Ray Lewis: Hall of Famer?

          Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Kev, you put a question mark up there by mistake." Actually I didn't. This isn't a post to argue statistics, because Ray Lewis has them all. This is merely to describe a hypothetical situation. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio has halls lined with the busts of all time greats. Coaches like Vince Lombardi and Bill Walsh and players like Bart Starr and Steve Young, the names that resonate with fans of the game. A 46 member selection committee is charged with the task of determining who belongs in the Hall of Fame. From the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, "The Committee consists of one media representative from each pro football city with two from New York, inasmuch as that city has two teams in the National Football League. A 33rd member is a representative of the Pro Football Writers of America and there are 13 at-large delegates." These men and women determine who belongs in the halls of Canton, and anyone who gets 80% 'Yes' votes gets in. Which brings me to this question, should they pick Ray Lewis?
          Before I answer that question, let's examine how baseball selects their hall of famers. In order to be on the selection committee for baseball, you must have been a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for at least 10 years, and last year there were 573 votes cast. Anyone with 75% 'Yes' votes gets in. But here is where I make my point. According to the website for the baseball hall of fame, "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played." And according to those criteria, apparently no one deserved to be elected this year. This was undoubtedly due to the prominent use of steroids in the era, and being linked to steroids has no doubt kept Clemens, Bonds and others out of the Hall in recent years because their use of steroids defies the "sportsmanship" portion of the criteria which I have no problem with.

Lewis in his court appearance in 2000

            The NFL doesn't seem to have this specific criteria. Only that each player will be evaluated thoroughly in the election process. Which finally brings me to Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis has been one of the most dominant defensive players that this game has ever seen. He is the only player in NFL history with 40 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career, and has anchored a feared defense for 17 seasons. His numbers are mind boggling and are certainly worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. But if the NFL followed suit with the baseball Hall of Fame voters, would Lewis get in? The reason I ask this is because of an incident that happened after the super bowl in Atlanta in 2000, causing Ray Lewis and two other men to be indicted on charges of a double murder. To make a long story short, Lewis plead guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice charges in exchange that he testify against his two friends who end up being found not guilty (You can read the whole story here). Lewis got only a year of probation and served no jail time.
          Now in no way am I arguing that Ray Lewis was guilty of murder, though there are plenty who still feel he is. What he is guilty of, is being involved in a very messy situation, one that does not present a good image for the NFL and certainly does not teach children a good lesson about the game. To get back to my question, after being involved with such and incident, should Ray Lewis be rewarded with the Hall of Fame? In baseball, Pete Rose received a lifetime ban for allegedly betting on the game of baseball. Rose was not implicated in a murder charge, he was making money on the side by influencing the games one way or another. The all time hits leader won't make the hall of Fame because he bet on the game and "ruined its integrity." And very soon (should Lewis retire this season) another type of 'hits' leader will be eligible for selection to his respective Hall of Fame. There isn't a doubt in my mind that Lewis will be selected, and probably in his first year. But if the tables were turned, would we be so sure? Does Ray Lewis' past demonstrate character, integrity and sportsmanship? The real answer is I don't know. What I do know is this: in this day and age with sports being as prominent as they are (especially the NFL), voters should not turn a blind eye to off the field conduct. Because we should not reward athletes who have escaped the arms of the law with a slap on the wrist because of their fame.
          And now, the Ray Lewis dance we've all seen for 17 years and wondered what the hell he was actually doing...

          And on a more positive note, something we can all take away from Ray Lewis, "If tomorrow wasn't promised, what would you give for today?"

What a weekend

          Wow. Simply wow. What a weekend in the NFL. Easily one of the best weekends of football I have watched in a long time. All four losing teams scored at least 28 points, and in the game that was the least competitive we saw Colin Kaepernick break a single game record. It was both heartbreaking and triumphant. Extreme emotions flowed from both ends of the spectrum, depending on which team had your support on the day. But if we look at the games simply as a spectator it was an incredible weekend to be a football fan.       

          I personally had my heart ripped out of my chest with the mind blowing shocker in the mile-high city. I am unashamed in my support of Peyton Manning. I firmly believe he’s the greatest quarterback of all time, but I will also admit that there are plenty of very reasonable arguments for other signal callers (especially that super model’s husband in New England). I was devastated to see Manning do everything he needed to win the game, only to have it ripped from his hands by what could be called the WORST play by a safety in recent memory. I also firmly believe that John Fox blew the game by being the most conservative coach EVER. He decided to run the ball three straight times to try and milk the clock for every second and to leave the Ravens with as little time as possible. That is absolutely the correct strategy if Jake Delhomme is your quarterback. But let me do you a favor Fox, and introduce you to PEYTON MANNING. You know, the bionic man who led your team to 11 straight wins, holds innumerable records and is quite possibly the man with the highest football IQ the game has ever seen. But no, good old John Fox put away his man parts in the fourth quarter and made the cardinal sin in the NFL. He played to not lose the game. Allow me to quote Mr. Herm Edwards, who once said so convincingly that “You play to win the game.” Fox apparently missed that day in NFL coaching class, and instead left it up to Flacco to not come up big. Turns out Flacco has a rocket launcher for an arm and Jacoby Jones can run kinda fast. Then John freaking Fox decides that 30+ seconds and two timeouts and Manning at quarterback isn’t enough time to try anything, so he takes a knee. The expletives that flew from my mouth at that moment were enough to make a sailor blush. I’ll paraphrase by saying that Fox has the same genitalia as a Ken doll. Yes my hero Manning did throw the game away in OT with that bonehead interception, and ultimately I guess you can blame the loss on him. But if you did blame him, you’d be wrong.

Flacco's miracle heave (Sorry, best quality I could find)

          The Patriots won, despite losing the little engine that could Woodhead and the “Half man half hulk” who seems to have hit the next level of the evolutionary chain, known to most simply as Gronk. Any of this sound familiar to anybody? Because it should. The boys from the North do this all the damn time. It’s sickening, but admirable. They just win, and as the lovably loquacious Billy Belichick always says… wait he never has anything to say. This section is short because there’s nothing unique to say about this game. It’s January, in the NFL playoffs, Tom Brady and the Pats won. In other news the sky is blue and the sun rose today.

This one is for the ladies

          The Atlanta Falcons, the number one seed that nobody thought was any good. All we heard all week was the team that tied for the best record in the NFL had no chance. Matt Ryan was a choke artist and the Falcons never show up in the playoffs. I’ve got news for you, that’s not true anymore. Ryan jumped all over Seattle, giving his team a 20-point lead early in the game. Then, as if it was scripted for Hollywood, the Seahawks charged back led by the rookie quarterback who was “too small to be a pro.” But the Boston College product known to Atlanta faithful as Matty Ice put that Hollywood finish on hold, surprising the shit out of everyone by driving his team into field goal range in the blink of an eye and watched as Matt Bryant silenced all of the Atlanta critics… for now.

