PghPanther

In my days back in 1979 I was in better shape than those guys and at 66 yrs now I'm still in shape can could give them a run for their money.....

There are many reasons why ratings are down among the two more prominent appear to be as follows: 1) The covid situation has changed sports seasons..shorter during with schedule changes, less or no people..........its depressing watching games that look like practice with no one in the stands. The unemployment rates and business collapses have strained many people financially and changed the way they look at spending their spare time now. 2) Social imperatives..............sports has always been popular because of it being an escape...........or entertainment to watch and forget about the world and its problems.......people don't want to be preached to, they know and hear enough to understand what is going on in the country and don't care to have their spare time for entertainment being preached to............. 3) Change of lifestyle and attitude towards sports in general..................the generations coming up in general don't have the entertainment/factor attention span of the generations who made sports what they are today...........my generation was a tv generation subservient to the investment of time in front of a tv to obtain their entertainment............the generations now are instant information on demand smart phone/social media users and/or a gaming generation.........they are not playing sports as much and don't have that interest. The demographic change of the country is also reflected in the sport preferences which are changing..............no to mention the head problems with football keep eating away at its interests in younger generational apathy towards the game. 4) Sports are like dinning out............when the economy and world is running at its normal pace they are very popular among those who support them..............but force a change or shutdown of dinning out then people do more grocery shopping and eating at home..........people's consumption habits are changing and sports is also a reflection of that. I don't know were it all leads to but its not the same anymore for right now.... I watched the Indy 500 recently...........the tradition of the memorial day May event off the calendar..........and instead of 300k plus in the stands there was nobody.............it just wasn't that same and I have always loved that event.

I concur.............football in person is only enhance by the crowd......the actual play on the field (unless you are on the sidelines or down in the first few rows) looks very underwhelming....................same with baseball. Both look far more impressive on TV than in person. The players look almost superhuman on TV in football.......live in person they look very pedestrian............I"m not impressed at all with the greatness of football live........ ........and I came from Pgh where I saw all the great Steeler games of the 70's in person including the Immaculate Reception.............which was mass confusion before a celebration............. ........but the actual play was like.........what the hell happened? There was no sense of anything special the moment it happened until the ref raised his hands for a touchdown..........it was the crowd which made that moment special.......seeing that play in person was a matter of confusion not excitement. However, the documentation of that play and the reaction on TV looks legendary........................the magic of TV made football what it is today and if I ever watch it again (I want to be entertained not preached to) it will be on my couch.

well stated.......remember when the NBA first reacted to the virus and it practically forced the hands of everyone else to act because if you didn't then you became the problem.............. Same here.......one team says no fans...............they will all start and any team that doesn't will become the problem and the crap hits the fan then.........stick a fork in it..........NFL tickets can be used to lined bird cages this year.

Football is dying.......between this existential covid 19 issue impacting everything...........add to that the CTE issues that aren't going away nor being addressed other than some window dressing PR ads............. and the NFL focusing on social causes rather than entertainment......... the game is has no future so find something else to do with your spare time as this sport won't be around in 5 to 10 years due in combination to what I just outlined above......... Point of case.........where does the NFL get its players?...........................and where do the colleges get their players? High schools................big problem. 10 years ago there were 15 insurance companies providing insurance for HS game................today now there are only 2............yup two insurance companies and the insurance rates for playing HS games is sky rocketing..........parents are not keen on having their children's brains scatter from playing it........and many younger people have no interest in playing it today.......so add that to the fact that many high schools are dropping their football programs because they can't afford in the insurance anymore..... ....that will be the death of football in the US...... the insurance premiums for high schools to play football can no longer be justified from the community/state tax base. The insurance companies will drop out or be so pricey in premiums the high school teams will dry up...........then the colleges and the NFL will be left holding their dicks.......... The NFL and college knows its coming and they frankly are in a loss for words......... Even flag football rules won't save linemen from the dangers of CTE and the insurance companies worries of that. Enjoy what's left of it..................and say goodbye.......

