Greetings all! First of all, I'd like to thank the entire CSR community for what we all are able to enjoy here. This site has provided me with knowledge, entertainment, and sustains my appetite for all things Panthers throughout the year. Special thanks goes out to the editors and frequent contributors, and to all of you who have at one time or another made me laugh out loud with your comments.

After spending an eternity on the sidelines, I though I'd take a shot at sharing my opinions now that the 2012 schedule has been released and all of the hysteria has had overnight to cool. I especially want to share my impressions of the way the season has now shaped up for the Panthers. While it has been known for some time who the opponents will be for 2012, I think it's interesting to take a break from all the rosterbation here and pay more attention to the ebb and flow of the schedule and what this could mean for Carolina and the rest of the division.

We as fans have been subjected to what I think has been a textbook definition of a roller coaster ride for what I think is the last 7 seasons. Going all the way back to 2005, when the Panthers managed to make the playoffs and advance to the NFC title game with smoke and mirrors, the injury plagued 2006, the playoff disappointment of 2008, the meltdown of Jake Delhomme in 2009, the rock-bottom lows of 2010, followed by the ascension of the franchise with the arrival of Cam Newton in 2011.

Entering 2012, there's a palpable change in attitude and atmosphere in Charlotte. Players WANT to be a part of what's building here, from Steve Smith extending his contract, Greg Olsen restructuring his deal to help with the cap, to Mike Tolbert taking a million dollars less to simply be close to home. We've seen and heard team leaders talk about building something special, how the time is now, and saying things like the house is on fire. The urgency being displayed and the commitment to the organization and the plan is evident throughout the organization from top to bottom.

As part of my "analysis", I'll break the schedule down into 4 quarters, as many have done in the past. I'll look at the games individually, then as a 4 game split, and explain why I think that Carolina's fate this season can, for better or for worse, can be essentially sealed by week 9. Details after the jump..

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Greetings to Panther Nation and the Panther Mafia!  I'm headed out from my home town of Flowery Branch (I know, I know...the irony!) and on my way to watch our gang tonight.  I may drop by on Goodell's Fan Forum if I get there in time.

I'm carrying a ton to drink, a couple of cameras, and a video camera as well as my trusted Blackberry.  I'll be posting updates on Twitter (@PantherFanInGA) during practice and trying to capture some of the action in stills and video.  If I'm successful, I'll post anything worth sharing on either You Tube or right here on Cat Scratch Reader.

Wish me luck, and GO PANTHERS!

I just watched the replay of the Big Cat's press conference (available here for those who missed it like I did).  As he discussed a wide range of topics, the money topic overall and the releasing of the veteran players were the ones I found most interesting.  To hear an NFL owner discuss specifics in players who need to play and making roster moves to accomplish his own goal was very revealing to say the least, and it raised a question.  This is where I need some help with some research.

What I'm wondering is how are the Panthers positioned for the salary cap moving forward?  I know the cap is based on a lot of variables, and what counts against the cap is also pretty complex.  My gut tells me that one of the added benefits of releasing all of the veterans the way that the team did essentially cleared all of the "dead money" from the cap number for 2011, but I'm not sure.  If this is the case, it leaves the Panthers in a prime position to get the most out of the money they have to spend, as it can all go directly to player salaries and signing bonuses.

I know the Reader has some fabulous researcher as well as some extremely knowledgeable people about the NFL overall.  Does anyone have a definitive answer about this?

Happy Game Day morning, fellow Panther fanatics!  In keeping with the tradition here of looking deeper into the performance of our team, I finally had a chance to watch last Sunday's game and concentrate on the passing game overall.  Living in GA requires Sunday Ticket, and I was travelling last weekend and only saw the third and half of the 4th quarters on the (plane thanks to in-flight internet and an iPhone app from DirecTV!), so I didn't get a chance to see the whole game until I got home.  

We as fans are absolutely giddy about the performance of our passing attack last week, and I took notepad and pen in hand (along with the DVR remote) and really tried to study the successes and determine if it was a fluke or signs of real progress.  Examples of what I found appear after the jump...

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Mr Richardson - PLEASE find a radio play by play announcer!!!

This isn't particularly related to the team itself, but in my opinion is worth bringing up.  I'm trying to follow the team from outside of the Charlotte market, which is very easy in the regular season thanks to DirecTV and the NFL Sunday Ticket.  Preseason games are an entirely different story.  If I want to follow the action live, I have been left with one of three choices - try to find the game streaming live on the web at one of a small handful of less than reputable web sites (in fair to poor quality), subscribe to NFL.com's season-long AudioPass, which gives me access to radio play-by-play in real time for a fee, or subscribe to the NFL.com's Preseason package, which isn't worth the investment to me.

More after the jump...

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I've been reading the fan posts and responses for a while and decided to throw my thoughts out there about this offseason, the personnel moves, and what the future may bear for the 2010 Panthers.

At one point or another this offseason, I think we have all been through some head scratching (and perhaps some head pounding), as the front office has wielded tools and weapons that none of us can remember seeing before.  Jake's gone, the Peppers saga finally ended where it was destined to end, a lot of veteran cuts, no big splashes in free agency for what seems like the 100th year in a row, and the head coach making an off the cuff remark about "having a budget" have left Panther Nation bickering and debating about what the heck is really going on.

I'm probably a little older than most of the posters here, and that means that I'm less influenced by the hype of the media out there.  I don't claim to know as much about stats and "professional" opinions about why teams and player do what they do, but I do think that there's a lot more than meets the eye with this team right now.  Could it be that the FO has a plan that they've been sticking to for a few years, and that this off-season is really less about panicking over labor strife and work stoppages and more about planning for a truly extended period of a really good team?

As you guys (and gals, Willow!) always say, more after the jump.

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