Falcons got a nice cold glass of Matty Ice

          Then we have the 49ers. What an interesting story, Alex Smith leads the team to the conference finals last year, and was in the top five in the NFL in QBR until a little bump on his head changed everything. A young man named Colin Kaepernick ripped Smith’s job away in about 4.43 seconds, which happens to be Kaepernick’s 40 yard dash time. But what would the second-year pro do in his first playoff game? He’d probably fold under the pressure of the big stage, right? Wrong. He ran for an astonishing 181 yards, an NFL single game record for a quarterback, and discount double checked Aaron Rodgers and the Packers all the way back to Green Bay. Can Kaep keep this show rolling? Only time will tell.

Yes it's corny, but oh so true

          I guess I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the Ravens, who hung around long enough in Denver to pull out a miraculous win. Led by the future hall of famer Ray Lewis, who is on his farewell tour, the Ravens have found a way to win. On the football field it is undeniable that Lewis is an emotional leader, and maybe the greatest middle linebacker in NFL history. Off the field is another story, but I’ll leave that topic untouched. Joe Flacco has been one of the most criticized quarterbacks in the NFL for a while now, because he “doesn’t win big games.” However, Flacco is the only NFL quarterback to win a playoff game in his first five seasons. The sound of critics being silenced was apparent on Saturday, as Flacco made throw after throw, hitting Torrey Smith on repeated deep throws and of course the absolute bomb to Jacoby Jones to tie the game with only a few ticks on the clock. Then Flacco and the Ravens took advantage of Manning’s mistake in OT to win the game on a field goal. All allegiances aside, it was an impressive performance and Flacco deserves a lot of credit for the win.

Apparently this is what "shit luck" looks like

          Sitting here with my fingers on the keyboard I can still feel every up and down of the emotional roller coaster that these games took me on. I can only hope that anyone reading this had half of the emotional excitement that I did watching these games, because it’s my opinion that sports have the ability to make someone forget about the world we live in. From kickoff to the final whistle, it can take your mind off of all the trials and tribulations this crazy ass world puts us through, and I believe that’s pretty special.

Panther Potential

          The Panthers have all the potential in the world. A stable of 3 running backs that would start on damn near every team in the league. An all star wide receiver that is as explosive as any player in the league. An athletic big body tight end that presents a matchup nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs. A defense that has budding stars at the linebacker position and on the defensive line. And it's undeniable that Cam Newton is a star, and will only get better with every passing week. But potential has never won a Super Bowl.
          Cam Newton fumbled a ball today on a run that would have all but sealed victory for the Panthers against a Falcons team that many would agree is one of the best in the NFL. Instead, the Falcons got the ball back (after a punt) and Matt Ryan shot a gaping hole in our very weak secondary with a bomb to Roddy White. The Falcons would eventually score the game-winning field goal and sink the Panthers to 1-3. They have damn near every piece of the puzzle now, it's just like they can't quite figure out how to put them together all at once. It's incredibly frustrating. They did it for the Saints game. They were a well-oiled machine that was pretty much unstoppable. Whenever they manage to put all of those pieces together for an extended period of time, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully it's sooner rather than later.

Replacement Referees and everything else that happened in week 3

         
          Welcome to the latest episode of "Jackasses dressed as Zebras." The picture above says it all. This is the last straw. The last argument that anyone had, that the replacements hadn't cost anyone a game, is gone. They blew the final call in the Green Bay vs. Seattle game. Yes, a simultaneous catch goes to the offense, BUT THERE WAS NO SIMULTANEOUS CATCH! The only thing Golden Tate caught was the defender! I am appalled by the atrocity that we have been forced to witness. As Rick Reilly said, this game is the Mona Lisa and the replacement officials are painting a mustache on it. The fact is that the replacement officials last night, one of whom was a high school referee in California, changed the outcome of the game last night. I think that Goodell and whoever else is involved in these negotiations should have got up this morning, put on their fancy Italian suits and shoes, hopped in their BMWs and gone to work on negotiating a deal that the referees obviously deserve. I read somewhere that the sides were only separated by as much as $60,000 on some issues. $60,000? After the fines that the NFL will likely levy after this weekends debacle They'll have more than 60 grand in the bank to spend on the referees. This league is the greatest in the world, but there's only so many times you can drive a Ferrari through the mud.

Just in case you didn't get it the first time

         
          OK now that I've gotten that off of my chest, I can move on to what else happened this weekend. The Panthers got demolished, so we're going to try and forget about that as soon as possible. the final three unbeaten teams are the Texans, the Falcons and the Cardinals. Wait, did I just say the Cardinals? That's right, the Cardinals, who have won 11 out of their last 13 regular season games, are now 3-0. Are they the best team in the NFL right now? Hell no, but they're pretty tough to beat in close games. The Patriots are below .500 in week three for the first time in what seems like an eternity thanks to an incredible performance by Torrey Smith less than 24 hours after losing his 19-year-old brother in a motorcycle accident. I said this before, but if that kind of performance doesn't give you some sort of goosebumps then you should check your pulse. The Saints go marching in at a shocking 0-3. The Saints are sharing the basement with the Cleveland Browns, the only other team without a win this season, some pretty bad company.
          The other two undefeated teams deserve every bit of credit they're getting. The Falcons are a serious contender. Their defense is potent, and this could be the year that Matt Ryan elevates his status to be considered a top tier quarterback. Then there are the Texans. Picked by many last season as a Super Bowl favorite out of the AFC, with a star quarterback in Schaub, a great running game with Arian Foster, a freak of nature Andre Johnson at wide receiver and a solid defense, they should be a favorite again this year. Had they not lost Matt Schaub at the end of last season they may have made a deeper run in the playoffs, so if he stays healthy they should be in the picture when the playoffs roll around.
          Barring a player strike against the debacle that the replacement refs have created, I'll be back next week with more insight on the unfolding NFL season.

