Carolina Panthers 2013

[Highlander]

Was out with my kids yesterday on a scouting overnighter and watched the game on tape delay. From what I saw...
- Officials were instrumental in SF's first touchdown. The first drive unnecessary roughness call on a tipped ball across the middle was a bit of a stretch IMO. Especially on a crucial third down. No issues with calling CAR for a head butt personal foul a few plays later; guess they are going to call it close. But if you're gonna call it close, you have to call it both ways. Boldon head butted it RIGHT IN FRONT of the official and there was no call. On 1st and Goal. A few plays later, refs miss an obvious 12 men in the huddle penalty. Carolina should have had the lead at halftime.
- I thought SF played very chippy the entire game, and it knocked us off ours. They were good at egging it on then flopping like they'd been shot when we retaliated, and they got a few calls that way. It is just amazing that as chippy as they played, we were the ones who kept getting penalized. At halftime Rivera said we needed to calm down, while Harbaugh said they needed to amp it up more. Obviously getting that from their coach.
- I didn't fault Rivera going for it on 4th and inches; we have gambled that way all season and odds were in our favor. I thought they should have tried ONE pass play down there at some point, but they forced a three and out then hit Smitty in single coverage, so they got the TD they should have anyway.

- Second half, I thought our 7 minute drive that ended with 2 sacks and a punt was killer. We had to at least get at least three there. Because of the length of the drives in the game, we only had 4 second half possessions. 3 and out, punt, interception, end of game.
- Speaking of Smitty, it was obvious to me he was hurting by the second half. I give him props for giving us a half; that was probably all he had in the tank. Without him, our offense is average at best, and we couldn't keep up with SF.

Panthers did much better this year than anyone expected, but going 12-4 and losing your first game in the playoffs at home is a tough way to go out.

Guess it could be worse. We could be the Cleveland Browns...

[hurleyfor3]

- Officials were instrumental in SF's first touchdown. The first drive unnecessary roughness call on a tipped ball across the middle was a bit of a stretch IMO. Especially on a crucial third down. No issues with calling CAR for a head butt personal foul a few plays later; guess they are going to call it close. But if you're gonna call it close, you have to call it both ways. Boldon head butted it RIGHT IN FRONT of the official and there was no call. On 1st and Goal. A few plays later, refs miss an obvious 12 men in the huddle penalty. Carolina should have had the lead at halftime.

Fine, dial it back to a field goal. 49ers still won it on the field in the second half, and it wasn't close.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

Guess it could be worse. We could be the Cleveland Browns...

Good one! I guess I deserved that after my somewhat harsh, maybe even bitter, post.

The Panthers did indeed have a good season and they have alot to be excited about in the future.

My point was that Panther Fans don't know just how good they have it. A couple of underwhelming seasons and you'd think the Panthers never existed. In their 20 year history, they've reached 3 Championship Games and 1 SB. Browns Fans would KILL for that kind of success.

Living in the Carolinas, it's annoying to see Panthers Fans act like they are "Die-Hards" when the team is good, but then slink back to their former teams(i.e. Wash, Dallas, Pitt, etc.) the minute it's convenient. Just a personal pet-peave of mine.

[PSurprise]

From my perspective, growing up and living in NC for 33 years (and counting), I've always thought that the entire state is so much more focused on college basketball (for good reason) versus professional sports. It was very much the same with the Hurricanes a few years ago when they won the Stanley Cup. People's real loyalties in NC lie with schools, whether that be Duke, UNC, State, Wake, or even WCU and App. in the western part of the state.

Me, I am guilty of the Panthers bandwagon for a very good reason...I also root for the Redskins and Browns. I must say that if the Panthers were playing the Browns in the SB or Washington in the playoffs, I would and could not root for the kitties.

Of course, I would rather watch college sports (except baseball) versus professional sports. So I think it's just a matter of personal taste. And I might even argue that you get just as many fair-weather fans in college sports too.

[Highlander]

Fine, dial it back to a field goal. 49ers still won it on the field in the second half, and it wasn't close.

I never said they didn't. But those missed calls did mean the difference between Carolina leading 10-9 at halftime vs. trailing 13-10. And that's a BIG difference.

[Highlander]

Good one! I guess I deserved that after my somewhat harsh, maybe even bitter, post.

