guess fans will need to see the team get off to a great start before investing any time or money into a franchise that has been lukewarm at best in the Charlotte market. Personally, I think Michael Jordan and Company have made some shrewd moves in the off-season and the acquisition of Jason Richardson should be a no-brainer. Between Richardson and Gerald Wallace, throw in Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton; the team has the potential to entertain and win in the weak Eastern Conference...but the loss of Morrison and May is a trouble spot for a team that has limited depth to begin with, to start the year. As I'm writing this blog entry, the Boston Red Sox are on the verge of sweeping the World Series title for the second time in the past four seasons. I was really hoping that the upstart Rockies would pose at least some sort of competition for the Chowderheads...but that doesn't look to be the case. I think it's hilarious, that while the Red Sox are on the verge of hoisting another title in Beantown, their rivals in New York are trying to steal the spotlight with the announcement of their new manager and a possible all-time contract with A-Rod. I'm a long-suffering S.F. Giants fan, so I don't care about either franchise, but right now the Red Sox have replaced the Yankees as the premier baseball franchise in Major League Baseball. The pinstripers won't like that statement, and they'll point to their all-time record and all that other garbage and rhetoric...but right now, nobody is doing it better in baseball than the Red Sox. I have one more final thought about baseball before we put it to rest until next Spring....the Dodgers still suck.
Finally, I'd like to thank all the listeners of my radio show, "PrimeTime with the Packman", for making us #1 in the "Men 25-54" demo, in the latest Arbitron Radio Ratings for the Charlotte market. I have lost count how many times we've accomplished this feat, and it is remarkable, considering the station's signal and lack of marketing dollars to promote the show. I can guarantee you that you have more dollars in your pocket than what CBS Radio has spent to promote the show in the eleven years I've been at WFNZ. In the latest book, we finished with an 8.1 rating, which smoked the nearest competitor (who registered a 7.0 mark). That's a significant woodshed job...I'd probably put it in the neighborhood of what every team in the NFL does to the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Thanks again to all the listeners, for making us #1. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
|
||||||||||
