WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 77: Putting It All Together 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:04.840 Let's see what's going to happen over the next couple 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:07.160 of weeks. I mean, and you know, things can look 0:00:07.160 --> 0:00:09.559 a lot different. And with New Orleans coming in and 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:13.520 I think as a team that is struggling to create turnovers, 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:20.920 maybe you kind of want to see the saints right now. 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:24.760 It's that time of the week. Welcome to the happy 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:28.520 half hour podcast with your friends Augusta, Darren and Kristen. 0:00:28.680 --> 0:00:31.440 We are going to talk all panthers guys, but but look, 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:35.120 if you know Darren, there is quite a few things 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:36.360 that he cares I was gonna say one thing he 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:38.280 cares about. There quite a few things that he cares about, 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:41.599 but at the very top of the list is Appalachian State, uh, 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:44.440 and Appalachian State football specifically. So we're going to get 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:47.479 into all things panthers. Were going to answer all of 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:49.760 your questions, tell you what we have been learning around 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.600 the building this week. But first and foremost, yeah, just 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:57.880 ten second Brag only college. That is that is the stipulation. 0:00:58.000 --> 0:01:01.480 I'M gonna give my all for Palachian state, ten seconds 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:04.880 at a time. It's UH, no, it's cool and I'm 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:08.040 and I'm super passionate about Appalachian State. I've always said 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.759 I don't think when I went there we were ever 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:15.160 anybody's first choice, and the people there or the school itself. 0:01:15.280 --> 0:01:17.320 But you get there and you kind of turn into 0:01:17.319 --> 0:01:19.920 a community and now it's a destination and now everybody 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:21.160 wants to be a part of it and now we're 0:01:21.200 --> 0:01:24.680 on national TV and now we win football games in 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:29.280 incredible and hard stopping ways. So yeah, it's fun. It's good. 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:32.200 It's good to be a mountaineer every day, but especially 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:39.040 right now. That was twenty seven seconds. Let it slide. 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:43.160 We'll let it slide. Is The Room on the bandwagon? Oh, absolutely, welcome. 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:44.800 I mean, and that was the cool thing about game 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:47.039 day this weekend. All our new friends who got to 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:49.080 see us for the first time and we're like wow, 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:51.240 look at this amazing place up in the mountains and 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.240 there are trees and mountains and awesome people and they're 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:57.200 having fun and Luke colmbs is, you know, firing up 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.400 the crowd and everything else. It was great. It was 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:02.680 good stuff. Welcome new friends. All right. Both my brothers 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:05.680 went to Appalachian Um. I'm a big Fan. It is 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.360 absolutely beautiful there. And then, if we are just bragging 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:11.040 about our college teams, of course, because we left Darren go. 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:13.519 You know, I do just have to say uh, you 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:16.120 and see did did beat Appalachian, and so it's you know, 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:19.680 it's good to see Appalachian success this year. The rest 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:21.639 of it, it's really happy for them. You See, is 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:24.280 three and O um, at least until this weekend. We'll 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:26.920 see what happens with Notre Dame Um, but just wanted 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:30.040 to throw that out. We were happy to provide a 0:02:30.080 --> 0:02:33.200 program defining upset victory for the tar heels. The same. 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:35.040 We were happy just to, you know, help you guys 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:37.120 work out your kinks and and be able to to 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:39.920 move forward and take on Texas. A and M you know, 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:42.280 clearly warmed up now and I guess it's just sitting 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:46.120 over here because she went to Georgia sipping her sipping 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:49.200 her coffee. What else is there to say? Now? This 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.679 past weekend was super exciting for me personally. I said 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:53.600 it was almost like my personal super bowl because it 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:56.000 was Georgia South Carolina, the two schools I covered before 0:02:56.040 --> 0:03:00.040 I came here. Um, and obviously you know it's it 0:03:00.120 --> 0:03:02.200 was conflicting. I was actually on the plane on the 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:04.240 way to New York watching that game on my phone 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:07.480 and Georgia was being Georgia and I was telling my 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:09.400 parents it's almost like it's unfair at this point. But 0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:11.639 it's awesome. It's so cool, and it's especially cool that 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:14.480 they chose to do this right after I graduated, year 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:17.560 after I graduating, Daddie yere. Now we're out here just 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:21.120 destroying everybody left and right. Um, but it's cool. It's awesome. 