Knowing with a fierce certainty that he was being given one last chance to right all the mistakes of his past, Hurney quickly turned his attention to the NFL Draft, where he identified a young man with enormous potential. This is your last shot, don't screw it up. The droid brought with it a cryptic message: The 2011 Panthers had finished the season on a 4-2 run after an abysmal start, and during the offseason the San Diego Chargers jettisoned a certain barrel-bodied, Swiss Army knife of an R2 droid named Mike Tolbert, whom the Panthers quickly snatched up. ![]() Just as A New Hope began with moviegoers learning of the Rebel Alliance's recent attack on the Galactic Empire via the Star Wars series' iconic crawling-text intro, so did the 2012 Panthers' tale begin with a recent upswing for our heroes. Oh alright, I guess I can explain for those of you who obviously lack training in the force! Help me, Marty-Wan Hurnobi, you're my only hope. Little did we all know, George Lucas may have been prescient and the Carolina Panthers might just be a team of destiny in 2014, because surely the parallels between the movies and the last few years of Panthers history have to mean something, right? RIGHT? What do you mean you don't see any parallels? Interestingly, as I watched the groundbreaking series of movies for what was probably the millionth time a pattern began to emerge, and my mind drifted back to football. It is quickly followed, of course, by references to how we've lost our top 4 WRs, our best OT, and 3 quarters of our secondary from 2013's division-winning campaign.Īs I read dire report after woeful prediction until my head was spinning, I took a break from football a few weeks back and marathoned the Star Wars trilogy - yes, THE trilogy there is only one - with my 9-year old son, just to preserve my sanity. It is the opening stanza to nearly every argument as to why the Panthers will take a step back this year. Over the last several months, as our beloved Panthers have been enduring one of the most tumultuous offseasons in franchise history, the old prophecy has reared its ugly head yet again. No matter which team wins the division, the experts will cite this mantra all throughout the offseason and preseason as a reason why it will be nearly impossible for them to repeat the feat. ![]() The problem with the factoid isn't that it is untrue, but that it has become something of a self-perpetuating prophecy each offseason over the last few years. Since its inception in 2002, no team in the NFC South has repeated as division champ in consecutive seasons.Įven among national pundits, it is no secret that the NFC South is the most hotly contested division in the NFL from season to season.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |