00:00:03
Speaker 1: Oh, oh, oh, it's Mac and Bo on your radio, baby.
00:00:07
Speaker 2: This is my friend Matt. Posh, come on, Posh.
00:00:10
Speaker 3: This is my friend T-Bone.
00:00:13
Speaker 4: Let's have some fun. I can't go to work without listening to Mac and Bone.
00:00:18
Speaker 2: Do it live.
00:00:28
Speaker 5: As I look at their defense, man for man. They've got a defensive front that should be able to apply pressure with the front four. They've got one of the better defensive linemen in Derrick Brown in the league. Bobby Brown is a solid player. Lee Hunter, their draft pick, is only going to get better. Jalen Phillips, we know what he provides. One of the biggest free agent signings this year, both as a pass rusher and just as an all-around player. Bobby Okereke with the turnover early. Leading tackler for the Giants last year, Devin Lloyd. So much excitement around him, what he brings in the pressure packages we saw today. That was influential. In the secondary, they've got.
00:01:05
Speaker 2: A bunch of ball hawks.
00:01:06
Speaker 5: They've got run support players. So hard to measure these guys based on today's performance going up against the offense that they just faced. I think Carolina is still the favorite in the NFC South. Just given what I saw on offense, I know this defense will improve as the season progresses.
00:01:26
Speaker 6: Very interesting. It's not often, Bone, I get to team up with Drew Brees. Lord knows the guy aggravated the crap out of me and all Panther fans numerous times. But I find that comment from the broadcast towards the end of the game when the writing's on the wall, the Panthers got their heinies kicked.
00:01:45
Speaker 2: For Drew Brees to say that.
00:01:47
Speaker 6: Now, full disclosure, it's not like he's saying, Bone, they're favorites to win the NFC. It's not like he's saying they're favorites to win the NFC West. It is the NFC South where everybody lost on Sunday. But I am curious, when you hear that, Panther fans, do you think, you know what, he's right? Or do you feel like that's crazy? He sat here live in that stadium and watched that defense and still thinks we win in the division. I'm curious to see what y'all think about that. How do you view those comments, Bone?
00:02:18
Speaker 3: Well, obviously he saw something that he liked there in the offense that led him to believe that this team may have turned the corner offensively. And he maybe just thought it was week one against a good team and didn't really put as much stock into how many points in yards they gave up. So I think that he's basically telling you don't overreact. It's week one, and it's a very winnable division. Because, Matt, do we think in this division– Atlanta, I think they're the team that they're a mess. I think Atlanta Mac is going to be playing for one of the quarterbacks in the draft. I think Atlanta is going to be a mess most of the year, especially once. They lost Jalen Walker, and then Pierce got suspended. I thought their defense might be okay. Now I just think that they're destined for last place. Having said that, do we really think, despite the results the other day with the Panthers and their defense, do we really think in the South, with Tampa, the Saints, and the Panthers, Do we think there's going to be a whole lot of separation from those three teams? Aren't they kind of near each other? They all play similar schedules. I just think he's saying of those three teams that are all very similar, he still believes in the Panthers the most, and quite frankly, so do I.
00:03:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you do. You're right, though.
00:03:32
Speaker 3: They're not in the NFC West here. And that's one of the things I've said all along.
00:03:35
Speaker 6: I picked the Panthers to go 9-8 and to win a pretty crappy division. I think they're going to prove to be a better team than they were last year. By no means do I think they're great, but I think they're on the way progressing. I don't want to change my prediction based off one game. I think there's a lot of emotion going on, Bone, in Panther Nation, and of course there is. We care passionately. We're expecting a way better defense on the field with the guys we added. I think eventually it'll work itself out.
00:04:08
Speaker 2: I really do.
00:04:11
Speaker 6: And I think you made a comment yesterday, and I wasn't ready for it, Bone. But you made a comment yesterday that does make a hell of a lot of sense. And I wasn't ready for sense yesterday. You told me to put that in my back pocket and don't say it until Tuesday.
00:04:25
Speaker 2: Or Wednesday. So you let me know, Mac, when you want my common sense takes. Here we are, baby.
00:04:31
Speaker 6: The fact that if we look at that offense, and that was the unit we've been the most worried about, and a lot of people have been worried sick about Bryce. Does Sunday, to Drew Brees' point, not make you feel like, oh, Bryson, this offense might be better than we thought. And if the defense can rebound, even if it doesn't end up being the top 10 unit that you and I were predicted, let's say it's middle of the pack again. Can the offense get to around middle of the pack? I think that might win you the NFC South. If you have a solid, but average offense and defense, I feel like that could probably win you the South.
00:05:06
Speaker 3: Good Nugget says, and I think you may have brought this up either earlier today or yesterday, so if I'm repeating you, I apologize, but Mike Tomlin said similar things on Football Night in America about the defense is told not to hit for two straight months. You go out there in week one, now you've got to go hit. And he didn't say this, but I'm adding on to it. Then you factor in the offense that the Panthers are playing in their first game. They can't hit. They're not playing in the preseason. and they go out there, they have to go chase Cable Williams around, and they have to play a Ben Johnson offense in game number one. Well, then you start to really step back from the emotion of it all and break it down. You say, yeah, no wonder they struggled. They're facing a great offense. They're getting used to each other, and they can't really do anything for two months, and that's the first team you face? That's a very tough matchup for any defense, especially.
00:05:54
Speaker 2: In week number one.
00:05:54
Speaker 6: Yeah, Tomlin was saying that. Now, Canales kind of said, nah, nah, it wasn't tackling. You know what I mean? But that is a big Tomlin theory of why these defenses, many of them were hot garbage this weekend. Most points scored in a NFL Week 1, and you can't do it. It takes two to tango. The offenses have to be good. The defenses have to be bad as well. I just think there's too much talent on this defense to continue to be horrid. I just think guys like Jalen Phillips, who had a sack and four pressures the other day. Devin Lloyd, who had some good moments and a couple of rough moments. Okereke, this is a dude, Bone, that we were asking to play a ton of snaps and just got here.
00:06:33
Speaker 2: You know what I mean?
00:06:34
Speaker 6: I think that's also a factor. I do think we've got to get Pat Jones back sooner rather than later. I do feel like that needs to happen. And they need to sort out that third cornerback situation. I would like to see Avero go to Shaw Smith-Wade in the slot and let's get Horn back outside. Maybe they tried to rush this thing, Bone, where JC played 20 snaps in the slot.
00:06:56
Speaker 2: I know they wanted to get him in there. I like the theory.
00:06:58
Speaker 6: But maybe Will Lee wasn't ready to play 27 snaps the other day.
00:07:02
Speaker 3: You know?
00:07:03
Speaker 6: So I wonder if they're going to change that. But yeah, I just, now this texter says, Mac, if you watched all those games this weekend, there's no way you would say the Panthers are the best team. I agree with that. I think the Saints performance was the best performance. I think for them to start— Especially the second half. They got shut out in the first half, but yes. Should have had a touchdown, had it taken away. Should have had a defensive touchdown. I thought that was a screw job. I ain't crying about it, though. But yeah, the way they came on, slow start. Tyler Shuck, slow start. But the way they came on, Shuck throws to 400. That got my attention. And, I mean, you can't deny Tampa. Even with Baker fumbling the ball all over the place, they were down two scores, but they made it a six-point game and lost by six. So, yeah, we probably, yeah, we're down there on the list of how we play. But I am looking at this like Drew Brees. Like, what did I think of this team coming into the season?
00:07:55
Speaker 3: Atlanta and Pittsburgh, I saw a number the other day. Atlanta and Pittsburgh played. Percentile-wise, one of the worst offensive combined games in the history of the league the other day. It was like in the bottom three of offensive game percentage-wise in NFL history.
00:08:11
Speaker 6: And pardon me if I don't think that's great defense, Bob. I think that might be crappy offense. Scott in Belmont says, Mac said he doesn't change predictions after one game. You change your prediction after the first day of camp.
00:08:22
Speaker 2: I'm talking... Uh-oh. It's well played, sir. It's well played. Score one for Scottie and Belmont.
00:08:27
Speaker 4: Who would do such a thing? I'd change mine after FanFest.
00:08:30
Speaker 2: That is true.
00:08:31
Speaker 6: What I'm saying is— You'd change your picks more than your skibbies. I'm not changing my division winner prediction. I'm going to hold here. Well, hold on it, Boney. I'm going to stay strong. What are the texters saying, Bone Man? The 980 says Tomlin said the matchup was a problem for the Panthers. Yeah, I think there's going to be a bad matchup, to your point, for a lot of teams.
00:08:53
Speaker 2: The Bears play Minnesota this week. We'll see.
00:08:55
Speaker 3: I'm interested to see, Mac, as we're watching the Panthers, and while the Bears are playing the Vikings, don't expect 59, but do the Bears also have a similar routing of the Vikings where they look unstoppable?
00:09:09
Speaker 2: We'll see.
00:09:10
Speaker 6: Interesting to see how that goes. That Vikings game might have– well, ours was probably the craziest of the weekend.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: Who am I kidding?
00:09:14
Speaker 6: Ours was drunker than Fitty at the Coke 600. That's how drunk our game was.
00:09:18
Speaker 2: And I was drunk drunk.
00:09:19
Speaker 3: But anyway, the Minnesota Green Bay game was crazy.
00:09:24
Speaker 6: 29 straight points by Minnesota. to end that game. Green Bay went for it on that fourth down, and Minnesota said, you will do nothing the rest of the way.
00:09:33
Speaker 2: That was with Carson Wentz in there.
00:09:36
Speaker 3: By the way, Matt, speaking of our game, while that game was going on this weekend, Falcons and Panthers. Panthers are one and a half point favorites. Right now, 71% of the money is coming in on the Panthers. 81% of the spread money is on the Panthers to cover this one.
00:09:55
Speaker 2: Interesting.
00:09:55
Speaker 6: How about that, baby? Our text line ain't betting. I can tell you that. well i will say that the seven o'clock texters aren't betting my god you guys are full of uh pea and vinegar all right that's that is the watered down family friendly version of that saying um uh this hour seems a little better this texter says uh carolina mike i agree the defense uh will come around, he says. But the same can't be said for the offense. The Bears' defense is not that good. All right, so he's a little positive, a little negative. Brian says, I've been saying it all summer on the text line. No one been listening to me. Bryce Young is breaking the heck out this season, and you saw it on Sunday. Yeah, I think we, I don't know, I don't remember specifically his text, but I feel like we would like those texts. There's probably a lot of Panther fans skeptical. And I do understand what Carolina Mike's saying.
00:10:48
Speaker 2: This offense, I'm not locking it in bone.
00:10:50
Speaker 6: This is going to be a top five offense just because we're ranked fourth after, you know what I mean? After this weekend, the bears defense is a bad one, but can we jump bone from like 28th to 15th on offense?
00:11:03
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:11:03
Speaker 2: You know what I mean? That would be a pretty big jump. 15 right now, Matt. They're in the top five.
