Tag: Monday Night Football

#NoNewFans

On By kassienetteIn Football, NFL, Panthers, SportsLeave a comment

I am still kicking myself for not making the drive down to Charlotte last night. I had to listen to my body though. To say I was tired would have been an understatement. It is at times like these that I need a chauffeur. Any takers??

Last night was a BIG night for my Carolina Panthers. No we did not lock up home field advantage for the playoffs. No we did not clinch the division. No we did not clinch a playoff spot. What we did do last night is FINISH. On Monday night. Against a Tom Brady led squad. We FINISHED. Something we have struggled to do the last three years. Last night was a statement game in the Queen City. A chance to show the world that the Panthers, at least for this season, are a force to be reckoned with. And to think, just seven weeks ago, A LOT of you were calling young Cameron Newton a fluke and wanted head coach Ron Rivera fired. Now you all are all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram bragging about how you have been a fan since day one. Blah. Blah. Blah.

{Source: Google Images}
{Source: Google Images}

Let me tell you this. A REAL FAN NEVER gives up on their team. Sure, a real fan can criticize to some extent. A real fan can wonder aloud why a certain play was called. A real fan can even turn the channel when things get a little too rough. You have to turn back though. Do not be THAT fan. However, REAL FANS do not give up on their team. Especially after a 1 and 3 start. Four games into the season I saw it happen. A REAL FAN is always an optimist even if the reality staring you in the face is inevitable. You have to believe in your team at all times. Through the good and the bad. REAL CAROLINA PANTHER FANS should have never given up on this team. Helloooooo. Do you know who is one the roster?? Cameron Newton. Steve Smith. Luke Keuchly. Thomas Davis. Mike Tolbert. Graham Gano. Brandon LaFell. DeAngelo Williams. Greg Olsen. Charles Johnson. Do I even need to continue?? With that kind of talent a turnaround was bound to happen at some point. Did I expect it to happen the way that it did? Nope but we have seen it happen before. Remember the 2011 New York Midgets, I mean Giants, who entered the playoffs with a 9-7 record and went on to win the Super Bowl. Yeah. Any Given Sunday. Or Monday. Or Thursday.

Last night I screamed, whooped and talked trash. You know, what I normally do during games. Then it happened. Someone tried it. They came after my FANHOOD. Big mistake. Most of you know how I am about my FANHOOD but for those of you who do not, I will provide you with the scoop. My peeps love to joke me all the time about my FANHOOD because I am a fan of two teams. They tell me I can not be a fan of two teams. It does not work that way. Ask me if I care though :-}? My life. My rules. My FANHOOD. However, for those followers who do not know how this came about, here it goes…

10.26.93. The day the NFL announced Charlotte would be receiving a team. I remember sitting in my living room watching the presser. I was so excited! I have been a die-hard and Faithful fan of the San Francisco 49ers since approximately 1984/85. I was raised in a household where you were a fan of your team no matter what. Exiting my relationship with my 49ers was out of the question so the only logical thing to do was to be a fan of both teams. And that is the stance I have taken since 1993. I have cheered for both teams. I have been mad when both teams have lost very close games. I was in Charlotte on 02.01.04 for SuperBowl 38. How could I not be? My Panthers were just 1-15 two years prior. I am still a tad upset about last year’s SuperBowl debacle especially since my 49ers may not make it back this year if they keep playing the way they have been playing. I shall remain optimistic though. As you can see, I experience a wide range of emotions every year.

Last night, I was proud to call myself a Carolina Panthers fan. Last night I was proud to be a North Carolinian. And last night I was proud to say I am a Carolina Panthers fan who has been there since day one. For us day one fans, last night was a big deal. We have not had much to cheer about for the last decade. Last night was for us. The fans who saw the Panthers play in Memorial Stadium on the campus of Clemson University during their first year. The fans who can remember singing the “Nothing can be finer than to be in Carolina for a Panthers football gaaaame!” during the first few years in Ericsson. The fans who have original Howl Towels. That win was for us! Those who stuck around during the tough times. Those that did not give up on the team. Those who are proud that in that particular moment when our team had a chance to make a statement, it did just that. I am sure some people will say we are being real extra right now but who cares! While we do not know what will be the ultimate outcome of this season, it feels good, for now, to be fans of one of the hottest teams in the league right now. It feels good to have more double yous than losses. It feels good to say I AM A CAROLINA PANTHERS FAN!

And to those of you who want to now call yourself a fan or you were not a fan before young Cameron Newton took over behind center, please do us a Michael Jackson favor and “Beat It!” We know who you are and we are not afraid to call you out. Consider that your warning. #NoNewFans.

Until next time….TOODELLS!!!

Oh. P.S. For all you Pats fans who are still crying about the flag/no flag, TUCK RULE ANYONE?

Too soon???

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Controversy, Football, NFL, SportsLeave a comment

As a forever Faithful San Francisco 49ers fan, I did NOT see this coming. In case you missed it, last night’s Monday Night Football game was deemed the Battle of the Backups. San Francisco’s QB Alex Smith and Chicago’s Jay Cutler, both starting QB’s for their respective teams, were out as a result of concussions they sustained last week. So starting in their place you had Colin Kaepernick for the 49ers and Jason Campbell for the Bears. BOY OH BOY!!! Ok, that is not how I really felt when the game started. I honestly did not know what to think. Kaepernick, lets call him Kaep, had been used sparingly during the season so I do not think anyone outside of the team really knew what to expect from him.

My, my what a pleasant surprise. Not only was Kaep playing like he had been a starting NFL QB five years, he controlled the offense from start to finish. Lets check the numbers. 16/23 for 243 yards. 12 yards rushing. Yes, those were an important 12 yards. 133.1 passer rating and the single highest QBR rating for a first timer, 97 out of 100. Simply put, he was balling.

Now conventional wisdom says, a QB should not lose his job because of an injury. Well, we all know San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh is anything but conventional. When asked last night about who would be the starter on Sunday, he simply replied that he “usually goes with the guy with the hot hand.” Welp, sounds like Smith may be on the bench for another week.

Lets face it. Today may be too soon to start the QB controversy talk or is it? Yes, in his last 25 starts, Smith has gone 19-5-1. However, outside of the divisional playoff game against the Saints last where Smith truly seemed to be in control, Smith has not managed to convince me that he is the guy for us. I appreciate his dedication to the team because he went through the worse of the worse out in the bay. I appreciate him wanting to be in San Fran. I appreciate his love for the game. I appreciate the way he has believed in himself since Harbaugh arrived. With that said, for all the games I have watched over the past two years, I have never seen Smith look as comfortable quarterbacking the offense as Kaep did last night. Kaep was in command. I knew he was a good QB coming out of Nevada but sheesh, that was crazy. While I am still on the offense, did you all see the block Frank Gore laid on Lance Briggs? My goodness!! The 9ers played the way I had been expecting them to play all year, dominating on both sides of the ball.

So what happens next? Good question. I am not ready to say Kaep deserves to be the QB but I do think he earned a second start with his performance last night. If the 9ers are going to be all about starting to add rings to their other hand then you have to go with the QB that gives you the best chance to make that happen. This is going to be interesting. Get your popcorn ready. Looks like we have a QB controversy in the bay. Too soon? Not. At. All.

Until next time….TOODELLS.