Just when I thought things could not get more foolish, they do.
And I am over it.
OVER. IT.
You might think I am kidding but I am not.
I. AM. DONE.
I. AM. DONE. WITH. THEM.
The them being the National Football League.
Tag: Tom Brady
Super Bowl 50 is set…..My Panthers vs. My Peyton
A few months ago, right after Peyton was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, I started a blog post. The topic was going to be about how we may have just seen one of the greatest, Peyton Manning, take his last snap behind center. I couldn’t do it though. I couldn’t bring myself to write the blog because I knew if anyone could dig deep and get back on that field, it was Peyton Williams Manning.
Look who was right :-). All I heard all was week was Peyton can’t beat Brady. Peyton can’t throw. Peyton has no chance. Wonk wonk wonk. “That’s why you don’t listen to they. They don’t play.” Ain’t that right, D. Wade? At 39 years young, Peyton is headed back to the Super Bowl and his opponent is my beloved Carolina Panthers. Yes, I had a great Sunday! Continue reading “Super Bowl 50 is set…..My Panthers vs. My Peyton”
Joe Montana > Tom Brady
Sooooo. I thought I posted this last week. Better late than never, huh?
This will not take long.
With his win last night, Tom Brady has now joined an elite group. He is only the third quarterback to win four Super Bowls as a starter. Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana are the others. With his win, the talk has now begun about whether or not Brady is the best ever.
I can answer that for you. NO.
I know. I know. I have heard it repeatedly. Brady has been to more Super Bowls. Montana had Rice. Brady played in the cold. Montana was one and done in the playoffs three straight years. Brady came off the bench to to replace Bledsoe. Montana was put on the bench for Steve Young. Yada yada yada.
Despite all of that, there is one fact you cannot dispute. Montana was undefeated in Super Bowls. He three 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Yes, I know. Brady has done more with less. I will never dispute that. It speaks to his greatness but if you want me to believe Montana would not have been capable of doing the same thing with that type of talent then you will be waiting forever. Ya’ll do know Montana lead the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship game in 1993, right? Who were his wide receivers? Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
I could go on and on and on but I feel no need to do that. My mind is made up. Joe Cool stands alone. Brady does make my top 5 though. Will that satisfy you naysayers?
Why they mad, bro??
I knew it was coming.
From the time Richard Sherman opened his mouth after his Seattle Seahawks won the NFC Championship Sunday night, I knew it was coming. Yesterday, it dropped. The apology. Ugh.
I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, the unpredictable would happen. I was hoping that maybe this would be the one time an athlete seized his first amendment right with no apologies. I was hoping that maybe there would be an unequivocal silence that would speak for itself.
However, I get it. As a PR consultant, I totally get it. It had to be done because this story had become bigger than the result of the game. More than 36 hours later, Sherman is still the number one trending topic on Twitter. Some are praising him. Some are enjoying the moment. Some are calling him names. There are memes, spoofs and t-shirts popping up all over cyberpace. I have read articles of support, articles of condemnation and articles of indifference. I have shaken my head so many times
Thug. Bully. Uneducated. I have seen those words thrown around so many times I need an assistant to keep count. Thug. Bully. Uneducated. Maybe there is a different Richard Sherman people are referring to. Surely, none of the talking heads are referring to the Richard Sherman who graduated second in his high school class with a 4.2 GPA and holds a degree in Communication from Stanford. Oh, and he graduated from there with a 3.9 GPA. Surely, they are NOT referring to THAT Richard Sherman.
As I sit here, typing earnestly, at the computer, I am wondering when did sports become so watered down that everyone has to place nice in the sandbox at all times even in the midst of battle. I think a lot of people have forgotten that we all are different. Every player does not study the game the way Peyton Manning does. Every player does not display the fiery passion for the game that Ray Lewis did. Every player does celebrate their on-field accomplishments the way Deion Sanders did. However, is that not part of what makes sports so enjoyable for most? Men and women from all walks of life with different personalities competing for the same goal.
As I have stated previously, Sherman’s actions at the end of the game were less than desirable. However, I stand by my previous statement that I have no problem with his words and the more I think about it, I am beginning to think I do not have a huge problem with his actions. Was the pat on the behind and the “friendly” extension for a handshake from Michael Crabtree necessary? Absolutely not. That had potential fisticuffs written all over it. Things could have gone left really quick and no one in their right mind believes Sherman was thinking good sportsmanship in that moment. That is sports!! If he apologized for anything, it should have been for the that. Again, I get it. I really do. Sherman had just made the biggest play of his career, thus far, to send his team to the Super Bowl. Many of us would be excited in that moment, operating off pure adrenaline. Many of us would want to celebrate. Many of us would want to rub that in the face of the opposing player whom the play was made on. Yet, some have crucified him for being caught up in the moment as if we have never gotten “caught up” when someone cuts us off in traffic.
Bottom line is this: its football! A brutal sport that is not for the weak. It is rough, you have to be tough and trash talk happens, a lot. There are some players who passion oozes out through the way they approach the game. Then, there are players whose passion oozes out through their words in a way that scares some. At the rate things are going, soon players will not be able to express themselves at all for fear of being labeled everything they are not. Well, unless you are Tom Brady because then you can berate officials all you want and no one will say a thing.
Yeah, this San Francisco 49ers Faithful went there.
#NoNewFans
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.
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?
Kassie Nette's Korner 