00:11:10
Speaker 6: I'm trying to be reasonable. I'm trying not to knee jerk all the way up here. Look at the numbers. Can we play the Bears defense every week? Can we play other offenses but the Bears defense every week?
00:11:20
Speaker 2: I don't want to play that game ever again.
00:11:22
Speaker 3: All things considered here.
00:11:25
Speaker 6: No, team the Bears defense up with other offense. That's my humble suggestion. I've heard back from Roger Goodell. That's not how it works, he says.
00:11:35
Speaker 3: When we come back on the Mac and Bone Show, Adam Gold, what's he going to take away from that Panther performance? We'll also talk ACC football and more. Sports Radio, 92.7 WFNZ.
00:12:00
Speaker 6: Sports Radio 92.7 WFAT.
00:12:03
Speaker 2: Happy Tuesday.
00:12:04
Speaker 3: Too soon?
00:12:05
Speaker 6: Too soon in the week after Sunday to use the word happy?
00:12:09
Speaker 2: We're trying to be happy.
00:12:10
Speaker 6: Mack and Bone with you, trying to bring some cheer back into your hearts. I'm sure this won't get people mad. Coming up at 8.45, we have the discussion many of you are asking for on the text line. And unfortunately, Bone, in our two decades here, plus of.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: Being here, that we have had... Many times before. Bill Cowher coaching the team? No, not that one. Not that one.
00:12:34
Speaker 6: Why were there so many Bears fans in the stadium on Sunday for the season opener off a playoff appearance? And does it piss you off or are you over it? Are you over it? There's part of me that just wants to say, who cares? It happens all the time. But there's another part of me that was there at the doghouse seeing all these Bears fans that was at the stadium looking out and seeing all the dark blue and orange, and the timing of this bothers me so much, man.
00:13:03
Speaker 3: I'm a little upset because usually we see it coming and we talk about it during the week. I was just so into it being week one. I thought the Panther fans would show out. I didn't really think of the Bears as being one of the more– prominent travel. I didn't really think about any of that. I thought about the game. So usually we're ahead of that. Oh, it's going to be ugly.
00:13:21
Speaker 2: It's the Eagles.
00:13:22
Speaker 3: It's the Cowboys. I didn't really factor the Bears into those teams, the Giants. I didn't really factor the Bears into that. I guess I should have. So I'm a little mad at myself that I didn't.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: See it coming. Oh, I don't think anybody else focused on it.
00:13:33
Speaker 6: KB and I both were kind of like, oh, shoot, yeah, we didn't really think about that fan base. Smoke brought up a good point about that. The Bears have not been here, Bone. The only time they have been here... in like the last 15 years is the COVID year. And there were only like 5,000 fans there at the game. So we hadn't really encountered the Bears fans since like 2012, maybe?
00:13:55
Speaker 2: You know what I mean?
00:13:57
Speaker 3: So I think that's part of it. Adam Goldmack will join us. He's going to join us at 825. So we've got a couple of minutes before the gold man joins us.
00:14:05
Speaker 2: Okay. All right. So we've got Goldie coming up, everybody.
00:14:07
Speaker 6: We've got plenty of talk, but we'll see what he thinks about the Bears defense and the Avero question. Like, we'll see where he stands. It seemed like on Twitter he might have been pointing out, hey, you're all going after Avero. What about the players on this team? So we'll ask him about that.
00:14:22
Speaker 3: Would you like Matt to have the conversation that Turd Ferguson wants us to have?
00:14:25
Speaker 2: What's that? What's that?
00:14:26
Speaker 3: Someone needs to be ready to have the conversation. What if Bryce has a great year and decides he no longer wants to be a Panther?
00:14:33
Speaker 6: Because of the constant disrespect. Yeah, I need to text him back. Don't worry. I don't care how disrespectful. First of all, I don't know why it's disrespect. Like, it's not from the team. It was Bebop. He's going to say that Bebop guy's mean to me on the text line. I ain't signing in Carolina.
00:14:47
Speaker 3: Now we're worried that Bryce doesn't want to play for this middling franchise.
00:14:50
Speaker 2: No, don't do that. Let's get that out of here. All right.
00:14:55
Speaker 3: If Bryce falls out, we're going to come to terms.
00:14:57
Speaker 6: We're going to work it out, man. no matter how annoying it is to live in the same city as Bebop. A couple of things real quick. Jalen Coker had a boot. on one of his feet yesterday, said he rolled his ankle in the first quarter of the game. Now, that's not ideal, Bone. The good news is... He got better after that rolled ankle. The good news is it didn't seem to bother him. It didn't sound like, roll that ankle every game.
00:15:22
Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Do a pregame.
00:15:23
Speaker 6: Get in the pregame, roll that ankle. He seemed to indicate, hey, I'm good. I'm going to be good to go this week, but we'll monitor that. Also, Bone, I was asking you during the break, How did the Panthers become favorites in this game? Because it was my understanding that the Falcons were favorites initially. And you were saying how much betting, how much of the money early on is coming on Carolina.
00:15:45
Speaker 2: It appears that it has led to a line movement.
00:15:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, it opened plus one. The Panthers are plus one and a half. Now it's the Panthers favored by one and a half. And it goes into the numbers that I said there about how much of the, what did I say, 80, 81% of the Panthers Of the spread monies on the Panthers?
00:16:01
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:16:01
Speaker 6: I feel like that's people that are spotting a line that's an overreaction. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it almost feels like the Michigan game last week. And listen, did I pick, was I smart enough to pick Michigan?
00:16:13
Speaker 2: No.
00:16:13
Speaker 6: I was not smart enough to see, okay, here's what's going to happen. But I did, in the back of my mind, wonder, could they come out and win this thing? But there's this thing that happens, Bone, where we overreact to what we just saw, right? And it feels like that whole thing with the Falcons, Falcons going to beat the Panthers. I would say not so fast, my friend. Let's not overreact to what we saw.
00:16:34
Speaker 3: Sometimes Vegas takes a couple weeks to really catch up to certain things. Happens in college all the time where you'll see lines and think, wow, that doesn't make a lot of sense. And then as the season goes along, they catch up. But Vegas takes a while at times to figure things out as well.
00:16:50
Speaker 2: That's true, too.
00:16:50
Speaker 3: Takes a while.
00:16:51
Speaker 2: That's true.
00:16:54
Speaker 3: I don't blame Finney for that. I blame Adam Gold for holding us off for three minutes. Because we're waiting a while. I don't know about you, Bone, and I don't know about the listeners. I can't hear anybody say, Troy Aikman last night made a comment that it's been a while for something.
00:17:11
Speaker 2: I forget what it was.
00:17:12
Speaker 6: I can't hear anyone say it's been a while without them blurting out, it's.
00:17:16
Speaker 2: Been a while. It happens with KB and Smoke.
00:17:20
Speaker 6: KB and Smoke, when one of them says it or a caller says it, they both hop in now.
00:17:24
Speaker 2: It's been a while. Smitty, or Smitty.
00:17:27
Speaker 6: Finney has trained us like we're all puppies or something, man.
00:17:30
Speaker 3: You ought to have him train Murphy. Matt keeps stalling. 827 for Adam Gold here.
00:17:36
Speaker 6: What's Goldie up to? Is he spending some intimate time? Is he in bed with the Stanley Cup right now? What the hell is Goldie doing? He must be looking at old Canes highlights. I'm not sure. He's ready to go, Finney, when you want.
00:17:50
Speaker 2: To call him.
00:17:50
Speaker 6: How close are we to that Canes-Panthers opener?
00:17:52
Speaker 1: Two weeks?
00:17:52
Speaker 2: Two weeks. I know I'm putting you on the spot. I apologize. I think so.
00:17:57
Speaker 3: I think September 30th might be opening.
00:18:02
Speaker 2: September 20th. Or not free season. I'm sorry.
00:18:06
Speaker 6: Pucks McClain ain't on his game yet, Boney. It's a little early for Pucks McClain. September 29th. Much closer to what you said than.
00:18:13
Speaker 2: What I said.
00:18:14
Speaker 3: The TNT opening doubleheader is on the 30th. I have to look at the cane zone. I'm on the spot here. It's September 29th.
00:18:20
Speaker 2: There you go.
00:18:20
Speaker 3: Tuesday.
00:18:21
Speaker 2: There you go. I just told you that.
00:18:22
Speaker 3: I was listening to make sure Fiddy had the gas.
00:18:25
Speaker 2: All right? It's been a while since Bones listened to me, Fiddy. It's been a while.
00:18:29
Speaker 1: It's been a while.
00:18:29
Speaker 3: I need a drink desperately. Why don't you talk to Adam Gold and I go to a pub? So I was right.
00:18:34
Speaker 6: It's literally two weeks from today is when the season opens.
00:18:38
Speaker 2: You were right, Mac. Yes. Everyone, Mac was right. Everybody, Mac was right. What a damn smart ass. You're more smart ass than Caleb Williams. I'd rather be a smart ass than a dumb one.
00:18:49
Speaker 5: Oh.
00:18:51
Speaker 1: Oh!
00:18:51
Speaker 2: I'm not calling you that. I'm just saying me personally. It sounded like I was. No, I would never call you that.
00:18:56
Speaker 6: Anyway, I think Goldie will be proud of us for sitting here two weeks before the Panther season opener, or the Hurricane season opener. Well, I guess the Panther season opener, too, and talking Hurricanes hockey. Unfortunately, that will not continue now because we've got football to talk about. We've got to see what he thinks about that Panther defensive performance. How about Carolina Clemson? That's a juicy one to talk about with Goldie. Adam Gold, veteran, radio savant, 99.9, the fan in Raleigh. And, of course, you can hear his show weeknights here, 7 o'clock on WFNZ. Goldie, how you doing, man?
00:19:28
Speaker 2: What's going on?
00:19:30
Speaker 1: I am doing very well. We are two weeks from the hurricane season opener, and I'd rather talk about the Panthers' offensive performance. That was good.
00:19:41
Speaker 6: Well, let's start with that thing. I like the way you're thinking, Goldie. Here I am being negative. The offense.
00:19:48
Speaker 2: I can't help myself. 59 points, man.
00:19:51
Speaker 6: There's a lot to be negative about. But let's start with the offense. Let's go there first. Bryce was tremendous. What did you think, Idzik? It's a pretty darn good debut for Idzik's first game as a play caller. Do you feel like they can keep that up or at least something close to that up?
00:20:08
Speaker 2: What do you think?
00:20:10
Speaker 1: I don't think the Bears are very good defensively, but that doesn't mean that Carolina wasn't very good offensively. I know we saw a lot of great things. My only negatives on Bryce is that I thought he was probably responsible for the couple of sacks that he took. Those plays just took too long to develop. I think he was looking for an escape route, which he's usually very good at. But other than that, I mean, I mean, that's an, it's an a performance. We needed to see that in the opener. We needed to see it in the first half. He was excellent in the first half, took some hits to make throws. He was accurate, like crazy. The worst passing through was the first pass to Xavier Leggett, which was too low, but still should have been caught, but he isn't going to go anywhere with it. So it was really a price problem, but I mean, the ball has got to be caught. But I thought he was awesome. I thought Jalen Coker was great. I thought the tight ends did really well. The only disappointing things for me were I thought Teneroa McMillan was not great. And obviously XL unfortunately reminded us of last year.
