Former Panther Minter Eyes Congress

Mike Minter, a 10-year Carolina Panther and one of the most respected football players to suit up in Panthers blue and black, retired from the NFL at the end of the ‘07/’08 football season, but now he might be ready to make another public appearance of a different kind - a political one. According to the USA Today, Minter is considering running for Congress in 2010, where he would run against Republican Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) as the GOP candidate.

Minter’s run for office wouldn’t be the first time an NFL player ran for Congress in North Carolina, as retired Redskins QB Heath Shuler ran for and won the position as representative for North Carolina’s 11^th District back in 2006. Will Mike Minter become the next Heath Shuler? Since retiring from the Panthers in 2007 due to a knee injury, Minter has been an active figure in Charlotte’s evangelical community, and his superstar status may help him gain exposure as a possible leading candidate in the 2010 race.

Mike Minter has been a Carolina hero ever since 1997, when he was selected as the 51^st overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. He holds the record as the Panthers’ all-team leader in forced fumbles and still stands toward the top of the record board of leading tacklers for the team.

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Panthers TV Goes HD

The Carolina Panthers have made the switch to HD, as local media has recently announced it will be broadcasting preseason games and the weekly show Panthers Huddle all in HD in the upcoming football season. This run in HD marks the first time that all of the Panthers’ preseason games will be broadcast in HD, and the televised football action will also be helped along with the help of former Carolina defensive end Mike Rucker and commentator Mike Morgan, who will both be part of the Panthers preseason coverage, as well.

Carolina’s local three-game preseason package includes an August 22 game at Miami, an August 29 matchup against Baltimore and a September 3 game against Pittsburgh, all of which will be broadcast in HD from FOX Charlotte/WCCB-TV. The Panthers also have a nationally televised preseason game on August 17 at New York Giants, set to be broadcast via ESPN. This newest endeavor into HD is an exciting one for the team and fans alike, as Panthers Director of Broadcasting and New Media Henry Thomas recently said, “We are pleased for our fans that we will be telecasting state of the art HD for the first time this season. They have been most supportive of all our programming over the years.”

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Panthers to Watch for in 2009

The Carolina Panthers want to avenge their loss to the Arizona Cardinals in last year’s playoffs. Not only that, but the Panthers also strive to be a better team in 2009 - with or without Julius Peppers. While the task before this team of all-stars is a little bit daunting and more than a little challenging, there are a few players who need to step it up for this year’s Panthers to be remembered, and a Bleacher Report article recently singled these players out, naming the top 10 most important players that will have to play well for Carolina to have a shot at the playoffs again this season.

In this mix of players are of course running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who both feed off each other to form one of the most dynamic duos in Panthers history. Wide receivers Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett are also on this list, as is tight end Jeff King and (of course) quarterback Jake Delhomme, but the last two positions on this top 10 list may be surprising. Hinging off the other, one more of these Panthers who will be crucial to the team’s success this year is Julius Peppers, and it all starts with whether he stays or leaves the team. In the case that he does indeed leave, the last spot on this top 10 list is really a slew of players that will have to step it up to take his place - Tyler Brayton, Casper Brinkley, Hilee Taylor, Charles Johnson and Everette Brown. Brown, of course, is the leading rookie for the position, but will he get his big chance this year to play in Pep’s spot? Stay tuned to find out!

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Meeks Gets Dungy’s Stamp of Approval

Perhaps the Carolina Panthers have retired Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy to thank for the team’s new defensive coordinator. Ron Meeks, one of the newest additions to the Panthers, resigned from his seven-year position with the Colts after Dungy retired after last season, and now he’s being held as one of the forces that will help strengthen the Panthers’ defense. The waters were tested at Carolina’s minicamp last weekend, and it seems as if the team is transitioning nicely to its new and improved defensive scheme.

When questioned last week on his former staffer’s worth to the Carolina Panthers, Tony Dungy had nothing but good words to speak about Meeks, saying, “I think they’re getting a really experienced football coach who has been in an experienced system who will tailor what he wants to do to the talent that’s there.” Dungy also added, “He’s been in some successful places. He’s very detailed. He’ll run a tight ship and he’ll push the guys. He’ll do a great job.”

In the same interview, Dungy also mentioned his approval for second-round draft pick Everette Brown, whom Dungy met while on a junior recruiting day at Florida State with his son.

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Meet the Panthers Night for Burn Victim a Success

14-year-old Connor McKemey has been recovering since December from an accident that left him with third-degree burns over most of his body, and yesterday in celebration of his homecoming from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia and the Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, several Carolina Panthers set up a Meet the Panthers night at the Towne Tavern in Fort Mill, making McKemey the star of the show.

QB Jake Delhomme was onsite for the Meet the Panthers night in honor of burn victim Connor McKemey, as were fellow Panthers Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton, Jon Beason and DeAngelo Williams. Reflecting on the event, Gross said, “When you see a kid like Connor who’s gone through so much… he should be the hero, not us.”

Delhomme had a similar reaction to Gross’, saying, “What we do for a living, why it’s such a big deal, I don’t know. Whatever we can do to give back, we do.” Proceeds from the event, of which more than 1,000 people attended, will go to the Tega Cay Fire Department, which came to McKemey’s rescue in December. Before the accident, Connor McKemey was a football player at Gold Hill Middle School.