The Panthers did indeed have a good season and they have alot to be excited about in the future.

My point was that Panther Fans don't know just how good they have it. A couple of underwhelming seasons and you'd think the Panthers never existed. In their 20 year history, they've reached 3 Championship Games and 1 SB. Browns Fans would KILL for that kind of success.

Living in the Carolinas, it's annoying to see Panthers Fans act like they are "Die-Hards" when the team is good, but then slink back to their former teams(i.e. Wash, Dallas, Pitt, etc.) the minute it's convenient. Just a personal pet-peave of mine.

I'm from NC, and I've never had a secondary NFL team, so I win or lose with the Panthers. Prior to the Panthers joining the league I watched the Super Bowl, and that was it. I imagine most local NC'ers are the same way. The people with multiple teams are typically transplants IMO. NC had zero interest in NFL Football until the Panthers arrive.

Keep in mind that the Panthers have only had 5 winning seasons in 20 years, but they've had 10 where they were 7-9 or 8-8. Granted that's better than the Browns over that same era, but it's hardly setting the world on fire either. The last time we made the playoffs (in 2008) we were blown off our own field by the Cardinals. So if the fans have a backup team, it's not hard to see why. The Panthers only make the postseason once every 4-5 years. Meanwhile teams like the Colts, Patriots, Steelers, and Saints seem to go pretty much every year.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

I'm from NC, and I've never had a secondary NFL team, so I win or lose with the Panthers. Prior to the Panthers joining the league I watched the Super Bowl, and that was it. I imagine most local NC'ers are the same way. The people with multiple teams are typically transplants IMO. NC had zero interest in NFL Football until the Panthers arrive.
Keep in mind that the Panthers have only had 5 winning seasons in 20 years, but they've had 10 where they were 7-9 or 8-8. Granted that's better than the Browns over that same era, but it's hardly setting the world on fire either. The last time we made the playoffs (in 2008) we were blown off our own field by the Cardinals. So if the fans have a backup team, it's not hard to see why. The Panthers only make the postseason once every 4-5 years. Meanwhile teams like the Colts, Patriots, Steelers, and Saints seem to go pretty much every year.

All good and valid points with one exception:

Before the Panthers arrived, North Carolina was a HEAVY lean towards Washington.

They showed all of the Redskins games on TV as well as covered them with front-page articles in the newspaper. NC was definitely "Redskins Country". Dallas and Pittsburgh were the secondary teams, primarily due to the fact that they were also on TV alot and extremely successfull in the 70's - 90's.

I remember alot of Washington Fans being ticked-off that they were bumped for the Panthers. In-fact, early on it was thought that Carolina would be placed in the AFC to avoid conflict but, at the time, the NFC was so dominant, Jerry Richardson pushed hard for the Panthers to be put in the NFC(initially being placed in the West Division of all places).

Again, what I find annoying is that so many Panther fans are all or nothing. It's "OMG they're the best team ever and I follow them religiously" when they're competitive. When they're are "only" 7-9 or 8-8, a tumbleweed could blow through BOA Stadium and no one would notice.

I realize I'm stereotyping so I'm not being fair to all Panther Fans(such as yourself), but that's been my personal experience living in the area for the last 25 years.

[Trinity09]

I'm from NC, and I've never had a secondary NFL team, so I win or lose with the Panthers. Prior to the Panthers joining the league I watched the Super Bowl, and that was it. I imagine most local NC'ers are the same way. The people with multiple teams are typically transplants IMO. NC had zero interest in NFL Football until the Panthers arrive.

Keep in mind that the Panthers have only had 5 winning seasons in 20 years, but they've had 10 where they were 7-9 or 8-8. Granted that's better than the Browns over that same era, but it's hardly setting the world on fire either. The last time we made the playoffs (in 2008) we were blown off our own field by the Cardinals. So if the fans have a backup team, it's not hard to see why. The Panthers only make the postseason once every 4-5 years. Meanwhile teams like the Colts, Patriots, Steelers, and Saints seem to go pretty much every year.