00:21:23
Speaker 2: No doubt, man.
00:21:25
Speaker 3: What do you think is– how sustainable do you think the offensive effort is to carry over? Was this a, hey, they played the Bears defense and it was a great matchup for week one? Or did you see things in there, Goldie, that you said, you know what, I really think this offense is moving forward?
00:21:42
Speaker 1: Oh, I definitely think the offense is going to be fine. As long as the line stays healthy. Look, we talked about this. I am terrified of their lack of depth. The Brady Christensen hamstring injury that has him out, I mean, that is depth at both tackles right now and both guard positions, right? He is their number one lineman off the bench if they need to go to the bench. And that is a little bit of a problem now because he's out too. But if they stay healthy, then I think they'll be okay. I actually think they'll run the ball much better. I think they ran the ball okay. but they just couldn't get to it because the pass was working and they had to keep up with Chicago. So you just couldn't fall behind in that game. But I think the run game will get better, and I think their offense will get better because of it.
00:22:37
Speaker 6: Yeah, Chuba averaged 4.9 yards a carry. I think it was a pretty good start for him. Your point about the depth of the O-line is a good one, though. Without Brady Christensen, Bullock was the guard off the bench when Lewis went down for two plays. Bullock had been here for like 10 days at that point. That's not ideal. And then you have the whole thing of Stone Forsyth. You could be an injury way for him playing, so I'm with you.
00:23:01
Speaker 2: On that.
00:23:01
Speaker 6: As far as the defense goes, Goldie, the hot button name, I'm sure you know, you, you know, you've talked about it is a zero of arrow. I mean, people are furious with him. Many say and fire them, even though we're one week, week into the dang season. Like how much, when you watch that defense, were you thinking, Oh, this is coaching. And how much of you were, were you saying, Oh, these players are not making plays.
00:23:27
Speaker 2: What'd you think?
00:23:29
Speaker 1: Well, one could lead to the other. So I don't want to completely remove the possibility that Evero or Averro, I've probably been saying his name wrong for four years, that Averro just isn't quite the communicator that he needs to be. I'm not suggesting that, but I don't want to completely discount it. But, man, that was a game of just, I thought, physical and mental mistakes from players. I mean, how many bad angles can Prince Lee Oman Mielin take to lose contain? You know, how many missed tackles... Speaker 3 and I mean, could you give up on the play on the Roma? Didn't they play down the right sideline? It's completely game.
00:24:25
Speaker 3: How brutal was that? No urgency to get back there. The blanket got treated like a throw rug. Yeah.
00:24:31
Speaker 1: And you know, people like they, people talk about, well, they spent $ 165 million in the off season addressing the defense. Okay. Yes, they did. I thought Jalen Phillips was good. I didn't think he was great. I thought he made some plays. Uh, I mean, as much as I love the signing of Devin Lloyd, uh, I don't think that's that game's going on his highlight reel. I mean, he got, he got, uh, beat in the run game several times. He had some good pressures up the middle, but it wasn't his finest. He got beat on the Cole commit touchdown where, I mean, the pass was absolutely perfect, but he did get beat on it. And I just thought he had an at best, an average game. Now that doesn't mean that, that, that ever or Vero doesn't have something to do with it. I don't know, but I think people were ready to, Because the defense has been, at best, okay. I think people were ready to pounce. I think it was more of a player issue. And Derrick Brown makes the two most boneheaded plays of the game. I mean, if those two plays, if he doesn't rough the passer, it's probably a field goal. So it's 34-31. And if he doesn't jump offside, they survived the mistake.
00:25:53
Speaker 2: Yep, 100%.
00:25:54
Speaker 3: Goldie, on the college front, how much of a chance do you give the Heels in this all of a sudden very interesting matchup against Clemson on Saturday? It's down to a three-point line for Clemson at home in this matchup.
00:26:09
Speaker 1: That is staggering to me. I haven't even looked at the betting line yet. It's only three points. That is such a slap in the face to Davo Sweeney. That is unbelievable. Well, I mean, we watched Clemson struggle with Georgia Southern. And now they're down to three.
00:26:24
Speaker 2: And a half. It's three and a half. Sorry. Three and a half.
00:26:26
Speaker 1: Yep.
00:26:27
Speaker 2: Either way.
00:26:27
Speaker 1: I mean, that's, that's still stunning. Are you telling me that Carolina would be favored in Chapel Hill?
00:26:33
Speaker 2: Get out of here.
00:26:36
Speaker 1: Look, I mean, Clemson doesn't look like Clemson. I mean, they actually, they do. They look like Clemson from like the mid, let's say the early 90s, maybe. It is just not a vintage Clemson team at all. And I think the most glaring thing for me is that they just don't look as talented. Last year's team had tons of talent. They just stunk as a team. This year, I don't see like they have some very good players, but man, they just look a step slow to me. Um, but I still don't think Carolina is that good. Uh, but, uh, man, this is what a comedy of errors this could be.
00:27:20
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:27:21
Speaker 6: This one's intriguing. There's no doubt about it. What do you think about NC state? Like, I feel like the proper approach to take is okay. 73 points on Richmond. You look like you came out and wanted to prove something after the beat down to Virginia, uh, but go prove really go prove something on the road against Vandy this week. Is that like, is that the approach you take? What's your feeling on NC state going into the Vandy game?
00:27:50
Speaker 1: I just, I just don't know what we learn from a game like that against Richmond. I really don't. I mean, I don't want to completely discount it because maybe the, the guys games, you know, they, they kind of extract some confidence from it because it did look like look like they wanted it to look, they ran the ball really well. Bailey was good. But I just, Richmond might stink. And then what are we, how do we, it's a practice to me. So, and I, I hate, I hate these games because of it distorts. It distorts what we think about these teams. All I'd like to see all of these games. And I know there, nothing is perfect. I'd like to see all of these FCS games. as pre-season games that don't count against your record, but you still play them. We'd still watch. If you played Richmond at NC State on August 22nd, you know, before week zero, before week one, we'd watch. I mean, I'd watch it. You'd watch it. Travis would watch it if, you know, he's not at the dog park. So why not?
00:28:59
Speaker 2: I mean, but I wouldn't mind that. I wouldn't mind that. I would be preseason.
00:29:05
Speaker 6: I watched, Lord knows I watch way too much Panther preseason way too intently.
00:29:09
Speaker 5: Why?
00:29:10
Speaker 1: Watch the Hall of Fame game.
00:29:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. Hey, America.
00:29:12
Speaker 6: American Droves watched that Haynes King performance, man. Seven million plus viewers.
00:29:17
Speaker 2: All right. Those are the days, Bone. Haynes King. Those are the days. Oh, way back when. Does he play defense? I need to know. Probably. He probably does.
00:29:26
Speaker 1: I would think.
00:29:27
Speaker 2: Good point. Why am I doubting him? All right, Goldie.
00:29:29
Speaker 6: Great talking to you, brother. We will talk to you next week. Appreciate it, man. Have a good week.
00:29:36
Speaker 1: You too, fellas. Take care. All right.
00:29:38
Speaker 6: There you go, Adam Gold. Remember, you can listen to him here weeknights. His show re-airs here weeknights at 7 o'clock on WFNZ. The text line, very interesting dynamic on the text line. The two fan bases came together, Bone, to tell Goldie he doesn't know what he's talking about. It's Tar Heel fans that are like, bro, we are more than deserving of being just a three-and-a-half point dog at Clemson.
00:29:58
Speaker 2: You'll see.
00:29:59
Speaker 6: And a couple of Clemson fans that are like, dude, sorry, I love Clemson, but we're terrible, Goldie.
00:30:04
Speaker 4: Are you not watching us?
00:30:06
Speaker 2: So that was interesting.
00:30:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, Goldie's always got some detractors there on the text line, but I don't think he really cares, to be honest with you.
00:30:15
Speaker 6: He doesn't care, and I don't think he's trying to. You know what I mean? Some people know on the radio, hey, I'm going to push this button, right? I'm going to push this button, right? He's just on here saying he doesn't think the Tar Heels are near Clemson.
00:30:26
Speaker 2: I personally... believe they are very near Clemson.
00:30:30
Speaker 3: Matt, before we go to the Fit Daddy with an update, Tepper Sports and Entertainment put out a release today that will interest some people. The Kenny Chesney, the original Vibe Room Tour, will be playing at the bank next August 21st.
00:30:46
Speaker 2: There you go. But it is Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, and Sheryl Crow. That is a hell of a show. That's a show right there.
00:30:53
Speaker 6: They were saving this announcement for when the Panthers played a horrible game.
00:30:57
Speaker 2: They said, crap, get that Chesney announcement out there.
00:31:00
Speaker 3: No shirt, no shoes, no defense. Now it's like his own karaoke machine over here. I'm the king of laughing at myself, by the way. All right, we need to go to the man.
00:31:12
Speaker 2: That's sad. We need to go to the man we once called the Fit Daddy.
00:31:15
Speaker 3: Based off recent events, Mac, he's now known as the Love Daddy.
00:31:19
Speaker 1: Oh.
00:31:19
Speaker 2: Finny Marwum. It's all right to be a little fitty. A little hometown or a big old city. Might as well share, might as well smile. Life goes on for a little fitty while.
00:31:34
Speaker 4: Thank you, Bone.
00:31:34
Speaker 7: This update brought to you by the H & S Roofing and Gutter Company.
00:31:39
Speaker 4: Do you know what for a small problem to become a big one?
00:31:42
Speaker 7: If something doesn't look right with your roof or your gutters, give H & S Roofing a call.
00:31:47
Speaker 4: They'll give you a free estimate. That phone number, 704-334-9934.
00:31:49
Speaker 5: 704-334-9934.
00:31:49
Speaker 4: One final time, 704-334-9934. Two news items yesterday from the NBA.
00:32:05
Speaker 7: That delayed Kawhi Leonard trade has now been completed. He is heading back to Toronto after a successful run with the Clippers. And Steve Ballmer and that Clippers franchise will accept all the penalties handed down to them by the NBA. They were prepared to lawyer up and fight the league. But Ballmer has now decided to accept the penalties to his organization.
00:32:29
Speaker 3: You said successful run. Was that a jest that you say that?
00:32:33
Speaker 4: I mean, they went to the Western Conference final.
00:32:37
Speaker 3: He cost them 12 first-round picks and $ 30 million in fines, the owner for a year, the GM for a year, the president for a year. He averaged 47 games a year. Will you define successful run, Finney, please? And he also ran the landscaping company.
00:32:52
Speaker 2: That wasn't real.
00:32:53
Speaker 7: Would you take that if the Hornets were involved in such a deal? And they got to at least an Eastern conference final.
00:33:00
Speaker 3: I don't, I think that, no, I don't think it's worth all that. He 12 first rounders and total counting the ones that are coming up, all the money you got fined and the lack of success.
