We have been granted the privilege of being one the Charlotte Hornets fan blogs/sites that was selected to attend “Media Day” on Friday Sept. 25th. As you may have noted in the past we are not like other fan blog/sites. We like to beelieve that we are “By The Fan, For The Fan.”
We want to get you, the fan, involved in the day.
***PLEASE COMMENT on this post any questions you want to see us ask any players and staff we may come across!***
Cant Beat #5
Original Edit By J3 Digital
***THIS MAY SEEM OBVIOUS AND DUMB TO SAY BUT ONE VOTE PER FAN PLEASE; ITS NOT FUN IF YOU CHEAT***
Crown Town Football Shirt
With the beginning of the 2015-2016 NBA season just around the corner, there have been quite a few changes to the Charlotte Hornets roster. With that being said, we figured now was the best time to ask the fans “who is our best player?”.
Cast your vote below and we will share the results after this weekend!
Jonathan Stewart leads the running back unit through agility drills. What became a position of worry last season, is one of this year’s deepest groups. Photo courtesy of Panthers.com (Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez)
(By Austin Stallings)
CHARLOTTE — 11:30 AM
In the shadow of Bank of America Stadium, the Panthers kick off their final few practices before this season’s first meaningful game action.
Not much has changed from last season’s typical practice routine, except for new faces at each Tackle position, a new secondary, a new band of pass catchers… Oh, and the team now syndicates a high-energy music playlist — laden with hits by Future & Drake — to keep the intensity up during times of transition. This means the Panthers have caught on to a trend that’s been making it’s way around the league for years now, and seems to be well-received by players and coaches alike. Alright, on to football:
(Photo: Austin Stallings)
Star Lotulelei will participate today, but again without pads. Making his way to the field with an apparent limp, he’ll likely work out solo as he continues to nurse a foot injury suffered early in Training Camp. Based on how little commitment both he and Ron Rivera have shown to his week 1 availability, don’t expect him to take the field against Jacksonville. All for the better though, as he holds the key to the Panthers returning a top 10 defensive unit for the fourth consecutive year — and will be needed for the long term.
Ryan Kalil, who injured his knee against the Dolphins, appears to be on track to play Sunday — although there’s no need for him to enter any contact situations until then. As an offensive captain who has anchored the line for years now, the veteran’s status will be paramount if the Panthers have any hope to sustain drives early in the year.
Rookie wide receiver Rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess approached the field in full pads today after battling through a nagging hamstring issue this preseason. Although Ted Ginn and Philly Brown were named the Week 1 starters on Tuesday, look for Funchess to be moved around the field — both on the outside and in the slot — to create mismatches against smaller defensive backs. Being versatile at the receiver position is something the Michigan product has prided himself on throughout the entire draft process.
(Photo: Austin Stallings)
Charles Tillman & Josh Norman both donning full pads. While Tillman has already been cleared to play against Jacksonville, Norman still has one more test to pass before he’ll get the green light. Both cornerbacks suffered head injuries in consecutive weeks of preseason action, and both will be vital to the success of the revamped secondary this season.
(Photo: Austin Stallings)
Always a great sight to see Jonathan Stewart participating in full pads. He’ll look to complete his first 16-game season since 2011, while seeing the top of the depth chart for the first time in his eight year NFL career.
(Photo: Austin Stallings)
After sustaining a combination of calf and neck injuries through Training Camp, Charles Johnson has yet to see the field this preseason. All signs are trending upward though, as he’s been a full participant in practice this week and remains adamant that he will start on Sunday.
Don’t fret upon seeing Kony Ealy without shoulder pads, a team intern followed closely behind carrying the rest of his gear. He’s set to start opposite Johnson this Sunday, and will attempt to help replace the 15-sack void left behind by Greg Hardy’s departure for Dallas.
Stay tuned for the Week 1 Preview, which will include the team’s fully updated injury report.
Follow Austin on Twitter @Austallings for Breaking News, Injury Updates, and General Football-oriented Rants.