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:24.959 I will say I was shooting some segments with Thomas 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:27.760 Davis earlier this week and he tended to say the 0:03:27.800 --> 0:03:30.000 same thing about Georgia South Carolina. You know, he said, Gosh, 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:32.560 it's just it's almost like it's unfair to them. You know, 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:35.480 which is always what is it? The opposite of of 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:39.320 love isn't hate. It's in difference right or the worst? 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.240 The worst thing about what is this saying? Whatever, you 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:45.080 know what I'm getting at. It's it's not when you're hated, 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:47.720 it's when the the other team, does not care about you, 0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:50.280 and I feel like that's where Georgia South Carolina is gone. 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:52.920 It's pretty rough. Yeah, I will say South Carolina cares 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:56.120 a lot, but I'm not sure if that's reciprocated. That's 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:59.520 just from my associations with the FANDOM, my observations, but 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:01.720 I love Carolina, love my time there. So you were 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:04.480 being you were being you're you're really on both sides 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:07.600 right now as a good reporter, and I appreciate that. 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:09.920 All Right, so that was fun, but of course we 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:14.640 have we got to talk panthers. Not so fun? Yes, yes, 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:18.080 less fun. I think it's a great way to put that. UH, Darren, 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.240 why don't you sum up this this Oh and to 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:24.720 start for us, you tell people, you know, the reality 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:26.719 situation and then also what there is to look forward 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:29.160 to in the next fifteen games. Well, I mean that's 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.480 the thing. This is a bad Oh and two start. 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:35.760 This is not what anybody expected, but it's still oh 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:39.400 and two and not oh and fifteen or something like that. 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:43.560 I'm checking my watch. It's still September Um. There's a 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:45.440 lot of football to be played and I don't know 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:47.800 how any of it's going to work out. I don't 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.480 know that it's going to work out. I don't know that. 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:55.560 You know. Yeah, it's it's football, it's sports. We we 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:58.120 don't get a script for this thing in advance. I 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:01.279 don't think this is what Ain'body expect. It obviously they're 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:04.080 disappointed and I think because there were a different level 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:08.440 of expectations going into this year. Uh. That's what makes 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:10.720 this one kind of hard to process for a lot 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:13.000 of the people downstairs and a lot of people who 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:16.880 are around this team on a daily basis because, empirically speaking, 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:22.400 this football team is a is a better collection of 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:26.719 football players and coaches than what they've had around here 0:05:26.800 --> 0:05:30.120 the last two years. I think it would be hard, 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:33.360 no matter how you feel about a football team or 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:36.520 a particular person or anything like that, it's hard to 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:41.520 argue that you brought in actual offensive linemen. Uh, don't, don't, 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:45.960 don't hold me to this, but that starting five offensive 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:48.400 lines played every snap of the first two games and 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:52.320 they've played reasonably well. I mean, that's not the abject 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:56.520 problem it was last year. Only an improvement over last year, 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:00.479 absolutely an improvement over last year, and nothing against those guys. 0:06:00.560 --> 0:06:03.520 There just weren't enough people, uh, to do the thing 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:06.040 last year and they went out and got the people 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:08.600 to do the thing they the other thing that I 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.680 think is frustrating to me about watching these guys this 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:14.320 year is you come out of the first week. Well, 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:16.520 it is the biggest problem Oh my God, Cleveland ran 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:20.000 it down their throats. I mean two seventeen yards as 0:06:20.040 --> 0:06:22.200 a team. Nick Chubb Went Wild and you think going 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:25.280 into New York, Oh God, say, Kwan Barkley had even 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:27.680 more yards the first week than Nick Chubb. What's gonna 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:30.680 Happen up here? and run defense went a problem. They 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:34.440 played pretty well against the run. They've got. They've got 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:37.760 some new guys in Markwa McCall, I think is going 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:40.400 to end up being a pretty key piece, along with 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:43.840 Henry Anderson, of kind of stabilizing things just because he's 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:47.040 a wide body. He's a different UH frame from some 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.840 of the guys they've got. And you know, they did 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:53.080 some different things to shore up the RUNDFE defense and 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:55.520 it wasn't the same kind of problem it was the 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.080 week before. But it's almost like when you put your 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:01.360 finger in the hole in the damn something else POPs up. 