00:33:09
Speaker 2: I don't think so. I don't, I don't think I would. Hell no. Not for one, not for one appearance.
00:33:13
Speaker 4: They never won a seven game playoff series. You wouldn't trade that to go to the Eastern conference.
00:33:17
Speaker 2: You would trade 12 first rounders for that. Yes.
00:33:20
Speaker 7: If I was a diehard Hornets fan, that's never seen them win a best of seven playoff series. I.
00:33:25
Speaker 2: They've been in that play a decade. What's another 12 years?
00:33:28
Speaker 3: By the way, what are the Clippers going forward now without all those draft picks and all their front office?
00:33:32
Speaker 4: They were what they were in the 90s, an afterthought.
00:33:34
Speaker 2: Was Kawhi not an underachiever with the Clippers?
00:33:36
Speaker 3: He played 47 games a year for seven years.
00:33:39
Speaker 7: That's what stars play in today's NBA.
00:33:41
Speaker 6: But he was injured, though. He wasn't just, like, load managing. He was less physically active than you, Fiddy. That says something.
00:33:48
Speaker 3: He played less than the Pandas defense. By the way, shout out Rod Boone, man. We're thinking of you.
00:33:54
Speaker 6: I hate the fact that he got caught up in the McClatchy company firings and layoffs. And how about the fact the Charlotte Observer will not have a Hornets beat writer?
00:34:04
Speaker 2: That's sad.
00:34:05
Speaker 6: I hate it for Rod, and I hate it for Hornets fans that aren't going to get regular coverage, man.
00:34:10
Speaker 3: People are now mocking Phitty's definition for success. Greg Oden was a great player in the NBA. Poor Finney. When we come back, there were a ton of Bears fans at the bank on Sunday. Should that take us off, or are we now numb to this trend? Sports Radio 92.7. Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ.
00:34:54
Speaker 2: Mack and Bone with you.
00:34:55
Speaker 6: By the way, Dave Canales said something interesting on Panther Talk last night. Was asked about Jimmy Horn and the punt return gig. Of course, he muffed that punt. The banana punt, Bone, that they sent our way. Canales did basically say, yeah, we got to reevaluate that spot. So we'll see if they end up doing anything there. And it has been noted in our studio, the symbolism of this big sheet of paper that we have been had hanging for months in here. That is the 10 wind wagon names. It is like barely hanging on the wall right now. It's very fitting.
00:35:28
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:35:29
Speaker 2: If one of us moves or Matt talks too loud, it's going to fall right off the wall.
00:35:33
Speaker 6: If Cooper Rush throws three touchdowns, that thing is going to go right down. Oh, that would not happen. No, kids, let's not joke. Let's not joke.
00:35:40
Speaker 2: Bone, let's talk about that. We got so many texts on this. I mean, it's it's.
00:35:48
Speaker 6: This is still bothering Panther fans, the fact that Bear fans came in.
00:35:52
Speaker 2: I don't want to say took the joint over. I still thought it was probably.
00:35:55
Speaker 6: 60, 40, 60, 5, 30, something like that. I mean, it was still majority Panther fans, but man, it was an alarming amount of Bears fans. And I'm asking the question, how much does that bother you? Or have you almost like we got a guy here? I have to be honest, man. I used to rage over other fans coming to the stadium. Tickets being sold by season ticket holders. I have just come to deal with it. I'm not sure it's ever going to change. This texter 704 number says the amount of Bears fans at the stadium is was freaking bleep bleep. He says, get these bandwagon transplants back to the state they came from and stop selling tickets because they don't like the team. They like the social aspect of it. You weren't dare bone, but I'm sure you, I'm sure like how obvious was it on TV?
00:36:51
Speaker 3: I've seen worse, but again, I wasn't really... There are times when I focus on it more because it's a storyline heading in. Like I said a few segments ago, I wasn't really even... I was so focused on the game itself, I didn't really think about to pay as much attention to it as I normally did.
00:37:09
Speaker 2: I don't think I heard... You know, when the Eagles come to town, you can hear the EAG... L.E.S.
00:37:15
Speaker 3: And you can hear some of those things. I didn't really notice it as much on TV. The Green Bay sucks at the end of the game was pretty loud. Now, granted, I was watching with Tara and I was trying to explain to her between plays that the defense is not supposed to do that.
00:37:28
Speaker 6: So I may have been distracted. Every play you were talking. Yeah, I don't know if y'all could pick that up on TV.
00:37:34
Speaker 2: Not as much.
00:37:35
Speaker 6: They did a Green Bay sucks chant while they're kicking our ass. That's humiliating.
00:37:40
Speaker 2: Like, seriously.
00:37:41
Speaker 6: Like, you have beaten us so badly, you don't give a crap about us, that you are now back to your rival. And by the way, Green Bay went out there in the second half the other day and said, yes, sir, we do suck, actually.
00:37:51
Speaker 2: But anyway, the thing that pissed.
00:37:53
Speaker 6: Me off about it— you' re right, I don't think a lot of us thought about it or saw it coming— And I think the reason I didn't see it coming, Bone, was because we just went to the playoffs last year. We won a division title. It was our first playoff appearance in almost a decade. We had an absolute blast that night, even in defeat to the Rams. We had an absolute blast as a fan base at the bank that night. The bank was rocking.
00:38:16
Speaker 2: It was back.
00:38:17
Speaker 6: The sense of community that night among Panther fans was special. So pardon me if I thought maybe the very next game in that stadium, y'all might show out better than that. Like, I just, that just, it ticks me off. And I realize a lot of it, Bone, is not our season ticket holders. A lot of it is people that are ticket brokers that buy the tickets and then sell them. I understand it. I got a texter that said the age-old phrase, the age-old saying, Mac, Bears fans are willing to pay mint for those tickets. It's the only one I sold. It literally paid for my season tickets all year. We get this all the time. I had friends that did this in Baltimore. It's kind of annoying. I just understand it. But I'll be damned, couldn't we not get a home opener the first game back after making.
00:39:05
Speaker 2: The playoffs look better than that in our stadium?
00:39:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess I trusted it, and I guess that's a rule here. Never trust that the fan base either won't show up or the Panther fans won't sell their tickets to the opposing fans. Right. The problem, too, is in this day and age, backers, the Panthers have not been good for a while, so that's been a problem. Also, the access to get tickets is not... so easy. There are so many apps. We can name the three or four ones that we know. There are so many apps now to go in and say, give me tickets. And it doesn't, you know, it's not like you can. It's not as easy just to sell to say, I mean, yeah, I guess in your life, you can sell to people that you know. But if you're going to put them on an app or whatever, they're a free game for everybody.
00:39:50
Speaker 2: Does Roaring Riot.
00:39:52
Speaker 6: Still do the service phone where they allow you to sell to Panther fans? I'm not sure we have to ask. Because that's always been something. Carolina Huddle back in the day would do that.
00:40:04
Speaker 2: Because you go on these ticket apps, Matt.
00:40:06
Speaker 3: It's so easy to find opposing– freddie game you just go get your tickets and away.
00:40:10
Speaker 6: You go now sweet cheek says i uh feel as a psl owner we get blamed for other fans coming this is 2026 fans travel also not all seats are owned by a psl owner psl smith says nobody gives a bleep if you've got your bleep paid for don't sell tickets to a bleep to an effing transplant fan you stupid effer Oh, man. PSL Smith coming in hot. Not to be outdone, 980 number. If you can afford to buy the PSLs and pay for the tickets up front, I feel like you ain't hard up for money.
00:40:49
Speaker 1: 7-0-4-9-8-0.
00:40:50
Speaker 4: Let's go.
00:40:52
Speaker 2: Another texter says this now. Big old swing, Boney. Big old swing.
00:40:58
Speaker 6: Sorry.
00:40:58
Speaker 2: Big old swing.
00:40:59
Speaker 5: Excuse me?
00:40:59
Speaker 6: Oh, that's the guy's name. One time for the one time. Big old swing. He says, Panther France, I don't really know what I'm doing. I just knocked a 10-win express off the wall. Why was I thrusting? I'm a weird old man. That's two days in a row you've gone into thrust mode.
00:41:13
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:41:15
Speaker 2: Big old swing, baby. Yeah, baby. Can you just read the damn text?
00:41:18
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sorry.
00:41:19
Speaker 2: Yes, there's a text here. My God.
00:41:20
Speaker 3: Can we just name guys like Fred and Bert instead of.
00:41:24
Speaker 6: I would handle that better. I'm not mature enough to handle big old swing. He says, Panthers need to play better. That'll solve the issue. That's definitely part of it. But to our point, we were just in the playoffs last year and the place was rocking with an overwhelming amount of Panther fans. So you can pack that place for a big game. There's no doubt about it. It rocked for the Tampa game. It rocked for the Seahawks game. Those fan bases didn't take over. I guess it's just, this dude said it's just the passion of the Bears fans.
00:41:50
Speaker 2: They are willing to pay ridiculous prices. They are.
00:41:56
Speaker 6: But the season opener, that many of you? It's just a buzzkill. It's disappointing. And I thought that we had gotten past that. They're a playoff team. There's hope for the franchise, and we're still dealing with it. There are certain fan bases I understand it's always going to be a problem. I didn't really count the Bears as one. I probably should have. But still, you would think that we wouldn't be having this discussion at this point in the season. considering the Panthers are on the climb up, they're a playoff team, I didn't really concern myself too much with thinking, oh, this is going to be the same stuff that happened when they were putrid and terrible.
00:42:34
Speaker 3: You know, I get it. But week one, and against a really good game against the Bears... We thought. I thought that matchup would draw a lot of the fans in. I'm confused by it. How about this? This guy's going to make PSL Smith mad and maybe others. 980 number. I'm a PSL owner.
00:42:54
Speaker 6: I sold my tickets to this game just because of what Bears fans were willing to pay. They were desperate to get into this game. And who's the winner? I've got hundreds of dollars for those tickets, and I didn't need to see that crap defense live. This guy not only sold the tickets to Bears fans, he is now throwing it in the face of the PSL owners that had to sit there and watch the defense.
00:43:19
Speaker 2: Bro, maybe just ease up a little bit on that tone.
00:43:21
Speaker 6: You can understand why Panther fans don't want, for the season opener, this many enemy fans around them.
00:43:27
Speaker 3: This guy says we shouldn't sell to opposing fans or let T-Bone in the stadium.
00:43:30
Speaker 5: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
00:43:32
Speaker 3: I wasn't to blame for this loss, all right? I went there this time around. Can't hang this on you, man. I tried, but I can't. Maybe you need me back in there, all right? Let's not get crazy.
00:43:39
Speaker 2: I'll be there for the Denver game, all right? We sit there proud and happy.
00:43:43
Speaker 6: This dude, can we sell Levero's access to the stadium to an opposing team fan?
00:43:47
Speaker 2: Watch yourself, y'all.
00:43:50
Speaker 3: This guy says he sold his tickets to Sean McDermott. These people will not give up the Sean McDermott attempt. When we come back, John Talti, CBSSports.com and author of the new book out today about Wayne Kiffin, previews the book and tells us how crazy the environment might be for Ole Miss LSU on Saturday at Sports Radio, 92.7 WFNZ.
