SAY "GOODBYE" -

The buzz has quickly worn off, and I’m sitting at the keyboard realizing what has to come. The most constant thing about our lives is change, and it will also be with our football team. I realized this as I sat with my most excited princess watching the game unfold. There are things I will be saying goodbye to in my life in the months to come, and as this rant goes, it will be about the team. If there ever was a “must win” game in our history, it was this one. This loss is painful, and one that has made THiS particular fan markedly introspective.

As two very makeable kicks go, prepare to say “Goodbye” to John Kasay. When the sole reason for your roster spot is to make kicks from inside the 35, you are expendable when you don’t. This is a different game if he doesn’t fail. John is a terrific stand-up man of character, and he’ll be great in whatever he plans to do after football. Start next year, John. It’s your time.

I think it goes without saying we are going to bid “Adieu” to Joke Delhomme. His two turnovers today were the absolute difference in the game, more so than Kasay’s misses. The problem is, we don’t have a feasible alternative on our roster for the season. But I suppose the brain children that control our beloved franchise will figure out a way to opt out of that ridiculous contract hewn for our over- the-hill quarterback for next year.

I think it’s also reasonable to say “Arribiderche” to any chance at a winning record, OR the playoffs for this season. There’s not a soul of even average intellect that can look at the next ten games and see more than two wins. So far this year, only Tennessee’s incredible collapse exceeds our fall from the elite of the league. And it’s upsetting for me.

So, with the bidding of farewell for the postseason, it’s also expected to say “BonVoyage” to John Fox and Marty Hurney. The wretched performance and wretched personnel decisions of this year pretty much doom them to the exit door. To mortgage next year’s draft pick for a marginal player like Everett Brown is inexcusable. I cannot recall a time in our franchise’s history when draft picks were so essential, and now, it seems that even after a historically bad season coming down the pike, we will be bereft of those vital picks. An error, and a quite grievous one, solely on the head of FoxHurney. And it will cost them their jobs, believe me! Incredibly enough, Ron Meeks may be spared the scythe of purging as the defense has played much better as the season has come. There is no way you can hang this loss in any way on the defense’s play. I will expect Meeks and his charges will be playing for their jobs in the weeks to come. Jeff Davidson is a dead man walking.

And sad to say, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see us have to say “Sayonara” to Steve Smith. He is, by far, the most marketable of our players, and one certain to get us the first round draft choice that we are not getting in ’10. Our best player isn’t going to be making a difference if the rest of the team is below standard. Contrary to his belief, Smitty IS QUITE the asset to this team! As a TRADING COMMODITY! This team needs a FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK in the worst way, and there’s several going to be available in the upcoming draft! We need one of them more so than we need Steve Smith. If you understand the game, you will come to that realization yourself.

Overall, it’s time to say “Aloha” to not only the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, (yawn!) but to the Panthers as we have known them for the past 7 years. As it is now, we are looking at two years, at the very least, before we can return to competitive levels. And here’s what saddest of all---

The Suckaneers will be a year ahead of us.

I’m just glad we have the PantherFanz tailgate party, because that’s one of my life’s greatest pleasures. I know it’s one of yours, too. Despite the sucky play of our team, they are STILL the Panthers I married with my PSL’s , and I know because of Uncle Jerry’s character, we won’t be sucky for long. In the years to come, we will once again cheer a team with player wearing a number between 1 and 19 running his Carolina Panthers to heights that will keep us buzzing into offseasons uncounted. And we will be putting faith in a coach of steely resolve that will return us to the lofty levels we expect of this franchise.

But it’s not happening with what we have now.

Thank you so much, Peter, for continuing to bring your countrymen down for greatly anticipated fellowship! Thank you, Hans and crew, for thinking enough of us to come down and grace us with a second vist! And thank you so much, Dano and James and everyone else that makes PantherFanz go. The party is all we have left, it seems, as it goes with NFL football in our fair city. And whatever team we pulled for before we gave Uncle Jerry all that money. The memory of Marc deserves that much.

Go Saints. And whoever is playing the Duckies. Or the Comrade Cowpuppies.

I’m ranted out.

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