The Sports Brethren Weigh In

Brethren: I woke up this morning to a great phone call from JLew and with no memory of how I got to my bed. I recanted with JWho, then I hit the Interwebs. It was a pretty normal Saturday morning; only I haven't had a normal Saturday morning in quite some time, due to travel, awesomeness, and general debauchery.

Then I, as I do nearly everyday, went to the Charlotte Observer Sports Section online. In a week that sparked great debate over the value of blogs (like this one!), mainstream sports media, the heated fight over what some people don't comprehend, and all that is good in the world, I bring this up because I greatly enjoyed what the newspaper brung me this morning.

Four Panthers articles. To borrow from one of the interweb blogging pioneers: Fuck. and. yes.

Delhomme's arm is feeling great? He threw 34 passes? Fuck. and. yes. Thank you, Scott Fowler.

Stewart's toe is still in a boot? But he talks like a Panther and "looks like a man"? You're God-damn right. Thank you, Charles Chandler.

Moose is happy, looking great, and handling his business? Awesome. Thank you, Stan Olson.

Pep's lining up in Rucker's old position? But just for a few snaps? Okay. Thanks, David Scott.

You see, I love the Panthers. I'm a fan. I write (not frequently) with my brother on this here Interwebs site not because we're dedicated to speed or to ruining society, as Buzz Bissinger would generalize, but because our experience is a shared experience, and we're funnier and better than you.

Our written words back that up, if you'll follow us:

Brethren (cont'd): As I said, I woke up this morning and it felt like a normal Saturday. A normal Saturday to me means the Panthers are playing tomorrow. And it's not so much that it's normal (because it only happens 16 out of the 52 weeks) but that it's fucking awesome. Part of loving the NFL is loving the anticipation of a Sunday. Today, I got that feeling.

How? By reading a newspaper -- online. That's all I needed -- that's all the NFL needs to do and I'm right back in. Four articles. Written by four guys that may or may not share Buzz Bissinger's thoughts and hate this here blog. They may understand that blogging is just another way to approach sports -- and yes, blogs are taking away readership from newspapers, but we aren't taking away readership from Journalism -- and I honestly hope they do.

But I don't know what they think -- and honestly, don't really care. Because we're not stopping and because fuck you. I love the Panthers and I have a forum. I'm drinking the Kool-Aid, as the Cap't asked me last night if I was. I am. It's May, the Panthers don't play a real game for another 4-5 months, and I'm in. I'm in because I read a newspaper (online) today.

So in all honesty, thanks newspaper dudes. I see your value. Just don't be a douchebag about it.

In other news: how about them fucking Atlanta Hawks!? I generally don't like Atlanta as a city -- it thinks it's better than Charlotte because it's bigger and they randomly had the Olympics and the Braves are so bicurious -- but I have to respect the way the bandwagon fans are helping the cause with their NBA team. That's an inspired team, and I love that the fans are a part of that inspiration. Forcing Game 7 like that last night was fucking awesome -- this is a crazy, insane, young team that doesn't care that they don't have Chris Paul or Deron Williams and are just rocking and rolling. Good for them.

(And yes, the headline is misleading, because Nacho's not weighing in, but he will -- you have to forgive him, he's headed to the biggest Renaissance Fair in the US today. Yet another reason we're funnier and better than you.)