Speaker 1: Oh, oh, oh, it's Mac and Bo on your radio, baby.
00:00:07
Speaker 2: This is my friend Matt. Posh, come on, Posh.
00:00:10
Speaker 3: This is my friend T-Bone.
00:00:13
Speaker 4: Let's have some fun. I can't go to work without listening to Mac and Bone.
00:00:18
Speaker 2: Do it live.
00:00:28
Speaker 5: As I look at their defense, man for man. They've got a defensive front that should be able to apply pressure with the front four. They've got one of the better defensive linemen in Derrick Brown in the league. Bobby Brown is a solid player. Lee Hunter, their draft pick, is only going to get better. Jalen Phillips, we know what he provides. One of the biggest free agent signings this year, both as a pass rusher and just as an all-around player. Bobby Okereke with the turnover early. Leading tackler for the Giants last year, Devin Lloyd. So much excitement around him, what he brings in the pressure packages we saw today. That was influential. In the secondary, they've got.
00:01:05
Speaker 2: A bunch of ball hawks.
00:01:06
Speaker 5: They've got run support players. So hard to measure these guys based on today's performance going up against the offense that they just faced. I think Carolina is still the favorite in the NFC South. Just given what I saw on offense, I know this defense will improve as the season progresses.
00:01:26
Speaker 6: Very interesting. It's not often, Bone, I get to team up with Drew Brees. Lord knows the guy aggravated the crap out of me and all Panther fans numerous times. But I find that comment from the broadcast towards the end of the game when the writing's on the wall, the Panthers got their heinies kicked.
00:01:45
Speaker 2: For Drew Brees to say that.
00:01:47
Speaker 6: Now, full disclosure, it's not like he's saying, Bone, they're favorites to win the NFC. It's not like he's saying they're favorites to win the NFC West. It is the NFC South where everybody lost on Sunday. But I am curious, when you hear that, Panther fans, do you think, you know what, he's right? Or do you feel like that's crazy? He sat here live in that stadium and watched that defense and still thinks we win in the division. I'm curious to see what y'all think about that. How do you view those comments, Bone?
00:02:18
Speaker 3: Well, obviously he saw something that he liked there in the offense that led him to believe that this team may have turned the corner offensively. And he maybe just thought it was week one against a good team and didn't really put as much stock into how many points in yards they gave up. So I think that he's basically telling you don't overreact. It's week one, and it's a very winnable division. Because, Matt, do we think in this division– Atlanta, I think they're the team that they're a mess. I think Atlanta Mac is going to be playing for one of the quarterbacks in the draft. I think Atlanta is going to be a mess most of the year, especially once. They lost Jalen Walker, and then Pierce got suspended. I thought their defense might be okay. Now I just think that they're destined for last place. Having said that, do we really think, despite the results the other day with the Panthers and their defense, do we really think in the South, with Tampa, the Saints, and the Panthers, Do we think there's going to be a whole lot of separation from those three teams? Aren't they kind of near each other? They all play similar schedules. I just think he's saying of those three teams that are all very similar, he still believes in the Panthers the most, and quite frankly, so do I.
00:03:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you do. You're right, though.
00:03:32
Speaker 3: They're not in the NFC West here. And that's one of the things I've said all along.
00:03:35
Speaker 6: I picked the Panthers to go 9-8 and to win a pretty crappy division. I think they're going to prove to be a better team than they were last year. By no means do I think they're great, but I think they're on the way progressing. I don't want to change my prediction based off one game. I think there's a lot of emotion going on, Bone, in Panther Nation, and of course there is. We care passionately. We're expecting a way better defense on the field with the guys we added. I think eventually it'll work itself out.
00:04:08
Speaker 2: I really do.
00:04:11
Speaker 6: And I think you made a comment yesterday, and I wasn't ready for it, Bone. But you made a comment yesterday that does make a hell of a lot of sense. And I wasn't ready for sense yesterday. You told me to put that in my back pocket and don't say it until Tuesday.
00:04:25
Speaker 2: Or Wednesday. So you let me know, Mac, when you want my common sense takes. Here we are, baby.
00:04:31
Speaker 6: The fact that if we look at that offense, and that was the unit we've been the most worried about, and a lot of people have been worried sick about Bryce. Does Sunday, to Drew Brees' point, not make you feel like, oh, Bryson, this offense might be better than we thought. And if the defense can rebound, even if it doesn't end up being the top 10 unit that you and I were predicted, let's say it's middle of the pack again. Can the offense get to around middle of the pack? I think that might win you the NFC South. If you have a solid, but average offense and defense, I feel like that could probably win you the South.
00:05:06
Speaker 3: Good Nugget says, and I think you may have brought this up either earlier today or yesterday, so if I'm repeating you, I apologize, but Mike Tomlin said similar things on Football Night in America about the defense is told not to hit for two straight months. You go out there in week one, now you've got to go hit. And he didn't say this, but I'm adding on to it. Then you factor in the offense that the Panthers are playing in their first game. They can't hit. They're not playing in the preseason. and they go out there, they have to go chase Cable Williams around, and they have to play a Ben Johnson offense in game number one. Well, then you start to really step back from the emotion of it all and break it down. You say, yeah, no wonder they struggled. They're facing a great offense. They're getting used to each other, and they can't really do anything for two months, and that's the first team you face? That's a very tough matchup for any defense, especially.
00:05:54
Speaker 2: In week number one.
00:05:54
Speaker 6: Yeah, Tomlin was saying that. Now, Canales kind of said, nah, nah, it wasn't tackling. You know what I mean? But that is a big Tomlin theory of why these defenses, many of them were hot garbage this weekend. Most points scored in a NFL Week 1, and you can't do it. It takes two to tango. The offenses have to be good. The defenses have to be bad as well. I just think there's too much talent on this defense to continue to be horrid. I just think guys like Jalen Phillips, who had a sack and four pressures the other day. Devin Lloyd, who had some good moments and a couple of rough moments. Okereke, this is a dude, Bone, that we were asking to play a ton of snaps and just got here.
00:06:33
Speaker 2: You know what I mean?
00:06:34
Speaker 6: I think that's also a factor. I do think we've got to get Pat Jones back sooner rather than later. I do feel like that needs to happen. And they need to sort out that third cornerback situation. I would like to see Avero go to Shaw Smith-Wade in the slot and let's get Horn back outside. Maybe they tried to rush this thing, Bone, where JC played 20 snaps in the slot.
00:06:56
Speaker 2: I know they wanted to get him in there. I like the theory.
00:06:58
Speaker 6: But maybe Will Lee wasn't ready to play 27 snaps the other day.
00:07:02
Speaker 3: You know?
00:07:03
Speaker 6: So I wonder if they're going to change that. But yeah, I just, now this texter says, Mac, if you watched all those games this weekend, there's no way you would say the Panthers are the best team. I agree with that. I think the Saints performance was the best performance. I think for them to start— Especially the second half. They got shut out in the first half, but yes. Should have had a touchdown, had it taken away. Should have had a defensive touchdown. I thought that was a screw job. I ain't crying about it, though. But yeah, the way they came on, slow start. Tyler Shuck, slow start. But the way they came on, Shuck throws to 400. That got my attention. And, I mean, you can't deny Tampa. Even with Baker fumbling the ball all over the place, they were down two scores, but they made it a six-point game and lost by six. So, yeah, we probably, yeah, we're down there on the list of how we play. But I am looking at this like Drew Brees. Like, what did I think of this team coming into the season?
00:07:55
Speaker 3: Atlanta and Pittsburgh, I saw a number the other day. Atlanta and Pittsburgh played. Percentile-wise, one of the worst offensive combined games in the history of the league the other day. It was like in the bottom three of offensive game percentage-wise in NFL history.
00:08:11
Speaker 6: And pardon me if I don't think that's great defense, Bob. I think that might be crappy offense. Scott in Belmont says, Mac said he doesn't change predictions after one game. You change your prediction after the first day of camp.
00:08:22
Speaker 2: I'm talking... Uh-oh. It's well played, sir. It's well played. Score one for Scottie and Belmont.
00:08:27
Speaker 4: Who would do such a thing? I'd change mine after FanFest.
00:08:30
Speaker 2: That is true.
00:08:31
Speaker 6: What I'm saying is— You'd change your picks more than your skibbies. I'm not changing my division winner prediction. I'm going to hold here. Well, hold on it, Boney. I'm going to stay strong. What are the texters saying, Bone Man? The 980 says Tomlin said the matchup was a problem for the Panthers. Yeah, I think there's going to be a bad matchup, to your point, for a lot of teams.
00:08:53
Speaker 2: The Bears play Minnesota this week. We'll see.
00:08:55
Speaker 3: I'm interested to see, Mac, as we're watching the Panthers, and while the Bears are playing the Vikings, don't expect 59, but do the Bears also have a similar routing of the Vikings where they look unstoppable?
00:09:09
Speaker 2: We'll see.
00:09:10
Speaker 6: Interesting to see how that goes. That Vikings game might have– well, ours was probably the craziest of the weekend.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: Who am I kidding?
00:09:14
Speaker 6: Ours was drunker than Fitty at the Coke 600. That's how drunk our game was.
00:09:18
Speaker 2: And I was drunk drunk.
00:09:19
Speaker 3: But anyway, the Minnesota Green Bay game was crazy.
00:09:24
Speaker 6: 29 straight points by Minnesota. to end that game. Green Bay went for it on that fourth down, and Minnesota said, you will do nothing the rest of the way.
00:09:33
Speaker 2: That was with Carson Wentz in there.
00:09:36
Speaker 3: By the way, Matt, speaking of our game, while that game was going on this weekend, Falcons and Panthers. Panthers are one and a half point favorites. Right now, 71% of the money is coming in on the Panthers. 81% of the spread money is on the Panthers to cover this one.
00:09:55
Speaker 2: Interesting.
00:09:55
Speaker 6: How about that, baby? Our text line ain't betting. I can tell you that. well i will say that the seven o'clock texters aren't betting my god you guys are full of uh pea and vinegar all right that's that is the watered down family friendly version of that saying um uh this hour seems a little better this texter says uh carolina mike i agree the defense uh will come around, he says. But the same can't be said for the offense. The Bears' defense is not that good. All right, so he's a little positive, a little negative. Brian says, I've been saying it all summer on the text line. No one been listening to me. Bryce Young is breaking the heck out this season, and you saw it on Sunday. Yeah, I think we, I don't know, I don't remember specifically his text, but I feel like we would like those texts. There's probably a lot of Panther fans skeptical. And I do understand what Carolina Mike's saying.
00:10:48
Speaker 2: This offense, I'm not locking it in bone.
00:10:50
Speaker 6: This is going to be a top five offense just because we're ranked fourth after, you know what I mean? After this weekend, the bears defense is a bad one, but can we jump bone from like 28th to 15th on offense?