NFL Week 2: The Panthers and 5 things to know from around the league

          Week two of this NFL season is (almost) in the books, and I have to say that I'm rather impressed with a lot of things. I also have to say that I'm pretty unimpressed by other things, and we'll get to those as well. From this point forward, I'd like to do game analyses for the Panthers while also commenting on five other things from around the league on a weekly basis. Without further ado, welcome to week two.
          Let's begin with the Panthers, who have been both atrocious and outstanding so far this year. Week one couldn't have been more disappointing. Losing to the Buccaneers while amassing only 10 rushing yards was downright embarrassing. Granted, the Buccaneers have proven to be a good team, taking the Giants to the wire yesterday. But come on, 10 rushing yards for a team that has four very capable ball carriers? Pitiful.
           But week two brought redemption for the Cardiac Cats. They beat the Saints 35-27 in a thrilling game where the Panthers steamrolled the defense for more than 200 rushing yards and Williams, Stewart, Tolbert AND Cam all scored TDs. It wasn't just the running game that thrived, as Cam had 253 yards through the air as well, including 104 to the always explosive Steve Smith. With such a perfectly balanced offense, the Panthers present an incredibly difficult matchup for any team. Another key stat, SuperCam had zero interceptions. Last year, the Panthers were undefeated when Cam didn't turn the ball over. I've said repeatedly that he doesn't have to make more hero highlight plays this year for the Panthers to go far, he just needs to make fewer bad decisions and the Panthers will be in the playoff hunt. The offense gets an A-

Cam Newton takes badass pictures

          Despite giving up 27 points, the defense actually played pretty decent. Godfrey made a great play on the pick six (though it was mostly a gift from Brees) and our defense was able to put pressure on Brees for most of the game. The Saints may be without Head Coach Sean Payton, but that offense is damn dangerous, and being able to force Brees into two interceptions and holding him to only 63% completion percentage and one TD is still quite a feat. Bravo defense, B-

"Hey! Don't let those guys hit me again!"

5 Things around the league that caught my eye:

1. Rookie QBs: 5 rookie quarterbacks have been handed the starting position this year, a record, and it has everyone talking. In week one only RGIII was able to come up with a win, and they had more turnovers as a group than total TDs. That was a bit discouraging, but week two provided a different result. 10 total TDs to only one turnover and a combined 3-2 record. It's still way too early to speculate on how the rest of the season will play out, but this is a good sign that it won't be a complete disaster.

2. Has anybody seen Chris Johnson? Titans RB? Mr. 2,000 yard season a couple of years ago? He may as well be on the back of a milk carton, because he is completely absent from the football field. 19 carries for a whopping total of 21 yards. That's twenty-one. He has less yards than his starting QB Jake Locker. He also has less yards than Browns QB Brandon Weeden, Tim Tebow, and the 90-year-old lady in the retirement home down the road. Johnson is on pace to hit the 100 yard mark in week 10. 

"Wait... So I'm supposed to carry the ball forward?"

3. Replacement Referees suck. We want the real ones back. Pay up Goodell, seriously.

4. Eli Manning won yet another game in dramatic come-from-behind fashion. I never thought I would consider him elite, I was too big of a fan of Peyton to admit Eli was elite. But it's true. Eli Manning, despite missing a few chromosomes here and there, is an elite quarterback. Two impressive Super Bowl winning drives and a near 5,000 yard season last year prove it. His 510 yard performance in a win against the Bucs, which also included a game-winning drive, is just further proof. He is undoubtedly the best 4th quarter QB in the game right now.

5. Time for three disappointments. Joe Flacco looked more like Joe Flaccid yesterday when the game was on the line. He has to start winning games in crunch time if he wants people to call him elite. Gostkowski AKA Shankopotamus blew it for the Pats while Vinatieri is still kicking 50 yard game-winners in Indy like it's child's play. And finally the Eagles opponents, who forced them into 9 turnovers in the first two weeks and allowed them to escape with wins both times. I expect Cleveland to blow games like that, but the Ravens? Come on man.

          Lastly I'd like to give a game from next week to look forward to. All of them. If football is on TV it's worth watching. So grab the remote, grab a beer, plop your lazy butt on the couch in front of the biggest TV in your house and enjoy!

Football is Back!

          Friends hear the good news! The days of watching countless hours of mindless television are over. No longer will we be forced to watch golf on Sundays, praying for a magical shot from Tiger. Baseball will not grace my television anymore (especially since the Red Sox just shipped everybody on the roster out the door). Gone are the days of marathons on the Discovery channel watching sharks eat the shit out of little seals. In one week and two days, on Wednesday September 5th it will be official. Football is back.
          And I don't mean this half-assed preseason nonsense, I'm talking about games that actually matter. Games that don't feature John Doe from the local bakery trying to get a roster spot. We're talking about the games with all of the overpaid players on our favorite teams who we love to worship, and all the players on the other teams who we love to hate.
          The day has come when Peyton Manning is once again a starting quarterback, Rex Ryan has yet another cluster in New York, and Cam Newton takes the hopes and dreams of Panther nation on his back as he tries to deliver us to the promised land. Another season begins where 32 teams have a chance. Everyone is undefeated, and nobody has made a mistake. Except Ochocinco, he forgot that marriage is not a contact sport.

          With the season starting, Tim Tebow will now return to the spotlight.. Oh wait that never ended. Well at least he's a starting quarterback now.. wait no he isn't. Hey at least he's not on the punt team.. Oh.. yeah actually he is. I thought I'd never see the day when I actually felt bad for Mark Sanchez, but I stand corrected.

          The new era has been ushered in, both in Washington and Indianapolis. Andrew Luck has the shadow of Peyton Manning to get out of, while RGIII just has to overcome the shadow of the approximately 37 different starting quarterbacks that the Redskins have had since '05. Both will become either saviors or scapegoats in 16 games, and it will all happen before our very eyes.

          An interesting headline on the field not involving world class athletes is the lockout of the refs. Yeah, remember those guys we HATE and spend every Sunday criticizing? While they may suck, their  replacements suck even worse. And hey, at least the real guys know to spot the ball between the hash marks and can face the correct direction when making a call. So please, I'm begging you Ed Hochuli, bring your huge biceps and long winded explanations back. We miss you.
          From the rookies to the refs, from the veterans to the over-the-hill stars who think they still have it (I'm talking to you T.O.), and from every highlight to every bonehead mistake, NFL fans we can rejoice in unison because football is back!

NFL Draft: What did the Panthers do?

          Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first NFL action of the season. Ok, so most of you wouldn't quite call it action, but to football geeks like myself the NFL draft can be quite exciting. The Carolina Panthers had the 9th overall pick in the first round, along with many other picks throughout the draft. Now I won't sit here and pretend that I could foresee who we would pick, nor will I pretend to know everything about everyone we picked, but what I will try to do is give a little insight on who these people are and what kind of contribution they will make to our team next year.
          With the ninth overall pick the Carolina Panthers selected Luke Kuechly (rhymes with "weakly"), an inside linebacker from Boston College. Honestly this one confused me, we already have a solid linebacking corps, with John Beason and Thomas Davis returning from injury, playing alongside James Anderson. We also picked Dan Connor pretty high in a recent draft and he plays inside linebacker as well. So in my opinion we needed a defensive tackle more than we needed a linebacker. However this may be a case where a team picks the best player available regardless of need. Kuechly is certainly a tackling machine, he had 191 tackles in his last season at BC, bringing him to a whopping 532 for his three year career. He won the Bronko Nagurski trophy as the national defensive player of the year, the Butkus award as the nations best linebacker and many other national honors. He's a great football player without a doubt, I just wonder what our motives were when picking him. Here's a video filled with Kuechly chasing people down set to some pump up music.

