Panther Paw Prints - Summer edition

I'm back in the saddle my fellow Panther fans after a weekend sabbatical celebrating my oldest child's pending High School graduation this afternoon. She will be attending Converse College in Spartanburg, SC this fall (just around the corner from Panthers training Camp) on a soccer scholarship. So yes, I might be killing 2 birds with one stone on a couple visits there in August! Words can't express how proud I am of you Chelsea Miranda! (as if she reads this blog, NOT!) But I digress.

Panthers Begin Contract Negotiations with Everette Brown
"I've done other deals before with (general manager) Marty (Hurney) and (director of team administration) Rob (Rogers), so I expect to get things done," Brown's agent, Joe Linta, told Scout.com late Friday afternoon.

Please lets get it done for all the picks. Lord I hate hold-outs! Give me a rookie salary scale please!

Panthers focus on retooling special teams | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
Marshall's still going to have some role, but may fall off kick coverage since he'll immediately have to play defense. But between Dante Wesley (the only returning player with double-digit special teams tackles) and rookies such as Sherrod Martin and Captain Munnerlyn, Crossman hopes to maintain some of the same speed and physical play. Martin in particular needs to become that kind of player, especially in the short term.

So Marshall might still play some ST's? I would rather see one of those mentioned above fill that role.

Julius Peppers now more likely to play for Panthers in 2009? - The Huddle - USATODAY.com
Plus, the paper reports that team officials are not counting on Peppers to return and be an anchor of the defense that won the NFC South last season.

From the Observer: "The situation is entirely different now. Team officials are under pressure to win this season and to finally make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in team history. Peppers is a big part of the defensive plan for '09 and trading him for future draft picks doesn't help their immediate needs at all. Team officials expect and believe Peppers will show up for training camp with other players on Aug. 2."

I think there must be a typo in this post as it seems to contradict itself. My guess is the Panthers ARE planning on Peppers to show for camp. A hold-out doesn't seem to make sense. He doesn't want a new contract, just a trade which the Panthers have no incentive to execute at this point. Would he really pass up $16M on principle? If that doesn't get an agent fired I don't see what would.

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Blogging the NBA Finals

On another note not football related but more SBN and blogging in general. Bloggers struggle for recognition and maybe rightly so since we aren't 'professional' jounalists. But I think and maybe you will agree we provide a valuable outlet for the 'regular' fan, we give all of us a voice and chance to discuss our favorite teams with fellow fans in a way we have never been able to do in the past. What we don't have is the access to the events and players but it is getting better.

Through our Yahoo Sports connection SBN has two bloggers at the NBA Finals and you can follow their work here if you are so inclined. I thought the two guys we had blogging at the NFL draft was cool so I'm always interested to see fellow bloggers get the kind of access we can only dream on. 

Along those same lines my name has been submitted via the same vehicle for a 'press pass' of sorts for the Panthers upcoming training camp. I'm trying to not get my hopes up but rest assured I will be stoked if it should happen! The Panthers have been one of the less-than-receptive teams to bloggers up to this point but hopefully they will succumb to the tsunami that is blogging!