00:11:03
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:11:03
Speaker 2: You know what I mean? That would be a pretty big jump. 15 right now, Matt. They're in the top five.
00:11:10
Speaker 6: I'm trying to be reasonable. I'm trying not to knee jerk all the way up here. Look at the numbers. Can we play the Bears defense every week? Can we play other offenses but the Bears defense every week?
00:11:20
Speaker 2: I don't want to play that game ever again.
00:11:22
Speaker 3: All things considered here.
00:11:25
Speaker 6: No, team the Bears defense up with other offense. That's my humble suggestion. I've heard back from Roger Goodell. That's not how it works, he says.
00:11:35
Speaker 3: When we come back on the Mac and Bone Show, Adam Gold, what's he going to take away from that Panther performance? We'll also talk ACC football and more. Sports Radio, 92.7 WFNZ.
00:12:00
Speaker 6: Sports Radio 92.7 WFAT.
00:12:03
Speaker 2: Happy Tuesday.
00:12:04
Speaker 3: Too soon?
00:12:05
Speaker 6: Too soon in the week after Sunday to use the word happy?
00:12:09
Speaker 2: We're trying to be happy.
00:12:10
Speaker 6: Mack and Bone with you, trying to bring some cheer back into your hearts. I'm sure this won't get people mad. Coming up at 8.45, we have the discussion many of you are asking for on the text line. And unfortunately, Bone, in our two decades here, plus of.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: Being here, that we have had... Many times before. Bill Cowher coaching the team? No, not that one. Not that one.
00:12:34
Speaker 6: Why were there so many Bears fans in the stadium on Sunday for the season opener off a playoff appearance? And does it piss you off or are you over it? Are you over it? There's part of me that just wants to say, who cares? It happens all the time. But there's another part of me that was there at the doghouse seeing all these Bears fans that was at the stadium looking out and seeing all the dark blue and orange, and the timing of this bothers me so much, man.
00:13:03
Speaker 3: I'm a little upset because usually we see it coming and we talk about it during the week. I was just so into it being week one. I thought the Panther fans would show out. I didn't really think of the Bears as being one of the more– prominent travel. I didn't really think about any of that. I thought about the game. So usually we're ahead of that. Oh, it's going to be ugly.
00:13:21
Speaker 2: It's the Eagles.
00:13:22
Speaker 3: It's the Cowboys. I didn't really factor the Bears into those teams, the Giants. I didn't really factor the Bears into that. I guess I should have. So I'm a little mad at myself that I didn't.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: See it coming. Oh, I don't think anybody else focused on it.
00:13:33
Speaker 6: KB and I both were kind of like, oh, shoot, yeah, we didn't really think about that fan base. Smoke brought up a good point about that. The Bears have not been here, Bone. The only time they have been here... in like the last 15 years is the COVID year. And there were only like 5,000 fans there at the game. So we hadn't really encountered the Bears fans since like 2012, maybe?
00:13:55
Speaker 2: You know what I mean?
00:13:57
Speaker 3: So I think that's part of it. Adam Goldmack will join us. He's going to join us at 825. So we've got a couple of minutes before the gold man joins us.
00:14:05
Speaker 2: Okay. All right. So we've got Goldie coming up, everybody.
00:14:07
Speaker 6: We've got plenty of talk, but we'll see what he thinks about the Bears defense and the Avero question. Like, we'll see where he stands. It seemed like on Twitter he might have been pointing out, hey, you're all going after Avero. What about the players on this team? So we'll ask him about that.
00:14:22
Speaker 3: Would you like Matt to have the conversation that Turd Ferguson wants us to have?
00:14:25
Speaker 2: What's that? What's that?
00:14:26
Speaker 3: Someone needs to be ready to have the conversation. What if Bryce has a great year and decides he no longer wants to be a Panther?
00:14:33
Speaker 6: Because of the constant disrespect. Yeah, I need to text him back. Don't worry. I don't care how disrespectful. First of all, I don't know why it's disrespect. Like, it's not from the team. It was Bebop. He's going to say that Bebop guy's mean to me on the text line. I ain't signing in Carolina.
00:14:47
Speaker 3: Now we're worried that Bryce doesn't want to play for this middling franchise.
00:14:50
Speaker 2: No, don't do that. Let's get that out of here. All right.
00:14:55
Speaker 3: If Bryce falls out, we're going to come to terms.
00:14:57
Speaker 6: We're going to work it out, man. no matter how annoying it is to live in the same city as Bebop. A couple of things real quick. Jalen Coker had a boot. on one of his feet yesterday, said he rolled his ankle in the first quarter of the game. Now, that's not ideal, Bone. The good news is... He got better after that rolled ankle. The good news is it didn't seem to bother him. It didn't sound like, roll that ankle every game.
00:15:22
Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Do a pregame.
00:15:23
Speaker 6: Get in the pregame, roll that ankle. He seemed to indicate, hey, I'm good. I'm going to be good to go this week, but we'll monitor that. Also, Bone, I was asking you during the break, How did the Panthers become favorites in this game? Because it was my understanding that the Falcons were favorites initially. And you were saying how much betting, how much of the money early on is coming on Carolina.
00:15:45
Speaker 2: It appears that it has led to a line movement.
00:15:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, it opened plus one. The Panthers are plus one and a half. Now it's the Panthers favored by one and a half. And it goes into the numbers that I said there about how much of the, what did I say, 80, 81% of the Panthers Of the spread monies on the Panthers?
00:16:01
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:16:01
Speaker 6: I feel like that's people that are spotting a line that's an overreaction. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it almost feels like the Michigan game last week. And listen, did I pick, was I smart enough to pick Michigan?
00:16:13
Speaker 2: No.
00:16:13
Speaker 6: I was not smart enough to see, okay, here's what's going to happen. But I did, in the back of my mind, wonder, could they come out and win this thing? But there's this thing that happens, Bone, where we overreact to what we just saw, right? And it feels like that whole thing with the Falcons, Falcons going to beat the Panthers. I would say not so fast, my friend. Let's not overreact to what we saw.
00:16:34
Speaker 3: Sometimes Vegas takes a couple weeks to really catch up to certain things. Happens in college all the time where you'll see lines and think, wow, that doesn't make a lot of sense. And then as the season goes along, they catch up. But Vegas takes a while at times to figure things out as well.
00:16:50
Speaker 2: That's true, too.
00:16:50
Speaker 3: Takes a while.
00:16:51
Speaker 2: That's true.
00:16:54
Speaker 3: I don't blame Finney for that. I blame Adam Gold for holding us off for three minutes. Because we're waiting a while. I don't know about you, Bone, and I don't know about the listeners. I can't hear anybody say, Troy Aikman last night made a comment that it's been a while for something.
00:17:11
Speaker 2: I forget what it was.
00:17:12
Speaker 6: I can't hear anyone say it's been a while without them blurting out, it's.
00:17:16
Speaker 2: Been a while. It happens with KB and Smoke.
00:17:20
Speaker 6: KB and Smoke, when one of them says it or a caller says it, they both hop in now.
00:17:24
Speaker 2: It's been a while. Smitty, or Smitty.
00:17:27
Speaker 6: Finney has trained us like we're all puppies or something, man.
00:17:30
Speaker 3: You ought to have him train Murphy. Matt keeps stalling. 827 for Adam Gold here.
00:17:36
Speaker 6: What's Goldie up to? Is he spending some intimate time? Is he in bed with the Stanley Cup right now? What the hell is Goldie doing? He must be looking at old Canes highlights. I'm not sure. He's ready to go, Finney, when you want.
00:17:50
Speaker 2: To call him.
00:17:50
Speaker 6: How close are we to that Canes-Panthers opener?
00:17:52
Speaker 1: Two weeks?
00:17:52
Speaker 2: Two weeks. I know I'm putting you on the spot. I apologize. I think so.
00:17:57
Speaker 3: I think September 30th might be opening.
00:18:02
Speaker 2: September 20th. Or not free season. I'm sorry.
00:18:06
Speaker 6: Pucks McClain ain't on his game yet, Boney. It's a little early for Pucks McClain. September 29th. Much closer to what you said than.
00:18:13
Speaker 2: What I said.
00:18:14
Speaker 3: The TNT opening doubleheader is on the 30th. I have to look at the cane zone. I'm on the spot here. It's September 29th.
00:18:20
Speaker 2: There you go.
00:18:20
Speaker 3: Tuesday.
00:18:21
Speaker 2: There you go. I just told you that.
00:18:22
Speaker 3: I was listening to make sure Fiddy had the gas.
00:18:25
Speaker 2: All right? It's been a while since Bones listened to me, Fiddy. It's been a while.
00:18:29
Speaker 1: It's been a while.
00:18:29
Speaker 3: I need a drink desperately. Why don't you talk to Adam Gold and I go to a pub? So I was right.
00:18:34
Speaker 6: It's literally two weeks from today is when the season opens.
00:18:38
Speaker 2: You were right, Mac. Yes. Everyone, Mac was right. Everybody, Mac was right. What a damn smart ass. You're more smart ass than Caleb Williams. I'd rather be a smart ass than a dumb one.
00:18:49
Speaker 5: Oh.
00:18:51
Speaker 1: Oh!
00:18:51
Speaker 2: I'm not calling you that. I'm just saying me personally. It sounded like I was. No, I would never call you that.
00:18:56
Speaker 6: Anyway, I think Goldie will be proud of us for sitting here two weeks before the Panther season opener, or the Hurricane season opener. Well, I guess the Panther season opener, too, and talking Hurricanes hockey. Unfortunately, that will not continue now because we've got football to talk about. We've got to see what he thinks about that Panther defensive performance. How about Carolina Clemson? That's a juicy one to talk about with Goldie. Adam Gold, veteran, radio savant, 99.9, the fan in Raleigh. And, of course, you can hear his show weeknights here, 7 o'clock on WFNZ. Goldie, how you doing, man?
00:19:28
Speaker 2: What's going on?
00:19:30
Speaker 1: I am doing very well. We are two weeks from the hurricane season opener, and I'd rather talk about the Panthers' offensive performance. That was good.
00:19:41
Speaker 6: Well, let's start with that thing. I like the way you're thinking, Goldie. Here I am being negative. The offense.
00:19:48
Speaker 2: I can't help myself. 59 points, man.
00:19:51
Speaker 6: There's a lot to be negative about. But let's start with the offense. Let's go there first. Bryce was tremendous. What did you think, Idzik? It's a pretty darn good debut for Idzik's first game as a play caller. Do you feel like they can keep that up or at least something close to that up?
00:20:08
Speaker 2: What do you think?
00:20:10
Speaker 1: I don't think the Bears are very good defensively, but that doesn't mean that Carolina wasn't very good offensively. I know we saw a lot of great things. My only negatives on Bryce is that I thought he was probably responsible for the couple of sacks that he took. Those plays just took too long to develop. I think he was looking for an escape route, which he's usually very good at. But other than that, I mean, I mean, that's an, it's an a performance. We needed to see that in the opener. We needed to see it in the first half. He was excellent in the first half, took some hits to make throws. He was accurate, like crazy. The worst passing through was the first pass to Xavier Leggett, which was too low, but still should have been caught, but he isn't going to go anywhere with it. So it was really a price problem, but I mean, the ball has got to be caught. But I thought he was awesome. I thought Jalen Coker was great. I thought the tight ends did really well. The only disappointing things for me were I thought Teneroa McMillan was not great. And obviously XL unfortunately reminded us of last year.