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:04.960 It's like you know you're chasing problems right now and 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:07.479 all of a sudden they can't convert a third down 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:11.320 on offense, they're not creating any turnovers on defense. So 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:14.920 it's just one thing after another and you know they've 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:18.360 got some opportunities. You would think, UH, coming up to 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:20.880 fix some of those issues, but until they do it, 0:07:21.800 --> 0:07:24.960 it's not done. And and that's kind of the quandary 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:28.680 about where they're at right now. And you're right, there 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:31.240 is a different kind of as a fan of of 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.480 any team right, I think that anyone would say, and 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:36.480 certainly in my own experience with the teams that I've 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:38.320 Roote for, you and see or whatnot, there is a 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:42.080 different kind of frustration when you are so close right 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:44.000 as opposed to when you are not in the game. 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:47.560 They are both types of frustration and, uh, they both 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:51.480 come with their own things. But you have to admit 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:54.360 that the panthers have they have made these improvements in 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.800 certain areas and they are right there Um and and 0:07:57.920 --> 0:08:00.520 losing by very small margins. It feels like one play 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:03.440 away and full of fifty plus yard field goals at 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:05.920 the ends of games tend to make differences and you 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:08.200 see and and you see some of those not go 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.880 in for some other teams in the NFL when when 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:13.160 their team is is, you know, right on it, right 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:16.280 or you have the opportunity to make that field goal 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:18.960 right here on the other side of things. So that 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:21.120 is a different type of frustration and I'm sure that 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:24.240 Darren in your in your mail bag, you have seen that, right. 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:27.480 So it's like it's like things are good and going 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:29.600 in the right direction and they're still fifteen games left, 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:31.720 but it is it is heartbreaking, I think you'd say, 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:34.520 for a fan to to watch your team be very 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:39.480 close and then ultimately just yeah, things the things that 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:42.280 were true on Labor Day when they picked a fifty 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:45.760 three man roster and kind of established what this team 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:49.120 was going to look like. We're the coaching staff is 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:51.880 deeper and more experience. You bring in Steve Wilakes, James 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:56.040 Camp and Ben mcadoo and all these guys, and yes, 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:59.720 that's more experienced. The roster is better. Those things remain, 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:02.760 but until they find a way to turn that into 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:07.240 winds on the field. Somebody wants to hear about that. Absolutely, 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:10.560 I guess said I would like to know. We did 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:12.800 this last week and I really enjoyed it. What is 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:16.400 one thing you have learned this week about the panthers? 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:19.439 About the panthers? Okay, I'm going to kind of switch 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:21.120 it up here a little bit. I'm going to actually 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:24.160 talk about a story that I wrote, because there's a lot, 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.240 you know, going on in the football side of things 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:29.880 and I was able to Um sit down last week 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.640 with our kicker, Eddie Panero, who, amid all of the 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.000 chaos and everything going on, he's gotten off to a 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:38.400 good start, coming in for Zingenzaal is there at the 0:09:38.440 --> 0:09:41.040 last minute. He's perfect four four in his field goals, 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.199 Um and perfect on his extra points. So there's a 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:46.560 bright spot there for for Eddie. But Um, I had 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:48.880 a chance to talk with him about his his whole 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:52.520 journey to football in general, and there's so many different 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:56.120 interesting aspects of his story just in general that I 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:58.280 cannot wait to share in the article that I just 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:02.439 wrote yesterday and the days before. But Um, one of 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:06.920 the key things was that, um, football was never, or 0:10:07.480 --> 0:10:11.719 I guess not exactly, his first dream in terms of sports, Um, 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:13.800 and that was something we wrote about when he first 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:15.959 got here. You know, he's a soccer guy, but his 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:19.360 transition into football and soccer was actually something very emotional 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:22.679 and very, you know, big for him and he wanted 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:25.360 to make something of himself in football to support his family. 