     
          Amini Silatolu, (pronounced... well I'm not even sure) is a guard out of Midwestern State, and the Panthers selected him with the eighth pick in the second round. Almost 6'4", 311 pounds, he's a big boy. Stats for offensive lineman don't really exist, so I really am just taking a shot in the dark here with this one. There's always room for depth on the offensive line, especially with Jeff Otah being as fragile as a teacup and Jordan Gross constantly getting the most inopportune penalties possible. I've really got nothing more to say, considering offensive lineman aren't really the flashy guys who get all the glory.
          Now it gets interesting. The Panthers pick up two players back-to-back in the fourth round, Frank Alexander, a defensive end out of Oklahoma, and Joe Adams, a wide receiver out of Arkansas. Alexander was the Big 12 defensive player of the year as voted by the Associated Press, and led the Big 12 in tackles  for a loss in his senior season. He is a versatile lineman, not just a pass rusher or a run stuffer. He should be a great addition to our defensive line. Now, here is a pick that I am truly excited about. Joe Adams from Arkansas is a PLAYMAKER (yes these caps are warranted). Check out this video...

     
          ...Now tell me those caps weren't warranted. The kid is a highlight reel. While the Panthers have said that they are happy with Pilares at kick returner, Adams could certainly replace the anemic Armanti Edwards as a punt returner, especially since he was the SEC special teams player of the year after returning four punts for touchdowns. He will also be a nice addition to our receiving corps, which already boasts the explosive Steve Smith and the upstart Brandon Lafell, along with Greg Olsen at tight end. This offensive is certainly not short on talent anymore.
          Our last three picks are no doubt names that won't really ring a bell, so I'll run through these rather quickly. Fifth round pick Josh Norman is a cornerback from Coastal Carolina. He will  add depth to our secondary, and he had two interceptions last year. His sophomore year he had eight interceptions, which shows that he is capable of making plays on the ball. He also had 138 career tackles in four years, so he isn't just a cover corner. Brad Nortman was the Panthers pick in the sixth round. The punter out of Wisconsin was honorable mention on the all Big Ten team, and had a career average of 42.1 yards per punt (which is pretty good). He's a punter, that's about all there is to say. Finally we have D.J. Campbell, safety out of California. The Panthers seventh round pick, a fifth year senior, Campbell was a decent college player. Not really someone who made huge plays every game, but he racked up a career high 71 tackles in his senior season. Again, not much else to say other than he will add depth to our secondary, which is always good to have.
          Well that's about it, no huge moves for the Panthers. Just several solid players that should contribute in one way or another, whether it is on the field or on the practice squad. I hope all you Panthers fans are just as excited as I am to see these new players join the Panthers for what is sure to be an exciting 2012 season! This Cam Newton commercial should get you pumped

Weekend Wrap up: Peyton's decision, what's left of everyone's bracket, and what's left of Kendall Marshall's wrist

"Hey... I just took your job"

          Alright so we have a lot to discus so I'll try to get to the point. Decision 2012 has come to a conclusion, Peyton Manning has joined John Elway in Denver and simultaneously stomped out Tim Tebow's dreams. The NCAA tournament has been beyond insane as usual and there are ZERO perfect brackets remaining on ESPN, and Wrist Watch 2012 has begun in Chapel Hill.
          Peyton Manning lands in the mile high city. If anyone has read my last post, I didn't really see this as a fit. And I'm still not sure it is. Apparently no one in the league wants to play in Miami, one of my reasons for Manning potentially landing there, Brandon Marshall, got out of town as soon as he could. Manning wanted no part of that. I actually saw San Francisco being a good fit. Great defense, decent wide receiving corps with the very dangerous Vernon Davis and hopefully up and coming Michael Crabtree (not to mention the 50/50 chance that Randy Moss is still fast enough to burn defenses) and a great running back in Frank Gore. But alas he has chosen the blue and orange. I think this team is missing the offensive weapons that we are used to seeing on Peyton Manning teams of old. Decker and Thomas are far from the Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne that we are used to seeing line up beside Manning in the past. I think that he will find a few of his old teammates joining him in Denver, specifically Dallas Clark his old tight end and one of his favorite targets. Also another ex-teammate of Manning's is Brandon Stokley. Stokley was a Bronco for a while and could be a valuable fourth option as a possession receiver should the Broncos give him a call. There's also a chance that Jeff Saturday, Manning's long time center, could join him in Denver as well. There are definitely some moves left to be made, but if Peyton Manning is even 80% of what he used to be, Denver is easily the favorite to win the AFC West, (a division that has long been sub par at best) and a team that no one wants to see at any point during the season. Also there's a regular season matchup against the Patriots and my beloved Panthers. It should be fun to watch.
          Now where will Tebow end up? I heard an analyst say earlier today that no one really wants him on their team, and I couldn't agree more. Everyone in the league has seen that he does not have the skill set to lead an NFL style offense. There really isn't a team in the league that wants to baby him by making their offense as simple as the Broncos made theirs last season. Now what I have heard is this, owners will take a shot at him. They want to bring the circus to town to drive ticket and jersey sales. My first thought is Jacksonville. Shad Kahn the new owner of the Jaguars has gone on record saying that he would have drafted Tebow if he had the choice, now let's see if he'll put his money where his mouth is. Then there's Miami. No one wants to play in Miami, which makes it the perfect spot for Tebow. but honestly no one is going to give up much for a quarterback who can't complete 50% of his passes. Then there's a wild card. The New England Patriots. I've heard multiple times today that Tebow is a "Belichick type of guy" and he could come in and run some plays as an H-back or a tight end. That would shock me, because we have no idea whether the kid can catch a football or run a route. His days as a quarterback in the NFL may be running short right now, he needs a lot of luck to get another chance.