00:21:23
Speaker 2: No doubt, man.
00:21:25
Speaker 3: What do you think is– how sustainable do you think the offensive effort is to carry over? Was this a, hey, they played the Bears defense and it was a great matchup for week one? Or did you see things in there, Goldie, that you said, you know what, I really think this offense is moving forward?
00:21:42
Speaker 1: Oh, I definitely think the offense is going to be fine. As long as the line stays healthy. Look, we talked about this. I am terrified of their lack of depth. The Brady Christensen hamstring injury that has him out, I mean, that is depth at both tackles right now and both guard positions, right? He is their number one lineman off the bench if they need to go to the bench. And that is a little bit of a problem now because he's out too. But if they stay healthy, then I think they'll be okay. I actually think they'll run the ball much better. I think they ran the ball okay. but they just couldn't get to it because the pass was working and they had to keep up with Chicago. So you just couldn't fall behind in that game. But I think the run game will get better, and I think their offense will get better because of it.
00:22:37
Speaker 6: Yeah, Chuba averaged 4.9 yards a carry. I think it was a pretty good start for him. Your point about the depth of the O-line is a good one, though. Without Brady Christensen, Bullock was the guard off the bench when Lewis went down for two plays. Bullock had been here for like 10 days at that point. That's not ideal. And then you have the whole thing of Stone Forsyth. You could be an injury way for him playing, so I'm with you.
00:23:01
Speaker 2: On that.
00:23:01
Speaker 6: As far as the defense goes, Goldie, the hot button name, I'm sure you know, you, you know, you've talked about it is a zero of arrow. I mean, people are furious with him. Many say and fire them, even though we're one week, week into the dang season. Like how much, when you watch that defense, were you thinking, Oh, this is coaching. And how much of you were, were you saying, Oh, these players are not making plays.
00:23:27
Speaker 2: What'd you think?
00:23:29
Speaker 1: Well, one could lead to the other. So I don't want to completely remove the possibility that Evero or Averro, I've probably been saying his name wrong for four years, that Averro just isn't quite the communicator that he needs to be. I'm not suggesting that, but I don't want to completely discount it. But, man, that was a game of just, I thought, physical and mental mistakes from players. I mean, how many bad angles can Prince Lee Oman Mielin take to lose contain? You know, how many missed tackles... Speaker 3 and I mean, could you give up on the play on the Roma? Didn't they play down the right sideline? It's completely game.
00:24:25
Speaker 3: How brutal was that? No urgency to get back there. The blanket got treated like a throw rug. Yeah.
00:24:31
Speaker 1: And you know, people like they, people talk about, well, they spent $ 165 million in the off season addressing the defense. Okay. Yes, they did. I thought Jalen Phillips was good. I didn't think he was great. I thought he made some plays. Uh, I mean, as much as I love the signing of Devin Lloyd, uh, I don't think that's that game's going on his highlight reel. I mean, he got, he got, uh, beat in the run game several times. He had some good pressures up the middle, but it wasn't his finest. He got beat on the Cole commit touchdown where, I mean, the pass was absolutely perfect, but he did get beat on it. And I just thought he had an at best, an average game. Now that doesn't mean that, that, that ever or Vero doesn't have something to do with it. I don't know, but I think people were ready to, Because the defense has been, at best, okay. I think people were ready to pounce. I think it was more of a player issue. And Derrick Brown makes the two most boneheaded plays of the game. I mean, if those two plays, if he doesn't rough the passer, it's probably a field goal. So it's 34-31. And if he doesn't jump offside, they survived the mistake.
00:25:53
Speaker 2: Yep, 100%.
00:25:54
Speaker 3: Goldie, on the college front, how much of a chance do you give the Heels in this all of a sudden very interesting matchup against Clemson on Saturday? It's down to a three-point line for Clemson at home in this matchup.
00:26:09
Speaker 1: That is staggering to me. I haven't even looked at the betting line yet. It's only three points. That is such a slap in the face to Davo Sweeney. That is unbelievable. Well, I mean, we watched Clemson struggle with Georgia Southern. And now they're down to three.
00:26:24
Speaker 2: And a half. It's three and a half. Sorry. Three and a half.
00:26:26
Speaker 1: Yep.
00:26:27
Speaker 2: Either way.
00:26:27
Speaker 1: I mean, that's, that's still stunning. Are you telling me that Carolina would be favored in Chapel Hill?
00:26:33
Speaker 2: Get out of here.
00:26:36
Speaker 1: Look, I mean, Clemson doesn't look like Clemson. I mean, they actually, they do. They look like Clemson from like the mid, let's say the early 90s, maybe. It is just not a vintage Clemson team at all. And I think the most glaring thing for me is that they just don't look as talented. Last year's team had tons of talent. They just stunk as a team. This year, I don't see like they have some very good players, but man, they just look a step slow to me. Um, but I still don't think Carolina is that good. Uh, but, uh, man, this is what a comedy of errors this could be.
00:27:20
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:27:21
Speaker 6: This one's intriguing. There's no doubt about it. What do you think about NC state? Like, I feel like the proper approach to take is okay. 73 points on Richmond. You look like you came out and wanted to prove something after the beat down to Virginia, uh, but go prove really go prove something on the road against Vandy this week. Is that like, is that the approach you take? What's your feeling on NC state going into the Vandy game?
00:27:50
Speaker 1: I just, I just don't know what we learn from a game like that against Richmond. I really don't. I mean, I don't want to completely discount it because maybe the, the guys games, you know, they, they kind of extract some confidence from it because it did look like look like they wanted it to look, they ran the ball really well. Bailey was good. But I just, Richmond might stink. And then what are we, how do we, it's a practice to me. So, and I, I hate, I hate these games because of it distorts. It distorts what we think about these teams. All I'd like to see all of these games. And I know there, nothing is perfect. I'd like to see all of these FCS games. as pre-season games that don't count against your record, but you still play them. We'd still watch. If you played Richmond at NC State on August 22nd, you know, before week zero, before week one, we'd watch. I mean, I'd watch it. You'd watch it. Travis would watch it if, you know, he's not at the dog park. So why not?
00:28:59
Speaker 2: I mean, but I wouldn't mind that. I wouldn't mind that. I would be preseason.
00:29:05
Speaker 6: I watched, Lord knows I watch way too much Panther preseason way too intently.
00:29:09
Speaker 5: Why?
00:29:10
Speaker 1: Watch the Hall of Fame game.
00:29:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. Hey, America.
00:29:12
Speaker 6: American Droves watched that Haynes King performance, man. Seven million plus viewers.
00:29:17
Speaker 2: All right. Those are the days, Bone. Haynes King. Those are the days. Oh, way back when. Does he play defense? I need to know. Probably. He probably does.
00:29:26
Speaker 1: I would think.
00:29:27
Speaker 2: Good point. Why am I doubting him? All right, Goldie.
00:29:29
Speaker 6: Great talking to you, brother. We will talk to you next week. Appreciate it, man. Have a good week.
00:29:36
Speaker 1: You too, fellas. Take care. All right.
00:29:38
Speaker 6: There you go, Adam Gold. Remember, you can listen to him here weeknights. His show re-airs here weeknights at 7 o'clock on WFNZ. The text line, very interesting dynamic on the text line. The two fan bases came together, Bone, to tell Goldie he doesn't know what he's talking about. It's Tar Heel fans that are like, bro, we are more than deserving of being just a three-and-a-half point dog at Clemson.
00:29:58
Speaker 2: You'll see.
00:29:59
Speaker 6: And a couple of Clemson fans that are like, dude, sorry, I love Clemson, but we're terrible, Goldie.
00:30:04
Speaker 4: Are you not watching us?
00:30:06
Speaker 2: So that was interesting.
00:30:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, Goldie's always got some detractors there on the text line, but I don't think he really cares, to be honest with you.
00:30:15
Speaker 6: He doesn't care, and I don't think he's trying to. You know what I mean? Some people know on the radio, hey, I'm going to push this button, right? I'm going to push this button, right? He's just on here saying he doesn't think the Tar Heels are near Clemson.
00:30:26
Speaker 2: I personally... believe they are very near Clemson.
00:30:30
Speaker 3: Matt, before we go to the Fit Daddy with an update, Tepper Sports and Entertainment put out a release today that will interest some people. The Kenny Chesney, the original Vibe Room Tour, will be playing at the bank next August 21st.
00:30:46
Speaker 2: There you go. But it is Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, and Sheryl Crow. That is a hell of a show. That's a show right there.
00:30:53
Speaker 6: They were saving this announcement for when the Panthers played a horrible game.
00:30:57
Speaker 2: They said, crap, get that Chesney announcement out there.
00:31:00
Speaker 3: No shirt, no shoes, no defense. Now it's like his own karaoke machine over here. I'm the king of laughing at myself, by the way. All right, we need to go to the man.
00:31:12
Speaker 2: That's sad. We need to go to the man we once called the Fit Daddy.
00:31:15
Speaker 3: Based off recent events, Mac, he's now known as the Love Daddy.
00:31:19
Speaker 1: Oh.
00:31:19
Speaker 2: Finny Marwum. It's all right to be a little fitty. A little hometown or a big old city. Might as well share, might as well smile. Life goes on for a little fitty while.
00:31:34
Speaker 4: Thank you, Bone.
00:31:34
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00:31:39
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00:31:47
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00:31:49
Speaker 5: 704-334-9934.
00:31:49
Speaker 4: One final time, 704-334-9934. Two news items yesterday from the NBA.
00:32:05
Speaker 7: That delayed Kawhi Leonard trade has now been completed. He is heading back to Toronto after a successful run with the Clippers. And Steve Ballmer and that Clippers franchise will accept all the penalties handed down to them by the NBA. They were prepared to lawyer up and fight the league. But Ballmer has now decided to accept the penalties to his organization.
00:32:29
Speaker 3: You said successful run. Was that a jest that you say that?
00:32:33
Speaker 4: I mean, they went to the Western Conference final.
00:32:37
Speaker 3: He cost them 12 first-round picks and $ 30 million in fines, the owner for a year, the GM for a year, the president for a year. He averaged 47 games a year. Will you define successful run, Finney, please? And he also ran the landscaping company.
00:32:52
Speaker 2: That wasn't real.
00:32:53
Speaker 7: Would you take that if the Hornets were involved in such a deal? And they got to at least an Eastern conference final.
00:33:00
Speaker 3: I don't, I think that, no, I don't think it's worth all that. He 12 first rounders and total counting the ones that are coming up, all the money you got fined and the lack of success.
00:33:09
Speaker 2: I don't think so. I don't, I don't think I would. Hell no. Not for one, not for one appearance.