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.160 There's all sorts of just great connections between him and 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:31.160 his father, who was a professional soccer player in the nineties. Um, 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:32.920 I also spoke with his father for the story. So 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:36.439 they're just he's he's a family guy. There's just so 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:39.040 many reasons that he plays football that are outside of Oh, 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:41.200 it's a cool thing to go kick for the NFL 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:43.400 and I am so excited for everyone to read that. 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:44.800 But just having a chance to talk with him for 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.120 thirty minutes last Friday and then talk with his father 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:49.960 get to know him, Um, you know, kind of showing 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:52.199 the panthers like, okay, I know this guy came in 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.360 in August out of nowhere and in a pretty you know, die, 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:57.120 your situation was inns. I was getting hurt in the 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:59.800 last preseason game. But Um, he's a real good addition 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:02.880 to in terms of morale and excitement and uh, I'm 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.199 really excited to share that story. So I didn't getting 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:06.760 to know Eddie, and that's one of the things that's 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:08.440 great about this job. We were talking about it um 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:10.160 either last week or the week before, with opening the 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:12.439 locker rooms and getting to know the guys. Um just 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:15.440 being able to share their stories. They're wise that they're here, 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:18.040 that so many of them it's past, you know, an 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:19.959 NFL dreamer wanting to play in stadium. A lot of 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:22.320 it is very deep rooted and emotional. So I'm very 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:24.199 excited to share that and it is and it is 0:11:24.280 --> 0:11:26.480 a cool story. It'll be up later this afternoon on 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:29.400 Panthers Dot Com and, having had a chance to read 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:32.880 through it, uh and start working on the layout portion 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:35.560 of it that we have to do, it's Um there's 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:38.719 some details in there. It's like, when you see what 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:40.719 this family is going through and you see what this 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:44.640 journey means to them, it's worth checking out. And it's 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:47.800 cool because I think a lot of times, and I've 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.040 kind of joked that when kickers get hurt and you're 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:52.599 looking for replacement kickers that I've made the joke that 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:54.800 it's like a clown car. They go from city to 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.040 city and try out. You know, they were in Kansas 0:11:57.080 --> 0:11:59.400 City the other week. Before that they all came to Charlotte. 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:03.800 But when these guys come in they're expected to do 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:06.840 a pretty important thing right off the bat. So yes, 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:10.360 was everybody disappointed that Zane Gonzalez got heard, of course, 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.480 but it's now like, okay, Eddie, it's on you, and 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:17.400 so far Eddie's delivered in the Games, Um, and we'll 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:19.959 see how it goes. But it's so cool seeing the 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:23.000 human stories that kind of make up the team. And 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:25.480 there's fifty three of them, plus a practice squad and 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:27.959 plus all the people around this team, and that's what 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:30.000 we try to do. I mean I want to tell 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:32.559 people the stories of these people that we get to 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:35.520 see in these people that we've got access to that 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.280 other people do not have. I cannot wait to read that. 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:41.400 It sounds great. Darren. What's one thing you've learned this week? 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:46.679 I have learned that a lot of these guys it's 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:50.480 kind of interesting to me. You know, as much as 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:54.400 they put into this thing, they are their own worst critics. 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:57.160 If you read the Internet or listen to the radio 0:12:57.360 --> 0:12:59.120 or all this kind of stuff, if you think it 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:01.240 must be a dis aster. But I was talking to 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:04.319 Frankie Luvu the other day about Frankie played one of 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.280 the Best Games of defensive football he's played in his 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:10.920 entire life last week, but the only thing that keeps 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:13.960 repeating in his mind is dropping what could have been 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:17.319 an interception and probably a pick six at a certain point. 