Gee, 0 is the same number of wins Duke got in the tournament this year too

          And then there were Sixteen. If your bracket isn't busted by now, you probably let a 3-year-old pick your winners in crayon. It had been 11 years since a 15 seed had upset a 2 seed, and within 3 hours on Friday it had happened twice. The Missouri loss KILLED me, I had them in the Final Four, but the Duke loss made me forget all about my bracket. I loved watching the Blue Devils from down the road flounder at the hands of C.J. McCollum and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Truly a thing of beauty. Quick rundown of the Sweet Sixteen: Kentucky is on course to be in the national title game no sweat, and now they get a rematch against Indiana. The Baylor highlighters get a matchup against Xavier. Ohio State is playing great basketball and they're matched up against a very physical Cincinnati team. Syracuse is surviving without their center Fab Melo (hopefully he's home studying), but now must face a tough Wisconsin team. Kansas survived a very tough Purdue team and an offensive show from Robbie Hummel and will now face a very hot NC State team that still feels it has something to prove. Marquette gets Florida and Louisville will meet Michigan State. Last but not least, UNC will face upset minded Ohio. I'm not making any predictions anymore, because we all saw how that ended up (Thanks a lot Missouri and Florida State).

          Kendall Marshall's wrist has become the instant talk of the nation. He fractured the scaphoid bone in his right (non-shooting) hand with 10:56 to go in the game against Creighton. He played through the pain, but was rushed to the x-ray machine after the game. The entire team was instantly downtrodden, and Marshall and Williams had to choke back tears when they delivered the news to the media. Marshall underwent surgery Monday morning, with the slim chance that he could heal and be ready by Friday's game. Tarheel nation can only hope and pray that we can have our engine back. My dad told me during the ACC tournament that Marshall was the leader of our team. At that point I wasn't so sure that was true. Tyler Zeller had just been named the ACC Player of the Year, and he had lead us through so many tough games that I was sure it was Zeller. They say sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone, and I think that may be the case here. His new found scoring has definitely been a valuable addition to our offensive juggernaut. And now he may be gone. He is truly the one player on our team that can't be replaced. I said last night that if I could I would give my right wrist to Kendall Marshall, my left wrist to John Henson, my right ACL to Dexter Strickland, and my left ACL to Leslie Macdonald. That was truly the sentiment all around campus today. The rain this morning was really a reflection of how we felt after we heard our point guard had gone down. But we remain hopeful, this tournament is far from over, and while we may be down right now we are certainly not out. We all just wish Kendall a speedy recovery.
          Well that's that for now, so until the weekend comes around and college basketball commences again take this time to catch your breath and prepare for the next installment of March Madness!

All the new news: From Peyton Manning to the NCAA Tournament

 

         
          The greatest free agent the NFL has ever seen. Peyton Manning is on the market. Words that a year ago I thought I would never speak. Denver, Miami and Arizona are all likely suitors for one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. I see Miami being the best choice, for a few reasons. First, he will have a big time receiver who will actually try hard if he is there, Brandon Marshall. Marshall may not be the worlds hardest worker, but the kid has talent, and I think Manning would whip him into shape real fast. Second, the weather. Manning has made his living in a dome, so heading for pleasant weather would be a plus. Third, Reggie Wayne already said he would follow Manning to Miami if he went, and he may not be the only one (Dallas Clark is another name that comes to mind). Why wouldn't Manning jump at the opportunity to play with two of his greatest teammates? Now I understand that Arizona has a dome, and has arguably a top 3 receiver in Larry Fitzgerald, but for some reason I have them sitting behind Miami in the Manning sweepstakes. Denver is the other team that analysts have suddenly all but confirmed as the frontrunner. I doubt Manning goes to cold weather, and let's play a game, name a Denver Bronco receiver! Don't worry, I'll wait. They have NO big name receiver that Manning can make his instant favorite target. Yes, they have a great defense and I'd love to see Tebow get shipped out of town in the blink of an eye, I just don't see this being a match. Anyway, who wouldn't want to see Brady vs. Manning twice a year IN THE SAME DIVISION! I pray to the football gods that I may get my wish.
          Now If I remember correctly, UNC recently beat Duke up and down the floor, on Miles Plumlee's senior night, AND he got a faceful of John Henson's lower half. THAT my friends was a beautiful day. Then, we had the good fortune of running into NC State in the ACC Tournament. "Oh my god, the refs cheated us out of that game!" no NC State, your coach blew it when he left your best player in with four fouls and over 8 minutes to go. "Yeah, but all the calls went UNC's way!" I assure you that if calls went our way, Zeller wouldn't have watched the final minute of the game. And lastly, yeah Kendall dropped his shoulder, but your team blew the game when they turned the ball over TWICE in the last minute. We won, you lost, for the 13th time in a row I believe. With all due respect, I am glad that you made the tournament, you were seconds away from beating both us and Duke this year, and certainly were well deserving of a spot in the big dance, congratulations.

This will NEVER get old

          On that point, The Tarheels are a #1 seed, and the sun is shining. In my honest opinion, Syracuse and Kentucky both have tougher brackets than we do, and I'm not saying that because Duke is in that bracket. And honestly where does Michigan State come from?!?! Every single year they come from nowhere to be a high seed in the Tournament. Tom Izzo is literally a basketball genius. He took a team that got manhandled early this season by UNC and Duke, and turned them into a #1 seed. Unbelievable. I don't think they deserved the #1 seed though, I believe Missouri is a much better team that will make a deep run in the tournament, and I think they should have been the fourth #1. But seeding makes little difference really because it's all about execution.

          My Final Four could be called a little bit biased, but I feel like it has some credibility. I have Missouri, Kentucky, Florida State and UNC (Surprise!). Obviously this is a very primitive selection, that is likely to get completely dismantled by the end of the first weekend, but who knows. Kentucky: do I even need to explain this one? Davis and his unibrow is the frontrunner for player of the year and he deserves it. Kentucky should make it out of their bracket without many bumps, even as tough as it is. Missouri: as I said before, I think they should have been the last #1 seed, and I think they will prove it by making their way to the final four. Kim English, the Pressey brothers, and Ratliffe inside drive this team to the Final Four. Florida State: probably the team with the most momentum in the country right now, after beating Duke and UNC twice this year, and coming off back to back wins against them to win the ACC tournament, they are on fire. Very tough defensively, Snaer is a great player and probably was snubbed from the All-ACC team, and they shoot the three well. They will be a tough team to beat, and I think they make it to the Final Four. UNC: well this is as much of a pick with my head as any of the others I assure you. Kendall Marshall is the best point guard in the country, and now he's scoring the basketball too. Harrison Barnes has played well, not great, but I think he steps up in the tournament as a big game performer. Hopefully John Henson returns to the lineup by next Sunday, and is still the defensive wall that he was before he reinjured his wrist. Reggie bullock has surprised everyone by being a terrific defender in Strickland's absence, can't say enough about his effort. And last but certainly not least, Tyler Zeller. If you could have scripted the perfect senior season for Zeller, I don't think it would be much different than this one. He has been absolutely the best player on our team, the most reliable in all but a few moments, and at times he's an unstoppable force in the paint. I can't wait for the day I see his jersey hang in the rafters of the Dean Dome.

