(Here's our prediction which appeared in this morning's paper)
After the way Delhomme played last week, I am consciously running the risk of looking like a total goob this afternoon.
It’s just that I’ve seen him bounce back, and the Panthers do same, too many times in this scenario.
In many ways, today reminds me of two situations in particular I’ve seen before.
In 2004, the Panthers were beaten by Green Bay at home in the opener, and then went to Kansas City in Week 2, minus Steve Smith and Stephen Davis. Never mind, because DeShaun Foster turned into Jim Brown that afternoon, and tight end Mike Seidman made his one career play.
In 2005, they got caught in the emotion of playing New Orleans in Game 1, post-Katrina, and surrendered one of the Saints’ three wins that year. They followed by sticking it to New England when it was sure to be 0-2.
As bad as the Panthers were last week — quite, exceptionally, pick your adjective — it was one game.
As long as something good happens early, they should stay in this one, should run, and could get back on track.
Prediction: Panthers 19, Falcons 14
-- It's wet and nasty here in Atlanta. Humidity is such that I thought I stepped into one of the tanks at the Georgia Aquarium.
Won't matter much once I get inside the Georgia Dome, but getting there's another matter. It's always a hike from the media parking lot.
-- Brought the wife along this weekend, and since we left mid-morning Saturday, it only seemed right to stop for lunch in Spartanburg.
That meant The Beacon. To be honest, I can't eat there often during training camp. You can't put any plate "a plenty" on your stomach and then stand out in the heat.
But when you're in your own car, piece of cake. The wife, a native New Yorker, had never been there, and wasn't sure what to expect. The fact that on my first trip there, I met Strom Thurmond, impressed her not at all.
She started to go "a plenty" as well, and was skeptical when i told her that wouldn't be necessary. We threw away the leftovers.
She's also an extremely good sport, as I have a soft spot in my heart -- and hard spots in the nearby arteries -- for places defined by their grease.
Made her go to the Varsity on a previous trip down here. Once we were in Raleigh and had to hit the Char-Grill. Back home (suburban Hickory, N.C,), she's enjoyed Shell's Barbecue, and with my 20th class reunion coming up during the bye week, I think I'm going to take her to the Claremont Cafe, where we used to go when we decided to slide out of Bunker Hill High School for a break.
She's a good sport. Also trained in CPR.
Actually went to a real restaurant last night, with plates and forks and everything. Ted's Montana Grill, where everything's either recycled, free range or liberal. It's good anyway.
Bison pot roast = awesome. Wife had a steak, but one out of a boring old cow. Something about bison gave her the heebie-jeebies.
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