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Bridges Makes Carolina Look Good

Well, that’s a first. Offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges, a former Carolina Panther who had more than one run-in with the law during his three-year stint in Charlotte, was released earlier this offseason - perhaps due to his growing criminal record - and the unrestricted free agent just struck a deal with the Washington Redskins, hoping to revive both his career and his reputation. In a piece by the Washington Post, Bridges recently spoke about his time with and release from Carolina, making the Panthers look good for perhaps the first time in his career. In a statement to the press, Bridges said that there were “some unfortunate things I been through in Carolina, besides the good field play. I had a lot left. The thing about Carolina is they kind of frown on off-field incidents. I was unfortunate to have two of them when I was there.”

These two “incidents” Bridges speaks of are more than unforgettable offenses. The first, in 2007, left Bridges charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly pointing a gun at a woman in a strip club parking lot in Charlotte, and the second, in 2008, resulted in a charge of simple assault and battery after Bridges shook a bottle of champagne at a restaurant, wetting the clothes of patrons around him and getting into a heated altercation resulting from his actions.

While Carolina couldn’t overlook these episodes, the Redskins are willing to try. Bridges, a standout offensive lineman and six-year NFL veteran, wasn’t the right match for Carolina, and so we wish him luck in Washington.

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Minicamp Gives Promise to ‘09 Season

Aside from the absence of Julius Peppers and the new and very evident force of defensive coordinator Ron Meeks on the field, the Carolina Panthers’ minicamp over the weekend was business as usual. The minicamp proved to be the Panthers’ induction for its newest batch of players, and from recent reports it seems as if the Panthers are on the warpath to success for the 2009 NFL season.

Standout players from the weekend’s minicamp included (not surprisingly) the power-packed running combo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart, QB Jake Delhomme and wideout Steve Smith. Coach John Fox seems hopefully from the minicamp that the Panthers will be stronger than ever this season, saying that, from last weekend’s minicamp, “A lot of guys (stood out). Steve Smith and Jake looked very, very good. Not to single people out but I thought a lot of guys made plays and that’s what the game’s about.”

Wideout Muhsin Muhammad expressed his enthusiasm for the game following Carolina’s minicamp, also reinforcing Fox’s positive attitude from the weekend saying, “This is the childhood game we’ve grown up with. I’m raring to go. I’ve still got the fire in me. When you get out here at practice, you forget all about stuff like money and contracts and all that crazy stuff. You just want to play football.”

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The Meeks Dynamic

As expected, Julius Peppers was a no-show at the Carolina Panthers’ minicamp last weekend. One new defensive face that was present at the camp, however, was that of Ron Meeks, the Panthers’ new defensive coordinator. After working with respected Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, Meeks has left Lucas Oil Stadium for a run with the Panthers, replacing former defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac and testing the waters for the first time over the weekend. First impressions seem to be positive, as Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason commented on his reaction to Meeks last weekend by saying, “Meeks is a fiery guy, out there running around. You can see he’s in good shape so he can keep up with us.”

It will be more than interesting to see how the Meeks dynamic works out in the upcoming months, especially with the vacillating fate of DE Julius Peppers. Should Peppers stay with the Panthers, he will likely benefit from the leadership of Ron Meeks, as Carolina’s new defensive coordinator has had incredible success over the last few years grooming Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, both of whom have seen overwhelming results under Meeks’ guidance.

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Lucas Makes Return to Seattle

He took a sucker punch from Steve Smith in last year’s training camp in Carolina, but that was nothing compared to the stinging blow that resulted when cornerback Ken Lucas was waived from the Panthers’ roster preceding last month’s NFL Draft. Lucas was cut from the team to make room for a new crop of incoming Panthers (and squeezed out thanks to salary cap issues brought by Julius Peppers getting the franchise tag,) but the CB is now back onboard with the Seattle Seahawks after a four-year hiatus from the team.

Lucas was lured to Carolina as an unrestricted free agent with a six-year, $36 million contract in 2005, but was cut two years short following a string of struggling performances with the Panthers. He was originally selected in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2001 out of Ole Miss by the Seahawks, and he will now get the second chance he deserves with Seattle following a romp with the Panthers. Commenting on his return, Lucas recently said, “When I left Seattle, I never thought I’d be coming back here, but it’s amazing what God does in your life, bringing you back to the places where you started. It feels good to be back.”

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Peppers Stalemate Continues

We didn’t wholeheartedly expect Julius Peppers to show up at the Carolina Panthers’ minicamp this weekend, but our speculations have been confirmed, as Peppers was a no-show today at day one of the team’s three-day minicamp. Peppers has made it perfectly clear he wants nothing to do with Carolina, but if things pan out to be what they appear, the Pro Bowl defensive end will have no other option than to return to the Panthers for another season.

For the record, Julius Peppers still hasn’t signed his franchise tender, leaving all discussions of trade up to his manager, Carl Carey. It’s clear that he’s not ready to sign the contract yet until he’s sure he won’t be traded to another team, but now the Panthers aren’t so intent on trading him, either, as the team will get draft picks for the 2010 draft - and that won’t help fill the holes that Peppers will leave in 2009 should he leave. In the meantime, GM Marty Hurney has still expressed his faith that Peppers will return to the Panthers for this season.

In other news, Julius Peppers isn’t the only big gun to sit Carolina’s minicamp out; both defensive tackle Damione Lewis and linebacker Jon Beason will not be in attendance this weekend, as the two are coming off offseason surgeries.

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