          So there you have it, my Final Four picks, with a little reasoning behind each one (a little more reasoning behind UNC, but that's me). Feel free to disagree, then we can all laugh together when a mid major busts everyone's brackets like always. Until then, everyone enjoy the greatest month in sports, welcome to March Madness!

Super Bowl XLVI

          It all comes down to this. In just over a week the Patriots will take on the Giants in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. Let's think back to the end of the regular season, the Giants were in a win-and-get-in game against the Cowboys and Fox analyst Jimmy Johnson had stuck the fork in the Giants. They were finished! with a lowly 8-7 record, the Giants beat the Cowboys to improve to 9-7 and sneak into the playoffs. Anyone who predicted that they would knock off the Packers and 49ers in consecutive weeks probably also thought Steven Tyler was a great choice to sing the national anthem. On the other hand the New England Patriots were likely a popular pick to come out of the AFC, even though most wouldn't have predicted that Joe Flacco would outplay Tom Brady.

          First of all let's have a moment of silence for Billy Cundiff and Kyle Williams. They both "lost" the game for their respective teams by making a bonehead move when it was crunch time and have been receiveing endless criticism ever since the games ended. On a serious note, no football game is ever important enough that someone should receive death threats because he cost his team the game, which is exactly what happened to Kyle Williams on Twitter. Calm down football fans, it's just a game.



"I don't know what happened..."



Just another shot at Tebow

         That being said, the next game is the one that matters most. The Super Bowl, every players dream game. The game that everyone imagined when they were throwing the football around in the backyard with their dad. So let's take a look at how each team won last weekend. The Patriots played very average to me. Correction, Tom Brady played very average to me. He turned the ball over and didn't throw a single TD. However their defense cranked it up a notch. One name for you, Vince Wilfork. My goodness Wilfork was unblockable for most of the game. I'd take it a step further and say he was their most valuable player on Sunday. Former quarterbacks always say that the pressure that comes from the outside is managable, but it's the pressure from the middle that they don't like. What I think they need to worry about is Edelman playing defensive back. He's doing his best, but on the final drive that could have led to the game-tying field goal, Flacco went after him almost every play and marched right down the field. Then of course Billy Cundiff proceeded to kick a 32 yard field goal very wide left with 11 seconds remaining.

          The Giants played well despite the weather. They continued to throw the ball effectively and Eli dominated on third down which ultimately was the difference in the game. Despite getting hit a whopping TWENTY times, Eli still put the team on his back and made a big play on a third and fifteen when he found Mario Manningham in the endzone for a TD. Big Blue's defense played well also, holding Alex Smith to only one completion to a wide receiver all game. Then of course Kyle Williams muffed one punt and fumble one in overtime, which lead to the easy field goal from Lawrence Tynes (take note Cundiff). Also let's pause and talk about how awesome Victor Cruz is, he caught ten passes in the rain on Sunday, that's pretty impressive.

          After looking back, now we shall take a look forward at the matchup for the Super Bowl. Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning part two. A few fun facts before we get started. First, in the "Tom Brady Era" the Patriots have only lost three straight games to two different teams, the Giants will try to become the third team with a win in the Super Bowl. Secondly, this will be the ninth time that the Super Bowl will be a rematch of a regular season matchup, with the losing team in the first game winning seven out of the eight Super Bowls. When these two team played in the regular season, the Giants came out on top. No doubt the Patriots will be looking for revenge.
          The Giants 4 defensive end scheme on defense wreaks havoc every Sunday, Eli Manning is fantastic on third down, they have a balanced running attack with Bradshaw and Jacobs, and their receiving corps is very talented with Cruz, Manningham, and the former Tarheel Hakeem Nicks. The Patriots have the two-headed monster with Gronkowski and Hernandez at tight end, Wes Welker to catch every other pass, Benjarvus "The Law Firm" Green-Ellis coming out of the backfield, and some guy named Tom Brady at quarterback. They also have a monster on defense named Vince Wilfork who eats running backs for breakfast. When these teams match up on Super Bowl Sunday there will undoubtedly be some hard hits and some big plays, but the question isn't always who makes more big plays but who will make fewer mistakes. My guess is that this time around Bill Belichick and the infamous hoodie will have his team ready to go to war, Tom Brady will play like his normal self and the Patriots will methodically work their way down the field making fewer mistakes than the Giants. I do believe this matchup will be a higher scoring affair than the last time they met in the Super Bowl, so I'll take Patriots 27 Giants 23.
          Now anyone who knows me realizes how hard it was to pick the Patriots. I don't like them. I haven't liked them since they beat the Panthers in the Super Bowl in 2003. And honestly the Giants were and still are the hottest team in football coming into the playoffs, so they certainly have a very good chance. But when I put aside my feelings I simply believe Tom Brady will win the game for his team. Who are you picking?


Eli Manning



Tom Brady



         

         

