We have a review of the whipping the Carolina Panthers put on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night and a complete preview of Sunday’s game with the Denver Broncos.

Kim Constantinesco from Predominantly Orange joined us to give us the low down on her Broncos.

And Nick Yeoman was along for the ride again providing us with another installment of Studs N Duds as well as his picks for Boom Or Bust and Pick ‘Em.

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In Episode Forty…

• News – Tampa Bay Review/Denver Preview
• Special Guest – Mike Rucker
• Studs N Duds – Nick Yeoman (Nick’s Video Blog)
  
• Boom Or Bust – Nick Yeoman (Nick’s Video Blog)
• Special Guest – Kim Constantinesco (Predominantly Orange)
• Pick ‘Em – Nick Yeoman (Nick’s Video Blog)
• A Final Prediction

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

This was a franchise that had seen brief success with a trip to the NFC Championship Game some seven years before.  In the interim, they struggled having gone through six seasons without posting a winning record from 1997 to 2002.  (34-62 overall)

They were only two seasons removed from a disastrous 1-15 campaign in which they would lose their last fifteen games.

This six year period was also marked by inconsistency at quarterback.  The Panthers would start no fewer than four opening day starters.  They would also witness the fall of two former first-round quarterbacks in Kerry Collins and Chris Weinke.

John Fox had taken over the team in 2002 and led them to a 7-9 record.  The remake of the roster and, more importantly, the remake of their pshyche was underway.

Thus, we present the number seven moment in Panthers history. (more…)

It was also a tough day to be Mike Rucker.

During his retirement press conference he briefly explained why he had to hang up the pads saying, “The tank is empty … it’s empty.”

“There’s nothing like going to battle with your comrades,” Rucker told at least 25 current and former players gathered in the team meeting room, including quarterback Jake Delhomme. “That’s one of the biggest things I’ll miss. I love you dudes. I’d do it all over again. I want you to know I gave it all I had. I laid it on the line for you.”

Rucker said it was difficult to bid farewell to football after nine NFL seasons, but he said he’s also joyful. In remembering a telephone conversation earlier today with his brother Martin, a Missouri tight end expected to be a mid-round pick in this weekend’s draft, he talked of how exciting it is when you’re reading a good book to turn the page to the next chapter.

What is the next chapter in Mike Rucker’s life?  What will we see or hear from him next?  Consider that one of his friends, Mike Minter, is a quality person.  Rucker was eloquent and gracious.  He thanked everybody in the organization and made personal statements to each of them.

Rucker was a great player for the Panthers, playing his entire career in Carolina.  It would appear to me that he is a great person who deserves our respect as well.