00:33:13
Speaker 4: They never won a seven game playoff series. You wouldn't trade that to go to the Eastern conference.
00:33:17
Speaker 2: You would trade 12 first rounders for that. Yes.
00:33:20
Speaker 7: If I was a diehard Hornets fan, that's never seen them win a best of seven playoff series. I.
00:33:25
Speaker 2: They've been in that play a decade. What's another 12 years?
00:33:28
Speaker 3: By the way, what are the Clippers going forward now without all those draft picks and all their front office?
00:33:32
Speaker 4: They were what they were in the 90s, an afterthought.
00:33:34
Speaker 2: Was Kawhi not an underachiever with the Clippers?
00:33:36
Speaker 3: He played 47 games a year for seven years.
00:33:39
Speaker 7: That's what stars play in today's NBA.
00:33:41
Speaker 6: But he was injured, though. He wasn't just, like, load managing. He was less physically active than you, Fiddy. That says something.
00:33:48
Speaker 3: He played less than the Pandas defense. By the way, shout out Rod Boone, man. We're thinking of you.
00:33:54
Speaker 6: I hate the fact that he got caught up in the McClatchy company firings and layoffs. And how about the fact the Charlotte Observer will not have a Hornets beat writer?
00:34:04
Speaker 2: That's sad.
00:34:05
Speaker 6: I hate it for Rod, and I hate it for Hornets fans that aren't going to get regular coverage, man.
00:34:10
Speaker 3: People are now mocking Phitty's definition for success. Greg Oden was a great player in the NBA. Poor Finney. When we come back, there were a ton of Bears fans at the bank on Sunday. Should that take us off, or are we now numb to this trend? Sports Radio 92.7. Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ.
00:34:54
Speaker 2: Mack and Bone with you.
00:34:55
Speaker 6: By the way, Dave Canales said something interesting on Panther Talk last night. Was asked about Jimmy Horn and the punt return gig. Of course, he muffed that punt. The banana punt, Bone, that they sent our way. Canales did basically say, yeah, we got to reevaluate that spot. So we'll see if they end up doing anything there. And it has been noted in our studio, the symbolism of this big sheet of paper that we have been had hanging for months in here. That is the 10 wind wagon names. It is like barely hanging on the wall right now. It's very fitting.
00:35:28
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:35:29
Speaker 2: If one of us moves or Matt talks too loud, it's going to fall right off the wall.
00:35:33
Speaker 6: If Cooper Rush throws three touchdowns, that thing is going to go right down. Oh, that would not happen. No, kids, let's not joke. Let's not joke.
00:35:40
Speaker 2: Bone, let's talk about that. We got so many texts on this. I mean, it's it's.
00:35:48
Speaker 6: This is still bothering Panther fans, the fact that Bear fans came in.
00:35:52
Speaker 2: I don't want to say took the joint over. I still thought it was probably.
00:35:55
Speaker 6: 60, 40, 60, 5, 30, something like that. I mean, it was still majority Panther fans, but man, it was an alarming amount of Bears fans. And I'm asking the question, how much does that bother you? Or have you almost like we got a guy here? I have to be honest, man. I used to rage over other fans coming to the stadium. Tickets being sold by season ticket holders. I have just come to deal with it. I'm not sure it's ever going to change. This texter 704 number says the amount of Bears fans at the stadium is was freaking bleep bleep. He says, get these bandwagon transplants back to the state they came from and stop selling tickets because they don't like the team. They like the social aspect of it. You weren't dare bone, but I'm sure you, I'm sure like how obvious was it on TV?
00:36:51
Speaker 3: I've seen worse, but again, I wasn't really... There are times when I focus on it more because it's a storyline heading in. Like I said a few segments ago, I wasn't really even... I was so focused on the game itself, I didn't really think about to pay as much attention to it as I normally did.
00:37:09
Speaker 2: I don't think I heard... You know, when the Eagles come to town, you can hear the EAG... L.E.S.
00:37:15
Speaker 3: And you can hear some of those things. I didn't really notice it as much on TV. The Green Bay sucks at the end of the game was pretty loud. Now, granted, I was watching with Tara and I was trying to explain to her between plays that the defense is not supposed to do that.
00:37:28
Speaker 6: So I may have been distracted. Every play you were talking. Yeah, I don't know if y'all could pick that up on TV.
00:37:34
Speaker 2: Not as much.
00:37:35
Speaker 6: They did a Green Bay sucks chant while they're kicking our ass. That's humiliating.
00:37:40
Speaker 2: Like, seriously.
00:37:41
Speaker 6: Like, you have beaten us so badly, you don't give a crap about us, that you are now back to your rival. And by the way, Green Bay went out there in the second half the other day and said, yes, sir, we do suck, actually.
00:37:51
Speaker 2: But anyway, the thing that pissed.
00:37:53
Speaker 6: Me off about it— you' re right, I don't think a lot of us thought about it or saw it coming— And I think the reason I didn't see it coming, Bone, was because we just went to the playoffs last year. We won a division title. It was our first playoff appearance in almost a decade. We had an absolute blast that night, even in defeat to the Rams. We had an absolute blast as a fan base at the bank that night. The bank was rocking.
00:38:16
Speaker 2: It was back.
00:38:17
Speaker 6: The sense of community that night among Panther fans was special. So pardon me if I thought maybe the very next game in that stadium, y'all might show out better than that. Like, I just, that just, it ticks me off. And I realize a lot of it, Bone, is not our season ticket holders. A lot of it is people that are ticket brokers that buy the tickets and then sell them. I understand it. I got a texter that said the age-old phrase, the age-old saying, Mac, Bears fans are willing to pay mint for those tickets. It's the only one I sold. It literally paid for my season tickets all year. We get this all the time. I had friends that did this in Baltimore. It's kind of annoying. I just understand it. But I'll be damned, couldn't we not get a home opener the first game back after making.
00:39:05
Speaker 2: The playoffs look better than that in our stadium?
00:39:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess I trusted it, and I guess that's a rule here. Never trust that the fan base either won't show up or the Panther fans won't sell their tickets to the opposing fans. Right. The problem, too, is in this day and age, backers, the Panthers have not been good for a while, so that's been a problem. Also, the access to get tickets is not... so easy. There are so many apps. We can name the three or four ones that we know. There are so many apps now to go in and say, give me tickets. And it doesn't, you know, it's not like you can. It's not as easy just to sell to say, I mean, yeah, I guess in your life, you can sell to people that you know. But if you're going to put them on an app or whatever, they're a free game for everybody.
00:39:50
Speaker 2: Does Roaring Riot.
00:39:52
Speaker 6: Still do the service phone where they allow you to sell to Panther fans? I'm not sure we have to ask. Because that's always been something. Carolina Huddle back in the day would do that.
00:40:04
Speaker 2: Because you go on these ticket apps, Matt.
00:40:06
Speaker 3: It's so easy to find opposing– freddie game you just go get your tickets and away.
00:40:10
Speaker 6: You go now sweet cheek says i uh feel as a psl owner we get blamed for other fans coming this is 2026 fans travel also not all seats are owned by a psl owner psl smith says nobody gives a bleep if you've got your bleep paid for don't sell tickets to a bleep to an effing transplant fan you stupid effer Oh, man. PSL Smith coming in hot. Not to be outdone, 980 number. If you can afford to buy the PSLs and pay for the tickets up front, I feel like you ain't hard up for money.
00:40:49
Speaker 1: 7-0-4-9-8-0.
00:40:50
Speaker 4: Let's go.
00:40:52
Speaker 2: Another texter says this now. Big old swing, Boney. Big old swing.
00:40:58
Speaker 6: Sorry.
00:40:58
Speaker 2: Big old swing.
00:40:59
Speaker 5: Excuse me?
00:40:59
Speaker 6: Oh, that's the guy's name. One time for the one time. Big old swing. He says, Panther France, I don't really know what I'm doing. I just knocked a 10-win express off the wall. Why was I thrusting? I'm a weird old man. That's two days in a row you've gone into thrust mode.
00:41:13
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:41:15
Speaker 2: Big old swing, baby. Yeah, baby. Can you just read the damn text?
00:41:18
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sorry.
00:41:19
Speaker 2: Yes, there's a text here. My God.
00:41:20
Speaker 3: Can we just name guys like Fred and Bert instead of.
00:41:24
Speaker 6: I would handle that better. I'm not mature enough to handle big old swing. He says, Panthers need to play better. That'll solve the issue. That's definitely part of it. But to our point, we were just in the playoffs last year and the place was rocking with an overwhelming amount of Panther fans. So you can pack that place for a big game. There's no doubt about it. It rocked for the Tampa game. It rocked for the Seahawks game. Those fan bases didn't take over. I guess it's just, this dude said it's just the passion of the Bears fans.
00:41:50
Speaker 2: They are willing to pay ridiculous prices. They are.
00:41:56
Speaker 6: But the season opener, that many of you? It's just a buzzkill. It's disappointing. And I thought that we had gotten past that. They're a playoff team. There's hope for the franchise, and we're still dealing with it. There are certain fan bases I understand it's always going to be a problem. I didn't really count the Bears as one. I probably should have. But still, you would think that we wouldn't be having this discussion at this point in the season. considering the Panthers are on the climb up, they're a playoff team, I didn't really concern myself too much with thinking, oh, this is going to be the same stuff that happened when they were putrid and terrible.
00:42:34
Speaker 3: You know, I get it. But week one, and against a really good game against the Bears... We thought. I thought that matchup would draw a lot of the fans in. I'm confused by it. How about this? This guy's going to make PSL Smith mad and maybe others. 980 number. I'm a PSL owner.
00:42:54
Speaker 6: I sold my tickets to this game just because of what Bears fans were willing to pay. They were desperate to get into this game. And who's the winner? I've got hundreds of dollars for those tickets, and I didn't need to see that crap defense live. This guy not only sold the tickets to Bears fans, he is now throwing it in the face of the PSL owners that had to sit there and watch the defense.
00:43:19
Speaker 2: Bro, maybe just ease up a little bit on that tone.
00:43:21
Speaker 6: You can understand why Panther fans don't want, for the season opener, this many enemy fans around them.
00:43:27
Speaker 3: This guy says we shouldn't sell to opposing fans or let T-Bone in the stadium.
00:43:30
Speaker 5: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
00:43:32
Speaker 3: I wasn't to blame for this loss, all right? I went there this time around. Can't hang this on you, man. I tried, but I can't. Maybe you need me back in there, all right? Let's not get crazy.
00:43:39
Speaker 2: I'll be there for the Denver game, all right? We sit there proud and happy.
00:43:43
Speaker 6: This dude, can we sell Levero's access to the stadium to an opposing team fan?
00:43:47
Speaker 2: Watch yourself, y'all.
00:43:50
Speaker 3: This guy says he sold his tickets to Sean McDermott. These people will not give up the Sean McDermott attempt. When we come back, John Talti, CBSSports.com and author of the new book out today about Wayne Kiffin, previews the book and tells us how crazy the environment might be for Ole Miss LSU on Saturday at Sports Radio, 92.7 WFNZ.