Championship Weekend

          Alright ladies and gentlemen, our championship weekend has been set. The Patriots dismantled the Denver Tebows and cruised into championship weekend in dominant fashion. The Ravens... well the Ravens made it. I'd have to say that of the final four teams the Ravens were the least impressive, and honestly minus the Texans costly turnovers they shouldn't have won the game. For the NFC we have the 49ers and the Giants. The 49ers have to be damn proud of themselves after the game they played against the Saints. In what will certainly go down as one of the best Playoff games in NFL history, the 49ers held off Drew Brees and the vaunted offense of the Saints to advance in a wild finish with multiple late lead changes. Then you have the Giants, who only beat the 15-1 Packers in Lambeau Field in very convincing fashion. Blame it on the extra time off, blame it on the dropped passes, blame it on whatever you want, but the Packers were not ready to play yesterday. However, the Giants were very ready, and it showed.
          Now I'm going to make a few predictions on how championship week will play out. The Patriots will win, that should be an easy choice to make. Tom Brady played like a man possessed against the Broncos. Five TD passes in the first half (new playoff record) and six TD passes overall (tied playoff record) showed that the golden boy has arisen from his playoff slump and is back to strike fear into the hearts of his foes. His counterpart for next Sunday, Joe Flacco, is not prepared in any way to keep up with the high-scoring offense in New England. What I find interesting is that analysts were saying the same thing about San Francisco last week. "Alex Smith can't make enough plays to keep up with Brees, and their defense can't stop him enough times to win." I guess those guys were wrong, but this week I think picking the strong offense of the Pats is much safer than it was last week. Plus, even when the Ravens should have had the game in hand, Flacco couldn't make enough plays to put them away. Ray Rice is great, an absolute beast running and catching the ball. I just don't think he can do it by himself. The Ravens defense will slow the Brady Bunch down more than Denver did, but in the end Gronkowski, Hernandez and Welker will be too much for Ed Reed and Ray Lewis to handle. Patriots 31 Ravens 17
          On to the NFC. Even as I write these words I haven't made my pick. The Giants look ready to take on anyone right now. Their D-line is strong and fast and if they can slow Frank Gore down early and force 3rd and 7+, Alex Smith had better watch out. Jason Pierre-Paul is one of the premier young D-lineman in the game, and Umenyiora and Tuck can still make plays with the best of them. However, if Frank Gore can get going early and pick up enough yards to get into 3rd and 4 or less, that will force the Giants D-line to be more patient instead of flying up the field at Alex Smith like a pack of hungry dogs. On the other side of the ball, the 49ers are tough, really tough. Running the ball against them is very difficult, I believe they only allowed one rushing TD all season. Aldon Smith is another fine young defensive linemen, and Patrick Willis is one of the best linebackers in the league. Here's the wild card that no one has really payed attention to all year. Eli Manning. You might say, "Eli Manning isn't a wild card, he's the quarterback, EVERYONE knows about him," but not so fast. Did you know that Eli Manning was only 67 yards away from 5,000 this year? And that Eli Manning threw for an average of 308 yards per game? His numbers are better during this postseason than they were in 2007, when they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. I don't have the exact statistics, but against the Packers yesterday Eli Manning was converting 3rd downs like it was nobody's business. 3rd and 7, 3rd and 8, 3rd and 11, no problem. He was playing like an elite quarterback, and there is the wild card. Can the 49ers defense get the Giants off the field on 3rd down. And now I've convinced myself of who I'm picking. I'm taking the Giants. Eli is playing like Peyton, he's got Hakeem Nicks playing incredibly well, he has Victor Cruz and he has a pretty good running game with Bradshaw and Jacobs. Giants 24 49ers 20.

          Should my picks hold true, there would be a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. The undefeated Patriots vs the Giants. Eli Manning escaped from several Patriots defenders and threw up a prayer to David Tyree who caught it against his helmet, then he hit Plaxico Burress in the endzone on a slant-and-go and all of New England fell silent. The Patriots had all the records, Brady had 50 TD passes, Moss had 23 TD catches, their offense had many other ridiculous numbers that I won't bother to list here. But Eli got the win. And if this rematch occurs, it will be Tom Brady, Peyton Manning's nemesis, pitted against Eli Manning, Peyton's little brother, in Lucas Oil Stadium, which just so happens to be Peyton Manning's homefield. I though that was an interesting tidbit. I won't bother to pick a winner of that game because it doesn't exist yet, and with my luck I'll be wrong about at least one of these picks anyway. Next week I'll have an analysis of Championship weekend and a Super Bowl pick!

These are for anyone who doesn't remember...



Jonathan Stewart/Deangelo Williams

Now that I've finished final exams and recovered from cramming my brain with useless information, I'll take some time to analyze the thunder and lightning combo in the Panthers backfield, Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams. It's only right that I take a look at these two together, because they compliment each other so well.
Williams is the elder of the two, hailing from the University of Memphis, and Stewart comes from the high-powered offense of the Oregon Ducks. I have to say from all of the high draft picks that I can remember the Panthers making that I didn't like, I was ECSTATIC about Jonathan Stewart. As I've mentioned before, I'm very partial to offensive football, and Stewart comes from a superb offensive school. Williams came out the same year as Reggie Bush, so he was pretty overshadowed by Bush's potential (Cough cough, bust), but if my memory serves me correctly Williams was the second runningback taken that year and I'll take Williams career so far over Bush's any day.
Stewart is a horse. Plain and simple he is a horse. Anyone who wants to try and tackle this guy, be my guest because I'm going to pass. He's the more powerful of the two, and is quite a compliment to the speedier Williams. He packs quite a punch, and tends to deliver a hit to his tackler rather than the other way around. He and Williams are the first teammates to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season and honestly I think either of the two could start for the majority of the other NFL teams. With these two in our backfield, the Panthers and Panther's fans get the gift of watching one of the most dynamic running combinations in the emtire league, and that is neglecting Cam Newton's incredible running ability. I'll go ahead and let everyone in the league know that the Carolina Panthers are a SERIOUS playoff contender next season, look out NFL here we come.

Tim Tebow

          Recently called the most polarizing player in the NFL by ESPN analyst Skip Bayless, Tim Tebow is next on my list. Yes I'm well aware that Tebow doesn't play for any team remotely close to Charlotte, but since he is the topic of nearly EVERY conversation lately I figure I might as well join in.

          Well I might as well say it now, there's no point postponing my opinion until the last paragraph today. I don't like him. I don't like Tim Tebow. There, I've said it. I don't care how many games he wins, how many comebacks he has, or how many starving children he saves, I just don't like him. That's not to say that those things aren't important and very admirable, because they are. His charity work is amazing. He is a very admirable person and is SOMEHOW using that terrible throwing motion and college style offense to win football games. It has nothing to do with his religion either, I could care less who you pray to or what you believe in. This boils down to me just never liking the guy. His famous "jump pass" that everyone regarded as an incredible play looked like something elementary school kids did on the playground before they even understood the rules. Plus he played at Florida, and I don't like Florida either. So honestly Tebow never had a chance in my book anyway.



Tebow's "famous" jump pass in 2009

        

          Honestly he has the numbers to prove me and every other critic wrong. I hate to say it but he's got the most important stats in his favor. His record is 7-3 as a starter, 6-1 this season and he doesn't really turn the ball over. Nonetheless I wouldn't trust him as my quarterback pretty much the same way the Broncos don't really trust him as theirs. They barely throw in the first half, and only once has he been above 50% completion percentage for an entire game (one game he had exactly 50%, that doesn't count). And who has he beaten this year? Let's see, the 4-8 Miami Dolphins, the 7-5 Oakland Raiders (when they were starting couch potato QB Carson Palmer in his second week), the 5-7 Kansas City Chiefs, the 7-5 New York Jets (this one actually impressed me since I also highly dislike the overrated Mark Sanchez), the 5-7 San Diego Chargers who are crumbling, and finally last week the 2-10 Minnesota Vikings who were without Adrian Peterson. So there is one, MAYBE two good wins in there. Other than that I am still very unimpressed by his victories, even though they have come in dramatic fashion.