+1

Because NC used to be so Redskins-centric, it's going to take a generation for Panthers fandom to take root. The Cats are still the new kids on the block in the NFL, but in 10 or so years our fan base should be just as "good" as any other long-standing franchise. Granted, I'm under 30 and was young and impressionable when the Panthers arrived, but the great majority of the folks I knew growing up, if they followed the NFL, were and are Panthers fans and only Panthers fans. No one had "backup" teams. Nowadays, you're starting to see second generation Panthers fans. Support for the team, independent of this year's playoff "run", is swelling by the year and will continue to grow as the the old guard of Redskins fans/non-NFL fans err...ceases to be.

[Olympic Fan]

+1

Because NC used to be so Redskins-centric, it's going to take a generation for Panthers fandom to take root. The Cats are still the new kids on the block in the NFL, but in 10 or so years our fan base should be just as "good" as any other long-standing franchise. Granted, I'm under 30 and was young and impressionable when the Panthers arrived, but the great majority of the folks I knew growing up, if they followed the NFL, were and are Panthers fans and only Panthers fans. No one had "backup" teams. Nowadays, you're starting to see second generation Panthers fans. Support for the team, independent of this year's playoff "run", is swelling by the year and will continue to grow as the the old guard of Redskins fans/non-NFL fans err...ceases to be.

Count me among the long-time North Carolina residents who have NEVER accepted the Panthers.

I did grow up as a Redskins fans -- since WWII, owner George Marshall courted North Carolina. Not only did we get force-fed the Redskins on TV, he used to stock his team with stars from the state -- from Norm Snead to Chris Hanburger to the great Sonny Jurgenson.

Then Charlotte gets an expansion team. It would have been very easy to put the Panthers in the AFC, which would have let us keep our weekly broadcasts of the Redskins, while the Panthers would be on the AFC's Network. But, no, they put Charlotte in the NFC, taking the Redskins away from us.

I've hated the Panthers ever since for robbing me of my team. In fact, I get more joy these days when the Panthers lose than when the Redskins win (since I rarely get to see the Skins these days, but the Panthers are constantly jammed in my face).

You are right Trinity, this is not going to be a Panthers state until my generation of Redskin fans fades away.

[Acymetric]

Count me among the long-time North Carolina residents who have NEVER accepted the Panthers.

I did grow up as a Redskins fans -- since WWII, owner George Marshall courted North Carolina. Not only did we get force-fed the Redskins on TV, he used to stock his team with stars from the state -- from Norm Snead to Chris Hanburger to the great Sonny Jurgenson.

Then Charlotte gets an expansion team. It would have been very easy to put the Panthers in the AFC, which would have let us keep our weekly broadcasts of the Redskins, while the Panthers would be on the AFC's Network. But, no, they put Charlotte in the NFC, taking the Redskins away from us.

I've hated the Panthers ever since for robbing me of my team. In fact, I get more joy these days when the Panthers lose than when the Redskins win (since I rarely get to see the Skins these days, but the Panthers are constantly jammed in my face).

You are right Trinity, this is not going to be a Panthers state until my generation of Redskin fans fades away.

I'm not so sure...I'm a Panthers fan and I think fans of either team would have gotten tired of 2/3 day games being Panthers and Skins. And for anyone that was a fan of neither it may be enough to keep you from moving here.

[Dukehky]

That's the sound Panthers fans make after a loss.

The most fairweather fans I've seen, except perhaps in Atlanta and Chapel Hill.

When the Panthers stink, they go back to being Dallas and Pittsburgh fans faster than you can say "Richardson".

Sorry I didn't come post on the Duke basketball board to mourn the loss of the Panthers, next loss, I'll post a full game analysis of my pain. THe one time I did post, was just because I happened to click the off topic tab and happened to see the thread.

I really hated how people made this a game between Cam and Kap. SF has BY FAR the most talented team in the league. They shouldn't have been the five seed. Kap does enough to win with all of his mighty weapons. Cam's best playmaker is a 35 year old crazy person. Lafell is terrible, Ginn is okay and the Panthers had a patchwork O-Line and one of the worst secondaries in the entire NFL on a player for player talent basis. And our running backs are average. This was an incredible season, but we got spanked in the 2nd half. Had some questionable officiating decisions made against the Cats in the first half, but you gotta overcome stuff like that, and SF is definitely the better team, but I would take Cam over Kap every day of the week.

We also don't need to pay Greg Hardy all the money he wants, because he doesn't show up against, or worse, can't beat good O-Lines.