(Written by Austin Stallings)
If you’ve seen the HBO hit-series, Hard Knocks, you’re well aware that the NFL’s final roster cuts are looming — and as unfortunate as it may be, it’s sometimes the fan-favorites that get sent packing. That is something Panthers fans know too, after seeing wide receiver Jarett Boykin, and cornerback Melvin White waived earlier this week when the roster was trimmed to 75. White was instrumental to the team’s 2013 success, and Boykin was thought to add much-needed depth to the receiving corps, after being claimed from Green Bay’s roster in May. Now heading into the final week of the preseason, the team must trim an additional 23 players by 4:00pm on Saturday — and tonight’s matchup with the Steelers is sure to figure in heavily to the decision.
Look for the starters and roster-safe players to see a series or two at most, before making way for position battles to take place at several positions. As Ron Rivera acknowledged himself, “the final cut we make, no pun intended, is not very clear-cut,” “there are a lot of young guys you let go who can play in this league.”
Rookie Wide Receiver Devin Funchess will make his return to the field tonight, after being sidelined with a troublesome hamstring. (Image via ESPN)
Tonight will also mark the return of second-round pick Devin Funchess, who has been sidelined with a troublesome hamstring for most of the preseason. He’ll look to build on a successful Week 1 showing, and give the offense a beacon of hope after what has been a trying preseason. While Funchess should certainly be an upgrade to the current landscape of pass-catchers in Carolina, he won’t be without his rookie growing pains this season, and shouldn’t be expected to fill the impossible void left by an injured Kelvin Benjamin.
Nevertheless, he’ll draw each team’s top defensive back, which should leave more room for the rest of the offense to operate.
Overall, don’t read too much into tonight’s game – as maybe we have for the past three weeks. It will serve as a valuable film-reel for the team’s front office, but even the most accredited analysts can’t predict how final roster cuts will shake out. Between the GM’s vision, and the head coach’s direction – people outside of the building won’t know what the finalized 53 man roster will look like until it’s published. It will be a fun one to watch though, with every player on the field fighting for a job, be it with their current team or otherwise.
Follow Austin on Twitter @Austallings for Breaking News, Injury Updates, and General Football-oriented Rants.
Crown Town Football Shirt
Image by our new Graphic Designer GiddenDesigns
In the NFL, the third week of the preseason serves as a dress rehearsal for the live rendition, and brings with it a set of expectations for the season to come. For better or worse, each franchise’s long-brewing questions will at last be answered, and fans will see starters play their most significant snaps until the regular season begins. Tonight, the reigning Super Bowl champions come to Charlotte where they’ll face a team with as many unanswered questions as any in the league, and a fanbase eager to see who will survive this weekend’s roster cuts. Here’s what to watch for in tonight’s matchup:
WHICH WIDEOUT WILL STEP UP?
After losing a rising star in Kelvin Benjamin, the Panthers’ wideout play tonight will factor in heavily to what the team does with the position going forward. The front office has been adamant about finding answers within it’s own roster, but there’s likely to be a veteran on the free agent market who can help this team’s passing game, especially if second year player Corey Brown continues to struggle. It’s also one of Jarrett Boykin’s last chances to show his hometown that he’s worthy of a spot on the final 53, as his production has been inconsistent since signing with Carolina in May. This group has been thrown into the spotlight since Benjamin’s injury and will continue to be under close watch throughout the season. With rookie Devin Funchess unlikely to play tonight, there are plenty of targets to go around to those battling for roster spots.
A CROWDED BACKFIELD
A key cog in the Panthers’ postseason run in 2014, Fozzy Whittaker may now find himself on the roster bubble as final cuts approach next week. Although the coaching staff maintains that the depth chart hasn’t shifted much since the beginning of camp, inspiring play from a trio of new runners will make the decision a hard one. Rookie Cameron Artis-Payne, free agent acquisition Jordan Todman, and undrafted free agent Brandon Wegher have each made an impact in their own right through 2 weeks of the preseason – and each bring a different caveat of value to the team. With Todman on pace to be the team’s lead kick returner, and Artis-Payne appearing to be a polished 3-down backup to Jonathan Stewart — the final spot will come down to Whittaker and Wegher, who’s now racked up 3 touchdowns over the past 2 weeks. While Fozzy Whittaker made arguably the franchise’s most important play last season, Wegher has since become a fan favorite and likely would be quickly claimed by another team if transferred to the practice squad — which leads me to believe he has more than a fighting chance to earn a spot on this roster. Ultimately, it will come down to how the duo can contribute on special teams.