          "Tim Tebow rarely throws interceptions." Fantastic, but he also doesn't throw passes to his own receivers very often either. His 47.5 completion percentage ranks him behind 31 other NFL quarterbacks (maybe more, Tebow didn't even throw enough passes per game to qualify for ESPN's statistical chart). He only has 1,054 yards, but that one isn't a really fair comparison considering he's only played in 10 games (7 that he was a starter for). His passer rating is 87.9, which is a number that not many people understand, but if you compare him to elite quarterbacks that number isn't very high (Aaron Rodgers-125.3, Tom Brady-105.9 and Drew Brees-105.5 lead the league). Cam Newton by comparison is at 60.8% completion, 3,297 yards, and a passer rating of 82.4 (14 interceptions killed Cam here).

          Let's take a look at what he does with his feet. 82 carries this year for 468 yards and 3 touchdowns. that puts him at 5.6 yards per carry. Three fumbles, but he hasn't lost any of them so I guess no harm no foul. He uses his legs a lot to get out of the pocket when his terrible offensive line collapses around him as well, and the stats don't reflect that.

          Here's how Tebow manages to sneak by with these wins. Denver is the #1 rushing team in the NFL. with 1907 yards they average 158.9 yards per game. They have run the ball 399 times, which is second in the league behind only Houston at 432. On defense Denver has the 5th most sacks in the league with 33, and in their six wins since Tebow became starter they are only giving up 17.8 points per game, which would rank them at 5th in the league.

          Sure Tebow is at the head of the awkward charge down the field when the game is on the line, but those games weren't won by just that last drive. It was the defense of Denver coupled with their running game that made everything possible to begin with. So before any of you fans/analysts try to hand Tebow the MVP award, dig a little deeper.

Steve Smith

          Oh Steve Smith, where do I even begin. Smith has provided Carolina's faithful fans with highlight reel catches for years. Ever since he was drafted in 2001, He has been an explosive player capable of turning any play into a big touchdown. He has managed to single-handedly break down many secondaries and make many professional cornerbacks look like they're standing still. He is small (5'9", 185 lbs.) compared to many of his fellow NFL receivers, but pound for pound you would be hard pressed to find a better play maker around the league.

         

          Smith had a career year in 2005, catching 103 balls for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the league in all three of those categories, winning the coveted "triple crown" of receivers. He was the first receiver to do this since Sterling Sharpe did it in 1992, and no one has done it since then.

          Steve Smith has always held a special place in my heart as a Panthers fan. I'm a huge fan of offensive football, so naturally a man with Smith's talent, ability and attitude would catch my eye. Not to mention the fact that he tends to find the endzone in spectacular fashion. His endzone celebrations always made me laugh too, until the NFL started cracking down on them. Seriously Goodell, when every play could be your last (unless you're Brett Favre, apparently he will NEVER have his last play), why not let them celebrate in their own special way? Outside of distasteful celebrations (Stevie Johnson that means you) what's wrong with an impression of rowing a boat when you score against the Vikings? But I digress.

          Unfortunately for Smith, his numbers saw quite a dip in 2009 and 2010. Smith's talent certainly hasn't dropped, he was just stuck with abysmal quarterbacks who couldn't seem to throw the ball to the right team. Smith isn't getting any younger, and with Cam Newton coming in as a rookie starter I wasn't sure how long Smith was going to stick around to find out whether Cam is the real deal or not. Smith had been frustrated, and rightfully so. I mean, have you seen this guy jump? Just throw the ball up somewhere in his direction and he seems to come down with it every time, yet our quarterbacks still couldn't get him the ball.

          This year has been different. Smith looks like his younger self this year, already eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark through 12 games which he had failed to do in the past two years. I already covered this in my last post, but in my opinion Cam Newton will be the reason that Steve Smith retires as a Panther. Steve Smith is not a Hall of Famer. Yet. I think he could play at least four or five more years at a very high level, as long as he stays healthy, and that could put him in the discussion.
          Regardless, Smith will always be a favorite of mine. His highlights will never get old to me, and I can only hope that he will be a Panther for a few years more. Because with his talent at receiver he opens up the field for our three-headed monster running game and keeps the fans in the game knowing that at any moment Smith might do something they've never seen before. Whether it is his touchdown celebrations, incredible talent, or the fact that he packs the most attitude per pound in the NFL, Steve Smith certainly should be on your list of players to watch out for every Sunday.

Cam Newton

          I don't think I'm alone when I say I was very wary about Cam Newton's potential as an NFL quarterback. His stats in college were phenominal, he led two straight teams to national championships (his junior college the year prior to his undefeated year at Auburn), he won the Heisman trophy and he just didn't lose games.
          But there were his "character issues" that many were worried about. The incident at Florida where he was accused of stealing a laptop and the alleged "pay for play" scandal at Auburn are the two major issues that I recollect. Draft experts worried about his ability to adapt to a pro offense. He seemingly broke down when Jon Gruden analyzed him with all of the other top QB prospects and he couldn't call a typical NFL play. He was criticized for not being accurate enough, for running too much, and for just about anything else you could think of. To be honest, that level of criticism is well deserved if an organization is considering selecting you as the leader of their team and investing a very pretty penny in you. Jerry Richardson even famously asked Cam Newton if he had any tattoos. Cam's response was no, and Richardson told him he better keep it that way.
          Through it all, the Panthers did indeed select Cam Newton with the number one overall selection in the draft, and by doing so effectively put the entire organization on his shoulders and prayed that he could remove us from the basement of the NFL. With only four games left in the season, the Panthers sit third in the NFC South with a 4-8 record.
          But lets look back at the season so far. A seven point loss to the currently undefeated reigning Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, a five point loss to the 7-5 Chicago Bears, a three point loss to the 9-3 New Orleans Saints, and a late meltdown in a shootout loss to the 7-5 Detroit Lions. If luck happened to swing our way in a couple of those games our record wouldn't look so bad. And I'll be the first one to say I'd rather watch this Panthers team lose a game the way they play, than the abysmal team that sported Jimmy Clausen at quarterback.
          Cam Newton threw for over 400 yards in his first two starts. He currently sits at 7th in the NFL with 3,297 passing yards. He's thrown 13 TDs, and he LEADS THE ENTIRE NFL with 13 rushing TDs. He broke the record for rushing TDs for a QB in a season on Sunday with four games still to play. AND he has Steve Smith looking like the incredible offensive weapon that he once was.
          Yes, he has made a lot of mistakes. 14 interceptions is not great (he threw all 14 of those interceptions in losses this year), and he tends to be high on a lot of his throws. But guess what, Peyton Manning (yes the great Peyton Manning) threw a whopping 28 interceptions in his rookie year. Rookies make mistakes, Cam is no different. He will learn with experience just like anyone else.
          Don't get me wrong, he's got a lot of room to grow. But his ceiling is very very high, and I am just warning the NFC South, and the rest of the NFL, that the Panthers are a team to watch out for in 2012. As far as Cam Newton is concerned, I'm definitely a believer, and I can't wait to see him reach his full potential.