Spraying to all Fields

Been too long between posts (my bad). Thoughts on a variety of topics.

Look for the Carolina Panthers to get their first win of the season Sunday against Jacksonville. I have noticed this team turning a little edgy, and who could blame them. They deny it, because they know the reality is that they are winless, but they honestly feel they they should have the reverse record. Give Head Coach Ron Rivera a lot of credit. In a short amount of time, he has a team that still has plenty of players from last years disaster of a season believing they can compete with anyone. More than that, they are doing it. Jacksonville could get crushed on Sunday. Seriously.

Thoughts out to Panthers LB Thomas Davis, who is out for the season after suffering a third tear of the ACL in his right knee. The guy has so much heart and determination, it's a shame that he has been hit with this again. I'm not calling his career over. No way. The guy has too much desire and love of the game to write him off. When he does eventually retire, it will only be because he says its over. Until that time, he's an NFL player, just on IR.

On Saturday, I was railing on my twitter account (@MikeSolarte) about the Maryland Terrapin uniforms. I can't sugar coat it--those things are hideous. I lay the blame on Oregon (and Nike CEO Phil Knight). No school should have more uniform combinations, than offensive sets in their playbook. Oregon, your colors are green and gold. Maryland, you guys sport red, white and black. Stick to it. Duke, you aren't exempt either. Ditch the black based basketball uni's and stay with the blue. It looks better, and doesn't make people wonder who is on the floor.

Tough loss for UNC against Georgia Tech on Saturday. Heels fought back from a deficit, and tied the game at 28. Giovani Bernard is a pleasure to watch. Untimely mistakes, and Georgia Tech's ability to move the ball cost the Heels a win. Not the end of the world, as this team will learn from it all. Losing isn't fun, but the Heels played well enough to win. They just came up short. And stop with the "justice" thoughts about the 10-second run off at the end of the game. The NCAA changed the rule after last year's bowl game, and they got bitten by it. Saying it's justice is nothing more than being a hater. I'm not a UNC "fan," just a fan of good games. This was a good game. Leave it at that.

Lastly, I'm hoping Webb Simpson can put up a nice 65 on Sunday to give himself a chance to win the Fed Ex Cup at the Tour Championship. He's had a monster year, and it would be pretty cool to see a homegrown talent (Raleigh native, Wake Forest grad, and now Charlotte resident), claim the big prize at the end of a breakout year.

Mike Solarte