Some teams want game managers as QBs while they look for someone new out of the draft to build an offense around..........other teams are building offenses around new draft picks that show such a potential or making due with what they have as work in progress. Newton's potential as a big duel threat QB would still be something worth building a team around if he was coming out of the college draft. But to be an aged big duel threat with concerns of the physical side of Cam's durability and the fact that he has established himself in the league so that if he is healthy would command a significant compensation is actually working against him at this time...not for him. Its somewhat like what actress model Lauren Bacall once said about women, "All women die two deaths..............the first to their beauty and youth..........and the 2nd they share in the same with men" Well, an athlete especially an elite one has the same curse...................they first lose stock from age/injuries as the elite ones experience first.................and then like all athletes lose stock from being too much a financial risk to maintain continued investment in them. I'm afraid Newton might be in that situation right now in his career.......

hmm.......Jimi Hendrix was from Seattle..........

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the MVP about the most valuable player......not necessarily the statistically best player? What I mean is that Cam would be the NFL's most valuable player to both the Panthers and any other team he would have played for based on what he is doing this year..............which is able to contribute to winning games and winning consistently throughout the year. If that is what an MVP is about then Russell Wilson falls short of that.............based on what I just outlined Carson Palmer is more of an MVP to his team and the league than Wilson. I don't see what the issue is here. Personally, I would like the voting of the MVP to take place after all playoffs games and the SB has been finished...................for instance if the Panthers were one and done and RW won the SB you could make a case then..............or if Carson Palmer won the SB then him........but if you have to base it on the regular season then Cam is the winner no doubt with a close second by Palmer and then Wilson.....maybe even Antonio Brown of the Steelers or AP with the Vikes......

what kind of O line do the Bucs have? I'm going to say something very unpopular here........but if we don't figure out how to pressure the QB we leave ourselves exposed to be shredded in the secondary.......injuries along with age and lack of speed is catching up with the D line and most importantly the secondary late in the season and hit critical mass starting in the second half of the Giants game..... Look at the last 6 quarters of how our defense played......... It going to be like starting over here.... Bucs 27.....gulp!.........Cats 24

Named after the admiral Isoroku Yammato who engineered the attack on Pearl Harbor........his first name means "57" in Japanese. He was given that name because his father was 57 yrs old when he was born. ...........and a 57 yard Stewart fumble recovery by Ed Dixon in week 4 against the Bucs sunk their ship while it kept the cats undefeated for the season......

There is a path for talent to find itself right to the NFL with little or no regards to the social upbringing/maturity or the personal accountability, social responsibility and fiscal understanding of the athlete involved. Is it no surprise that far too many ex-athletes, especially in the NFL struggle to assimilate into society, avoid bankruptcy and manage violent behavior when they have been catered to groom their on field talents at all costs. It's time for the athlete to realize they are flesh and bone with such a short time in their life to play professionally...........and when that body fails them on the field they will have to face a life outside of football which many are ill prepare for...... Beckham is just one sad example of such behavior................. I love NFL football........but I also hate it was well..............much for the reasons stated above. Its a bittersweet contest for me to enjoy.

Every team in the NFL is full of professionals and capable of playing at a high level...........well, maybe except for the Browns............ As a result the Panthers will need to focus on this game as much as they have any other. Its easy to get in trouble during a game with a mistake or two.........but the trend I see developing over this year that Cam's reads on passing plays is improving, while his passing is cleaner and more precise on designed plays........and the receiving core is starting to step up too. Our big offensive problem is setting up a screen that actually works............ The defense will come up big with a turnover or two on the Skins and as result....... I see Panthers winning.........27-17

I'm not a fan of either team but the Hawks actions in this game made me end up rooting for NE............amazing that could happen for me........I can't stand NE but now I feel they deserved that win and the coaching staff of the Hawks just realized you can't play sandlot pick up football luck and get away with it forever....... More than anything else...........its nice............VERY NICE to see some other team than the Panthers blow a play call at a critical team in a game...............and coming in the biggest game/moment of them all!!!...................

I haven't heard or seen anything to overhype that game because I don't look for it..........not too hard to do......when it comes time to play the game then I'll turn on the TV set............that's it..................why all the fuss about claiming its overhyped? Do other things all week...........

I found it interesting that an officials time out during the game held up play because they didn't have the right ball on the line of scrimmage for NE by the ball boy?.....................First time I ever saw that in a game. Does anyone remember when NE won a playoff game with a snow plow clearing the ground for the FG kicker to have a clean kick.......but that plow was no where to be found for the opposing team when they had to kick a FG.