5 Questions with the Panthers

It's the day after Thanksgiving. You're still full from dinner, you're hung over, and you're stuck at the in-laws house 'til Sunday. Even worse, you are required to head to the malls today and there's no NFL football on for another two days. What's a Thanksgiving-weary Redskins fan gonna do? The same thing you do every Friday: it's time for 5 Questions!

This week I exchanged pleasantries with Dave, who blogs about the Carolina Panthers over at the AOL Fan House. You can read my answers to Dave's questions at this link.

Curly R: What is the best Thanksgiving menu item of all time? Defend your choice.

Dave: Dude, it's *all* about the turkey. Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird, and every Thanksgiving, I remember why --because it's damn tasty.

Curly R: The Panthers have come a long way since that 1-15 season five years ago. To what do you attribute this success?

Dave: Realizing that George Seifert couldn't actually coach, for starters. I think John Fox and GM Marty Hurney came in here with a blueprint for the kind of team they wanted, and they picked players who fit their plan and who have executed it fairly well. Not everything is perfect -- especially at running back, where Eric Shelton has been a bust and DeShaun Foster has been forced into becoming a Stephen Davis clone -- but it's as solid a group as you'll find in the NFC.

Curly R: The NFC South is a true horse race this season, with all but Tampa Bay in a position to possibly win the division. I think Carolina has the edge because their next four games are all against struggling opponents (Redskins, Eagles, Giants, Steelers). A sweep of those teams could make the last two against the Saints and Falcons irrelevant...do you agree?

Dave: No, I don't, because games against division rivals are NEVER irrelevant, especially now. Just because these teams have slipped a bit the last few weeks doesn't mean they're out of it. Atlanta and New Orleans have many of these same teams left on their schedule, and they are both capable of bouncing back from their slumps, just like Carolina bounced back from those losses against Cincinnati and Dallas. If all those injuries the Giants and Eagles suffered drag them down, it's entirely possible that all three teams could make the playoffs, which makes those divisional battles all the more important.

Curly R: Which was more disappointing...losing Super Bowl XXXVIII by a field goal with four seconds left, or only getting to see one of Janet Jackson's boobs during the halftime show?

Dave: Y'know, Jackson family boobs aren't really a high priority for me. I have high-speed Internet at home, and there's a gentlemen's club in Raleigh, so I can look at boobs pretty much whenever I want. If Janet wants to come to my house and give me a private showing, that's one thing, but I'd much rather see the Panthers win a title.

Curly R: I know that the Panthers are relative newcomers to the league, but who would Panthers fans consider to be their greatest rival?

Dave: I actually think that's still open for debate. The games against the Buccaneers are usually more intense, but there's definitely more fan hatred toward the Falcons -- possibly because despite the Panthers' 1-7 start in 2004, that team still might have made the playoffs if not for Michael Vick's improbable end zone dive that won the game for Atlanta. I don't think either of the Vick brothers are particularly welcome in Charlotte.

*****

Thanks, Dave for answering our questions. Speaking of Michael Vick and Atlanta, they'll be coming to town next week to further embarrass the Redskins at FedEx. As always, we'll have the burning questions next Friday.

Infamous "Wardrobe Malfunction" pic liberated from Wikipedia.