NEW FACES IN THE SECONDARY
After adding veterans Charles Tillman and Kurt Coleman in the offseason, Carolina looks to have more depth in the secondary than it’s seen in several years. Second year standouts Bené Benwikere and Tre Boston are sure to factor in coming off impressive rookie campaigns, but neither will find themselves in the starting base package to kick off the season. Look for Kurt Coleman to get the start beside Roman Harper, with the high-ceiling Boston breathing down his neck. Benwikere recently stated that he’d rather play outside the numbers than in the nickel slot where he currently lines up, but it’s his versatility that makes him a vital piece to this defense. Either way, the front seven will surely appreciate having more depth and experience behind them than in years past. Tonight they should have a great opportunity to make plays, against a team with it’s top 3 wide receivers out with injuries.
OFFENSIVE LINE TO BE TESTED
A clear team weakness last year has continued to show vast improvement, dating back to the final five games of last season. The group has looked solid thus far, creating viable pockets against the talented defensive fronts of the Bills and Dolphins. That may have looked promising, but it’s important to note that defensive coordinators don’t utilize any complicated schemes in the first two games of the preseason. Still in the process of evaluating talent, there aren’t yet any exotic blitzes or stunts in the gameplan, and thus are much easier to read in pass blocking situations. The group’s first true test will come tonight, when the Patriots bring a more complex scheme to the field, aiming to find which players grasp these concepts faster than others. If the offensive line produces another good showing tonight, I’ll be sold — and it will be a great sign for this offense going forward.
THE GAME:
Bank of America Stadium, 7:35 pm.
Charlotte, NC
Kickoff Weather: Sunny, 80° F
Dell Curry
Lifting up a Legend by Tyler Ball
Every city is built on a foundation, one that is constantly being added to, expanding and even built higher. However, every great city has one thing that brings the community together as a whole that unite the people and encourages the city to continue to grow. For Charlotte, the heartbeat of our city is our Charlotte Hornets.
Muggsy Bogues
When a player becomes a Charlotte Hornet, at any point in their career, they become a piece of the city’s foundation. A permanent brick that future pieces with built off of. One a player put on the teal and purple, they don’t just play basketball, they inspire the people and once the great ones leave, they become immortal and always remembered.
So why the long speech? Growing up in Charlotte as a kid, as many of you readers also did, we idolized players. They might not be the MVP, or greatest the game has ever seen, but we idolized them for other more important qualities like respect for the game and good sportsmanship. The game has changed a lot since I was a kid, some for the better some for the worst, but no matter what I became a fan of a man who set examples of being a good man beyond the lights and cameras, a man who was a role model for me during every pick-up game I played. His name is Glen Rice #41.
Glen Rice
You cannot call yourself a Charlotte Hornets fan without knowing who the Legends of the Hive are, Muggsy Bogues, Anthony Mason, Alonzo Mourning, Bobby Phills, Dell Curry, Glen Rice, PJ Brown, Jamal Mashburn, and Barron Davis.
The only Jersey to be retired and made immortalized for all future generations of Charlotte is Bobby Phills #13, may he RIP. When a Jersey is retired and lifted into the bleachers, they become a shining star for that team and that city. To see their name and jersey in the lights up above you in a game, it’s just a reminder that you witnessed greatness.
Rice and the rest of the Hive legends have given us so much over the years, to both us individually and as a community. It is time that WE as a city give back to them and we can do that by retiring their jerseys while they can see how we still love and appreciate everything they have done for us. This article is to get the word out that we, the fans, are going to lift up our Legends of the Hive!
By Chris Parette
“I don’t think nobody has ever been who I’m trying to be. Nobody has the size, nobody has the speed, nobody has the arm strength, nobody had the intangibles that I’ve had. I’m not saying that to say I’m a one-on-one type of person that this league will never see another. No, I’m not saying that. Hear me out. I’m just saying that so much of my talents have not been seen in one person.”
When Cam Newton casually dropped this nugget last week, it sure did ruffle some feathers of quite a few people. But here is the thing:
He is right.
