Cat Crave - A Carolina Panthers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

January 1, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Editor’s Note: It is my pleasure to introduce to you another new staff writer for CatCrave.com: Elijah
Marcus

If you watch majority of your football on MUTE for some odd reason you may not have known
Cam Newton was a rookie in the NFL last season. Yet, majority of his play and the amazing ability he showed to be productive made him look like a 10 year veteran at times.

To say the young man looked comfortable would be too lazy of a word and an understatement. Newton was poised from Week 2 in Bank of America Stadium, (vs. defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers) to contend and prove with alacrity he was worth that Number 1 overall selection in 2011. Continue reading this post »

Editor’s Note: With this article, please welcome Cat Crave’s newest writer: Alex Schenck!

I am a proponent of the idea that, with a defense, the Carolina Panthers could have made the playoffs this year. Though this is true, we still saw great improvement to our defensive line as backups Frank Kearse and Andre Neblett performed admirably in place of rookie starters Terrell McClain and Sione Fua. Despite the loss of Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, our linebacking corps also performed surprisingly well. One area in which I did not see improvement was in the secondary. As a result of an inability to put pressure on the quarterback, our supposedly complex zone schemes were easily navigated by nearly every starting-caliber quarterback we encountered. Continue reading this post »

Sorry for the late update folks, but it’s a bit of a monsoon here in South East Texas. Well, here’s today’s edition of On The Prowl…Enjoy!

Clipped from: espn.go.com (share this clip)

The NFL is relaxing its social media policy and allowing players to tweet before and during Sunday’s Pro Bowl.

From espn.go.com (share this quote)

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I understand some of our readers may not appreciate seeing this article again, but it may be necessary. I’m currently doing an overhaul on CatCrave Staff and need committed writers to fill some slots.

Are you an amateur sports journalist?  Are you a college student who is heading into this line of work?  Are you simply a Carolina Panthers fan who has something to say and needs a forum to do it in?

Then we need to talk!

Cat Crave is looking for a few good writers. Amateur, Pro, other?  Doesn’t matter, so long as you can write, form a sentence and do so with a professional attitude, then this is your opportunity to join one of the best sports networks on the Internet.

If you think you have what it takes then the next steps are simple:  Contact me at CatCraveSlate@gmail.com and give me a sample post that you want to make here on the site.  Write is as though your applying for the job. This application’s sample post will be over a season in review. Nothing drastic, but try and write as though I may be posting your article.

I will contact each individually and make my decision on the Emails you send, so make them good.

I’m looking to find 5 or 6 new writers.  As a staffer you will be required to write 3 original articles in a two weeks span.  You can write more if you wish.  This is a non-compensated staff position but you will be afforded the opportunity to progress within the company as opportunities arise.

Thank you,

Slate Schwertner – Cat Crave Editor

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“I didn’t get a chance to see him, but I was more impressed with what the team was saying about him and his comments. He sounds like he’s a team guy and the players were all bragging about how hard he works.

From www.charlotteobserver.com (share this quote)

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Well now that the season is over it’s time for Carolina to shift their focus to offseason needs. The Panthers are coming off of a much-improved 6-10 season, which saw them play extremely competitive and take the lead in 14 of 16 games. Through that process it was clear the Panthers had found their franchise quarterback in rookie Cam Newton, but there are still other missing pieces that need to be added in order for this team to reach there full potential.

The Thomas Davis Situation

One of the first offseason issues the Panthers should address is the contract situation with Thomas Davis. Davis is coming off of his third knee surgery and is definitely not going to draw any big money offers from other teams around the league. However, Davis has made it clear that he wants to try to play again and would like to continue his career as a Carolina Panther. The Panthers could sign him to a contract that leaves them with little risk. Something like a 1-year/ $1 million dollar deal. That way if Davis stays healthy and returns to pro bowl form, then the Panthers get a tremendous amount of value for the money they invested in him. And if he has another injury or just simply isn’t the player he was before, then they don’t really lose much. However, you can’t go into the season assuming that Davis is going to be one of your starting linebackers and not have a backup plan. Even if the Panthers do elect to resign Davis they should definitely draft a linebacker or at least add a veteran with starting experience via free agency.
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Looking at the man, you would never guess he is a football genius. He’s wearing glasses the size of bricks, and looks like he should be working in a science lab, not leading a team onto the football field. With a bit of black still left on his head, you would never guess this man was 85 years old. He’s small, and he wears his pants rolled up so you can see the whites of his socks. The epitome of nerdy looking, yet you would never guess the records he holds. You would never guess that he is the most winningest coach in NCAA history. You may never guess that he was not only a coach but a shaper of men. You may not know that his legacy far exceeds that of ANY other coach in football history. He is football, and he is Joseph Vincent Paterno.

I encourage you, to continue reading this article, though it contains nothing about Carolina. Read it for the sake of football, and for the sake of Penn State. There are only so many things I can say about JoePa, coming from the eyes of a Texas Tech Red Raider. At Tech we made Mike Leach an icon, and a media hound, but his iconic status had nothing on JoePa. Many younger people saw him as a figure-head, nothing but a former shell of the coach he used to be. I say that’s erroneous, just look at his videos. He ran out onto the field with the team every game if he was able. He was yelling and screaming at players and congratulating them every time they did good. JoePa is football, and his legacy will always remain. So check back after the break, for my feelings on Joe Paterno. Continue reading this post »

Joe and son Jay Paterno

I am experiencing difficulty writing this piece. Not because I’m in such a saddened state – it is a sad time, yes – but because how does one go about summarizing the life of a legend? I have been tasked in part, but am also willing, to share what this historic event means to so many of us; however, unfortunately, I will never be able to convey every feeling of emotion – love, sadness, hate, anger … that have overcome so many, whether from a long time ago, or as recent as a couple of months ago. However, I will do my best to share with you and keep this event as relative to my own personal experience, as possible. Continue reading this post »

Well as many of you may know the Giants won the NFC Championship. This means, Cam Newton is going to the Pro Bowl.

It’s not for sure, but its most likely going to happen with Eli Manning going to the Super Bowl. So, just when we thought our season was over, Cam, Steve, and Ryan get to represent the up and coming Panthers in Hawai’i. Therefore, get ready for one more dose of Cam this season!

Cam Newton broke every rookie record, or so it seems, and won the 3rd spot from fan voting. Unfortunately, the coaches didn’t feel as though he deserved to go to the Pro Bowl. But, now that Eli has again proved that you can’t spell elite without Eli, Cam gets to shine. Just look at this as the first of many Pro Bowls for Cam!!!!

The world of sports cannot get a break this week. Sadly, Joe Paterno passed away today, he died from lung cancer. We lost another legend, and while all the scandal has blurred the image of JoePa, his legacy will never be tainted. Now the first link I’m posting is a great telling of his legacy, and the video included is a must watch. While this post will just be links, I plan on having a feature length article on Joe Paterno, and his legacy, posted later today.

Clipped from: espn.go.com (share this clip)

The 409 victories, while record-setting, are not the full measure of the man. The young men he left behind, the campus to which he devoted his life, a campus whose leaders shoved him aside in the panicky, feverish days after the scandal broke, also give testimony to the life of Joseph Vincent Paterno.

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