It's been seven years since Bill Rosinski was fired as play-by-play radio announcer for the Carolina Panthers. It has taken just about all that time for some Panthers fans to warm up to Rosinski's replacement, Mick Mixon.

It's not that we don't like Mixon. We just didn't like the fact that Rosinski, the voice who had been with us since the first year, was fired so abruptly. Who could possibly replace the guy who called the greatest moments in Panthers' history up to that point--beating Dallas in the playoffs in just the second season, or Steve Smith's catch against St. Louis in 2004.

We felt betrayed like Opie in the first episode of The Andy Griffith show when Aunt Bea arrived to take the place of the previous housekeeper. It took a entire episode for Aunt Bea to win over Opie. Eventually she did, and Opie forgot all about the other housekeeper. As Panthers fans, it's safe to say Mick is now our man. I've got highlights of a recent interview with Mike that gives us a glimpse of life as a play by play announcer... after the jump...

Mixon doesn't have the voice or the commanding presence of Rosinski. But he knows football, loves the Carolina Panthers, and brings something unique to the microphone: brains, odd analogies, weird references and most of all, unbridled passion in his play calling. A thinking man's announcer, yes, but still the type of guy who screams uncontrollably when the Panthers score.

Mixon was a guest today on WFAE's Charlotte Talks radio program. It's rare that public radio would devote an entire hour to sports, but Mick is not the typical football announcer. Mick knows the language of sports, but he's also right at home in the cerebral world of NPR. He's a rare bird alright, but he's our bird.

Some highlights from today's interview:

1. On the current state of the team: "If the Carolina Panthers were a stock, I would say buy as many shares as you can get."
2. On the Panther players outlook for the team: "What they are saying in the locker room is double digit wins and Cam wants to be the greatest, iconic Muhammad Ali-like, the greatest at his position."
3. On his love for the Carolina Panthers: "A former wife said to me, 'I think you love the Panthers more than you love me.' I said, 'I love you more than the Bobcats.' We divided up the stuff shortly after."
4. On Jimmy Clausen in offseason workouts: "Clausen has improved tremendously and is throwing the ball really well. This belief is not widely held, but that's because people haven't seen it.