Thank goodness for the internet.  It prevents me from paying to subscribe to the local newspapers.  I appreciate it more and more all the time especially when I read columns like the one that Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer has written.

I have never made it a habit to take the local reporters to task mostly because the bulk of the local reporters usually play it safe.  They don’t want to offend anyone for fear of breaking some unwritten code and because they think everyone in this area of the country will become angry and the buckle of the Bible Belt will hit them unceremoniously in the side of their heads.

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Remember how Matt Moore dodged a bullet in that hit against the Steelers with only a contusion on his shin?  The bullet struck today.

The Carolina Panthers signed quarterback Brett Basanez to the practice squad Wednesday after Matt Moore fractured his fibula during practice Wednesday. The injury is not season-ending and Moore will be reevaluated on a week-to-week basis, according to general manager Marty Hurney.

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Some time back, the boss sent me, and all of the Fan Sided bloggers, an email asking us to provide him a list of all the NFL teams and how we felt they would finish the upcoming season.  Today, that list is on Ball Hype as a composite list - a Power Ranking.

I tried my best to avoid the homerism that is so widespread among sports fans.  Of course, I’m not a Cowboys fan either.

So, I ranked the Carolina Panthers tenth.  I was simply trying to be realistic about ‘08.  Do I think they can do better than that?  Yes.  Does everyone else?  Obviously not.

Overall, the Panthers were ranked 19th.  The highest ranking our team received came not from me but from the Lions blogger who has them ranked 8th while the worst ranking they received came from the Jaguars blogger who has them ranked 31st.

Sometimes, I wonder why we bother to play the season.  It’s already been decided in the power rankings anyway, right?

In the NFL, the letter “C” means something.  When it’s worn on the front of your jersey, it means that the coaches trust you enough to name you a team captain.

On Wednesday, coach John Fox named the Carolina Panthers team captains.

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The Carolina Panthers signed a player Monday they hope will be at least a temporary answer to their return game woes.

The Carolina Panthers have signed Mark Jones to handle their kickoff- and punt-return duties while they wait for Ryne Robinson’s recovery from a knee injury.

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Only a few days before the Carolina Panthers will board a plane for the west coast for sunny San Diego to play the Chargers.  Now the games count.  There is a lot of work to do.

Here’s what’s being said in the media as the team gets down to the real work.

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We’ve added a new feature for our readers here at Cat Crave.  Anytime you comment here on the site, you can attach an avatar.

Log on to the Gravatar website, and sign up using the email address you used to sign up here at Cat Crave and upload the image you want to use as your avatar.  It’ll take about ten minutes but when you’re done, anytime you post a comment here or any Fan Sided website (or any site using the Gravatar feature) the avatar will appear.

Our thanks to Zach for putting this together for us!

Cat Crave Radio has returned with our twenty-fifth episode!  In this edition, we have two special guests - Michael Lombardi, a former NFL executive, Sports Illustrated contributor, analyst for NFL Network and writer for the National Football Post and Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer.

Brian Miller from Phin Phanatic was back for Rant or Rave and Boom or Bust.

A Quick breakdown of the show follows.  Enjoy!

 

 Cat Crave Radio Episode 25 - August 31 [30:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Episode Twenty-Five: August 31, 2008

In Episode Twenty-Five…

For a complete archive of our shows, visit our Radio Page.

The Carolina Panthers practice squad has gone from zero to five today.

The Panthers have signed five of the players they cut Saturday to their practice squad, including draft picks Nick Hayden and Geoff Schwartz.

Others added to the practice squad were running back DeCori Birmingham, wide receiver William Buchanon, and defensive back Joe Fields.

Carolina had the option of adding quarterback Brett Basanez, but opted not to do so.

The Panthers can add three more to their practice squad, and also are expected to add a kick returner to their active, 53-man roster.

Hayden, a defensive tackle, and Schwartz, an offensive tackle, were sixth- and seventh-round picks, respectively.

Only one player cut by the Panthers was claimed via waivers by another team. Defensive end Stanley McClover, cut in favor of rookie Hilee Taylor, was claimed by the Houston Texans.

The team still has three spots available on the practice squad.  It’s likely those spots will be filled with players from the waiver wire.