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:21.439 So it's it's interesting that, when the environment is not 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:25.960 necessarily conducive, that you know it's not just people yelling 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.920 at them I mean Eddie's like are not Eddie, but 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:32.439 Frankie is like I know there were a couple of 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:35.120 little things I could have done better, and it's and 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.040 it's like you also have to be mindful of the fact, 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:40.920 and I talked to J C Horn about this as well. Um, 0:13:41.559 --> 0:13:44.679 there can be specific things you'd like to fix, but 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:49.000 the whole is at least moving in a positive direction 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:52.679 for them individually. I mean J C has committed some 0:13:52.800 --> 0:13:55.520 penalties and been on the other end of some criticism 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:58.240 about particular things, but J C Horn still pretty good 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:03.600 at football, and Frankie Luvu's Um kicking himself over dropping 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:05.960 a pick six. But when you look at the whole 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:08.440 of what Frankie Lu hit on the field last week, 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:09.959 I mean I'm sitting here next to Augustin and I 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:11.640 was like, this guy's out there running around like his 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:14.920 hair's on fire. He's making every play, he's all over 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:18.319 the place. So and and that's the challenge when you're 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:20.560 in the situation they're in right now, where you're kind 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:24.520 of they are sort of trying to latch onto the 0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:28.240 things they've got to fix and fix them. But you've 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:31.880 also got to be mindful of Frankie's playing pretty well 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:34.760 right now. He absolutely as we you know, on the 0:14:34.840 --> 0:14:37.240 radio broadcast during that game, we called his name so 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:40.880 many times, especially in that first half. It's it's incredible 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:43.360 to to see what he's doing and the rate at 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:46.600 which he continues to just progress, and not even progress, 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:48.160 he's he's always been a great player, but to be 0:14:48.160 --> 0:14:50.320 able to show what he can do in a variety 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:53.000 of different ways coming in here last year, is primarily 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:56.040 a special team's contributor, you know, at first and until 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:58.880 there were some injury so it's just been it's he's 0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:00.800 a guy that you want to on your team. I 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:02.560 mean there's there's quite a few of those guys on 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:04.360 on this team, but man, it is so fun to 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:06.720 watch him, Darren, even when you said, even when he 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:08.920 might be beating himself up over a few plays, it's 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.320 it's it's very enjoyable to watch him. The thing that 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:13.720 I've learned this week, I specifically learned it on Sunday 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:17.080 and Darren, you mentioned it already, but this defense can 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:21.360 stop the run, and I think that goes to what 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:25.080 what you were saying earlier, Darren, um about there's still 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:27.160 being a lot of football left to play, because that 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:31.040 was the one of the main storylines in week one. Right, 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:33.560 you give up two d seventeen yards on the ground 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.280 to Cleveland. The only team that rushed for more yards 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:39.800 than Cleveland in week one were the giants. Two eight 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:41.840 se kuon Barkley had a hundred sixty four yards on 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:45.800 the ground. And then, especially in the first half and 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:49.040 for a few except for a few plays there for 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:50.360 the end of the game, which, of course, we're very 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:54.000 important plays, this defense did a great job really neutralizing 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:56.640 sa Kuon Barkley for the majority of the game and 0:15:57.120 --> 0:15:59.920 so as a as a someone that watches all of 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:01.600 these games and if I were a fan, I would 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:03.800 feel very heartened about that. Now there still are you know, 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:06.440 there's still the turnover issue. No turnovers through the first 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:09.240 two games, but it's just, you know, like you said, Darren, 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:11.040 we can't predict what's going to happen in the next 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:14.640 fifteen games. But of course, every week, right, it's these 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.160 little granular things until you get a broader sense of 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:19.600 who this team is, which I would say is what 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:23.200 probably week four, week five. Um, what do you say, Darren? 