Our team, our beloved Panthers took a serious whupping on Thursday night in front of a nation of football fans. The CSR community has taken it hard. Some few seem to have abandoned hope for years to come. Many others are witch-hunting; it's Hurney's incompetence, Rivera's stoic sideline demeanor, the gameplans by Chud and McDermott, bad tackling by (fill in the blank_____), and on and on and on.

I'll tell you what I took from this beat down. As of week 3 of the 2012 season, the Carolina Panthers are not a top-level team in the NFL. I also have been watching the NFL for about 45 years. I've seen teams turn themselves around seemingly overnight.

Everyone may have an opinion on the problem and the solution, but we're not in that locker room. And based on the what I've read (and commented myself), the collective mind of CSR's great fans is befuddled, and that's not a happy place. But I tell you this... I'm not embarrassed. I'm not shocked. I'm just a bit disappointed. And most importantly, I am a fan of the Carolina Panthers; from J.R. to the last guy on the practice squad. Read on... there's just a little more preaching by me, and then I'll turn it over to the masters.

Whatever the problem is, I believe it will be corrected. Will we win the Lombardi this year, or even make the playoffs? Highly unlikely, and it's natural to feel the gut-wrench that comes from the realization that one's expectations were set too high. Because that's what it's really about. We may be a year or two from getting close to the top of the mountain, barring a miraculous turnaround this season.

I know this is nothing more than a "Rah, Rah, Go Team" post. We're not the GM, the coaches, or the players. We can and should discuss them, criticize them, analyze them. But in the end, we're the fans, and we can't fix what's on the field. So I encourage everyone, myself included, to hope for the miracle, rejoice in every victory, and don't give up on this team. And now, I'd like to present some guest speakers to help re-invigorate all of my friends here.

Keep hoping, KEEP POUNDING

Inch by bloody inch, we'll get there. There's only so much we, as fans, can do. But, we can stay together and back our team, and hope they give everything they have on every play. Miracles do happen.

From today until next Sunday and every day thereafter, I'm going to continue to have faith that the Panthers will Fight!

(NFSW warning):

Bluto is right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. Something needs to be done, I just don't know what it is, or when it will happen. Let's all be here when it does. Can I get a "Amen?"