There is no quarterback in the league that brings to the table what Cam Newton does physically. 6′ 6”. 260 pounds. 4.59 40-yard dash as a rookie. One of the strongest arms in the league. There is no Quarterback that on paper that has what Cam Newton has.
So when Cam was signed to a 5-year $103.8 million contract on Tuesday, with $60 million in guaranteed money, you can see the reasoning behind it. Contrary to what a lot of critics say, Cam is a franchise QB. He has the tools to take a team to the Super Bowl and make the Pro Bowl season after season.
But nobody is claiming that he is perfect. For all the skills Newton has, he hasn’t exactly parlayed them and turned them into massive amounts of success on the field. He is still not a 60% passer in his career. He is one of the most inaccurate quarterbacks in the league, often overthrowing receivers by multiple feet. He still isn’t the greatest decision maker, and it seems when he starts going downhill, it doesn’t stop. I think a good comparison to 2015 Cam Newton is early career Donovan McNabb. At the beginning of his career, McNabb was a very good athlete with serious accuracy problems. Any Eagles fan can recall pulling their hair out watching McNabb bounce passes into open receivers. As he got older and more experienced in the league, he became more of a natural pocket passer, and used his athleticism as a last resort. Over his four years in the league, Cam has drastically improved on this. As a rookie, when Cam’s first read wasn’t open, he was running. Now, he progresses through his reads and resorts to running when he has no other choice. That running is also something that opposing coaches have to plan for when playing the Panthers Cam has yet to have a year where he has less than 500 yards rushing, which is something that is often looked over when looking at his career stats.
Thankfully, Dave Gettleman realizes Cam’s biggest weakness, his accuracy, and addressed it by adding mammoth sized receivers. Greg Olsen, Kelvin Benjamin, and 2015 2nd round pick Devin Funchess are all 6′ 5″. When Cam typically is wild with his throws, he is wild high. Having guys that big lowers the chance of overthrows.
To all of the people who say Cam is getting way too much money for his career 30-31-1 record, go ask the Jets, Browns, and Bills if they would pay that money for Cam. In a heartbeat they would. When you have a franchise quarterback who still hasn’t reached his full potential like Cam, you pay him whatever it takes to keep him in Black and Blue. You CANNOT let Cam walk out the door, because it can take years and years to find another quarterback of the future. You can be like the Browns picking in the top 10 year after year hoping to find that quarterback, or you can lock Cam up and be set for the future.
It is 2015, and quarterbacks that are even borderline franchise cornerstones get paid. Last week, Ryan Tannehill finalized a 6-year, $97 million extension with the Dolphins. Cam has shown way more potential and improvement in his last few seasons than Tannehill has. (Don’t comment and tell me about Tannehill’s stats last year. They were good, but he was running Bill Lazor’s hurry-up and short pass offense, which inflated Tannehill’s stats.) I would venture to say that most of the leagues GM’s would sign Cam for his contract before they would sign Tannehill for his.
Yes the contract is massive. Yes Cam hasn’t exactly become elite on the field yet. Yes Cam in not a complete quarterback at this stage in his career. All that being said, you pay the man whatever it takes to keep him at Bank of America Stadium because he has the potential to win you a Super Bowl.
We grew up with him. He’s one of us. Either you saw him crawling around the olde Coliseum, You went to school with him at Charlotte Christian or you watched him in awe at Davidson.
There’s something about the heart and legacy of the Curry family that has made them Charlotte Royalty for years
Charlotte is pegged as a transplant town and we are admittedly very young in this cultural renaissance we are experiencing so when we see one of our own fly the nest (hive) and be successful there is this overwhelming sense of pride.
Watching Stephen Curry blossom over the years has been a real thrill for us here. Seeing him take the Warriors to the Finals, win MVP and do it with character makes me swell up with that pride.
Soooo when we have our team the Hornet here. Struggling with shooting. His dad (Dell) who is the leading Hornets scorer of all time with just under 10,000 points and still being associated with the team by doing the game commentary and becoming recently a team ambassador. We begin to explore the possibilities of a Stephen homecoming for our own selfish reasons.
This finals series with the Cavs holds a lot of power over the future of Curry in the Golden State. The question is would a win or loss for the Warriors bode better for putting Stephen in that Hornets #30?
Bring Back the Buzz 