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:25.960 It's Um, it's not a pattern until a certain you 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.680 wrote it recently. Yeah, and and I talked about it 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.120 mail bags. The first week everybody wanted to say, Oh 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:32.960 my God, this is exactly what it's going to be 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:36.440 all season. And one instance isn't a trend. I mean 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:39.360 it takes two, three. Let's see what's going to happen 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.760 over the next couple of weeks. I mean, and you know, 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:44.720 things can look a lot different. And with New Orleans 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:48.760 coming in, I think as a team Um that is 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:54.760 struggling to create turnovers right now, you know, maybe you 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:58.720 kind of want to see the saints right now because, yeah, 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:02.280 it's there're s things and and it's interesting and I 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:05.760 think as I visited with our friend Will Brian, Panthers 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:10.760 Stats Guy, that came into a little clear focus. Of 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:15.200 the time. It wicks every times. That of the week, 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:22.200 as promised live from his undisclosed location inside Bank of 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:26.280 America Stadium. That's why I'm whispering. He's Panthers Tagg Will Brian, 0:17:26.359 --> 0:17:29.119 and here's this week's stat of the week. Alright, stat 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:31.960 of the week. Jamis Winston. This will be his eleventh 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:35.200 career game against the Carolina Panthers. Most of those came 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:38.280 when he was a Tampa Bay buccaneer. Overall, he's four 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:42.200 and six against Carolina with a sixty point four completion percentage. 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:47.120 He has nine touchdowns in sixteen interceptions. Many of those 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:49.320 came in that game in London that we all remember. 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:52.320 He's been sacked thirty six times with a seventy two 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:55.520 point six passer ratings. So a chance for this panthers 0:17:55.640 --> 0:17:59.360 defense to get after Jamis on Sunday our very own 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:03.119 panthers ask Guy Will Brian with a great stat about 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:06.080 Jamis there and Darren. To your point, I think it's right. 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.000 You know it's uh, we'll see what happens. It could 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:12.159 be the pump could be primed for those takeaways to 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.959 get wrong. If you need to see Takeaways Jamis. Winston 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:20.119 has been generous past, so maybe this works out all right. 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.840 I want to have some fun with something. Darren does 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:26.239 a great mail bag. I'm a religious reader. I had 0:18:26.240 --> 0:18:28.680 to I'll have to write in, you know, the longtime reader. 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:32.760 First Time. Um called ask the old guy. So I 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:35.080 thought what would be fun Augusta is for us to 0:18:35.160 --> 0:18:38.399 be able to draw on Darren's extensive knowledge, but with 0:18:38.520 --> 0:18:40.600 the panthers and without because you know I go to 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:43.840 Darren for advice. Sometimes it's a team related sometimes it's, 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:47.920 you know, it's about like having a child and things 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:50.320 like that. So I thought Augusta and I could do 0:18:50.400 --> 0:18:54.800 our very own ask the old guy. Um, I think 0:18:54.800 --> 0:18:56.399 our questions might be a little bit better than a 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:58.200 little bit nicer than what you get in the mail 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:01.280 bag sometimes this week. So Um, so we're gonna do 0:19:01.359 --> 0:19:03.400 Augus and I are each going to do one panthers 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:07.040 related question and then one non panthers question. Does that 0:19:07.160 --> 0:19:12.600 sound good? Fair enough. Alright, my first question is panthers related. 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:16.919 I want to know who, over the course of your 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:19.720 not anyone on this team, who was your favorite player, 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:22.520 just to talk to you, just to catch up with it. 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:27.080 There are a lot. Jake diloans pretty near the top 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:29.680 of the list. Jake and I get a chance to visit, 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:33.280 you know, as he's doing radio for the Panthers Radio Network, 0:19:33.320 --> 0:19:35.879 and I enjoy talking to Jake. But I have always 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:38.680 got a kick out of Steve Smith, I really have. 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:41.800 I mean watching him from his rookie year coming in 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:46.560 and being angry rookie and being mentored by people like 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:50.760 Sam Mills and John Casey and turning into this guy 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:53.680 we know now. I mean it's just such a journey 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:57.240 that Steve has been on individually. But he's funny and 0:19:57.359 --> 0:20:00.880 he's curious and that's one of my favorite lalities in people. 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:03.879 I mean Steve's always trying to find stuff out. Um, 0:20:04.280 --> 0:20:07.040 when he worked, did some work at a local radio station, 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:10.320 he wouldn't let them just make him a ceremonial talker. 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:13.199 He learned how to work the phones. So I mean 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:16.119 when I I learned something when I talked to Steve 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:17.960