Single-Game Tickets on Sale Tomorrow

Panthers fans will be busy this weekend, as single-game tickets go on sale Saturday morning for home games this season at Bank of America Stadium. Starting Saturday morning at 10 a.m., fans will have the option of purchasing single-game tickets ranging in price from $51 to $90 (excluding service charges.) The hottest tickets for this season are said to be the season opener on September 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles, October games against the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills and a November game against the Atlanta Falcons. Other home games for the Carolina Panthers this season are as follows:

• Sun. 9/13 - Philadelphia Eagles, 1:00 p.m.
• Sun. 10/11 - Washington Redskins, 1:00 p.m.
• Sun. 10/25 - Buffalo Bills, 4:05 p.m.
• Sun. 11/15 - Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 pm.
• Thu. 11/19 - Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m.
• Sun. 12/6 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m.
• Sun. 12/20 Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m.
• Sun. 1/3 New Orleans Saints, 1:00 p.m.

7,000 tickets for each game will go on sale this Saturday, and ticket prices have not gone up since last year. The Panthers look to continue their sell-out streak in 2009, currently standing at 51 consecutive games that the stadium has been completely sold out. Overall, the Panthers have sold out 130 of the last 132 games.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Defensive Ends to Log Countless Hours with Meeks

The Carolina Panthers’ training camp begins this weekend, and all the buzz seems to be concerning the team’s new defensive structure, as former Indianapolis defensive coordinator Ron Meeks has brought his ways to Carolina to help bolster the Panthers’ already top-notch defense. Defensive players got a glimpse of what’s to come from the team’s organized team activities last month, and, so far, what appears to be most important in Meeks’ scheme is, as Charles Johnson simply stated, “Running. We’re going to do a lot of running this year. It’s kind of simple, but there’s going to be a lot of running, I’ll tell you that much… It’s going to be a big stepping stone for us, I think.”

When analyzing the Panthers’ defense in ‘09, it’s almost automatic to look first at Julius Peppers, the defensive end who’s made the offseason as dramatic as possible for the Panthers. Peppers ultimately signed his franchise tender and has accepted playing with Carolina for another year, but he’s also got Johnson and Hilee Taylor and also rookie Everette Brown in his wake, all stellar defensive ends who are also guaranteed to improve with the help of Meeks.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

A Look at Michael Vick

What to do with Michael Vick? That seems to be the question of the week as the ex-convict was reinstated into the NFL earlier this week, but not so fast. Commissioner Roger Goodell gave Vick the chance to play pro football again when he reinstated the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback into the league, but with a four-game suspension added on top, what team will actually want to pick up Vick? Let’s take a look at the scenario should Vick be courted by John Fox and the Carolina Panthers.

Should the Panthers sign Vick to a contract, the team will be under direct fire from PETA and other animal rights groups across the country. If the team could get past this, it will also have the four-game suspension looming overhead. What if Jake Delhomme would go out like Tom Brady did last year in the first game of the season, and backup Matt Moore would happen to get hurt, as well? Vick would be useless to the Panthers in this situation, making it an even bigger gamble for the team to give him a shot at redemption. Goodell most certainly recognizes this point, and outspoken Bills receiver Terrell Owens recently made a statement concerning his decision, saying, “The Michael Vick situation, I think, is unfortunate. I think the way the commissioner is handling it is unfair to Michael Vick. I don’t think it’s really fair for him to be suspended four more games. It’s almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground.”

Will Michael Vick soon be playing for the Carolina Panthers? We doubt it, but stay tuned just in case!

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Panthers Continue Signing Rookies

Now that a deal has been worked out with rookie defensive end Everette Brown, the Carolina Panthers have continued finalizing deals before training camp, signing third-round draft pick Corvey Irvin to a four-year contract worth a reported $2.42 million. Irvin, a defensive tackle out of Georgia, will make a base salary of $310,000 in 2009; $395,000 in 2010; $480,000 in 2011 and $565,000 in 2012, also gaining a signing bonus of $670,000. Irvin was the 92^nd overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, and now that he’s signed with the Panthers the only drafted rookie left to ink a deal with Carolina is second-rounder Sherrod Martin.

Corvey Irvin is expected to give defensive tackles Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu some competition this year, and he’s also competing with Nick Hayden, a sixth-round pick from the 2008 draft, for a top position. Other defensive tackles competing for the backup job are Lorenzo Williams and undrafted rookies Marlon Favorite and Lonnie Harvey. In making room for Irvin and Brown to sign contracts this week, the Panthers let go of undrafted rookies defensive tackle Justin Kershaw and safety Anthony Scirrotto. The team will cut one more player before signing a deal with Sherrod Martin.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Everette Brown Officially Becomes a Panther

For the hefty price tag of an estimated $4.3 million, the Carolina Panthers have officially secured Everette Brown in the team’s lineup. Striking a deal over the weekend, Brown settled on a four-year contract worth nearly $2.7 million in guarantees, and now, says Brown’s agent, “Everette’s very excited to get in and get to work.” The rookie defensive end out of Florida State is one of the last rookies to sign with Carolina, and now cornerback Sherrod Martin and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin are the last of the rookie herd to ink deals with the Panthers before training camp, which begins this upcoming weekend.

Everette Brown will get to work shadowing the explosive Julius Peppers at defensive end this season, and he’s also projected to compete as a starter with Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson. Last year as a junior with Florida State, Brown tacked up 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, becoming a standout on the Seminoles squad. The rookie defensive end was selected to the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the 43^rd overall pick, and this season will give Brown the chance to become a replacement for Julius Peppers in the chance that Peppers will take his talents elsewhere next season.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers Fans Get Ready for Ticket Sales

“Own the moment.” These are the three words that will appear accompanied by a pair of Panther eyes and the Carolina Panthers slogan on various billboards surrounding the Charlotte area by next week, as the Panthers are already advertising for the upcoming football season. Though the regular season won’t start until September 13, Panthers fans already have August 1 circled on their calendars, as this is the date that regular season tickets for single games will go on sale.

While the Panthers have an incredible fan base and sell out most games during the regular season every year, Panthers ticket expert Phil Youtsey recently said that the team expects the games against Philadelphia (September 13), Washington (October 11), Atlanta (November 15) and Buffalo (October 25) will be the most sought-after tickets this season, going further to say, “The Buffalo one surprises me, but that’s what I’ve been hearing. There are a lot of transplants out there who want that game.” Tickets are on sale for a maximum of four tickets per game, and can be found for as little as $51, which gets fans seats in the upper deck. Tickets go on sale next Saturday and are sure to go fast!

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers Sign Rookie Duke Robinson To Contract

Defensive end Everette Brown, cornerback Sherrod Martin and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin are the only three drafted rookies to the Carolina Panthers who have yet to make a deal with the team for this season, as fifth-rounder Duke Robinson has just finalized a deal with the Panthers. Announced yesterday, the former Oklahoma guard will join Carolina’s roster in 2009, having signed a reported four-year deal with the Panthers worth roughly $1.92 million with a signing bonus of $171,600.

Robinson, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound player and former Sooner, will compete for a roster spot at guard this season, continuing his lifelong football dream. Duke Robinson hails from Atlanta, Georgia and is the great nephew of singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson. He was selected first team All-American in 2007 by AFCA, AP, The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, and now the guard will compete with the big dogs in the NFL.

In other rookie signing news, Everette Brown’s agent said this week that the defensive end is working out a deal with the Panthers and should finalize something in the next few days. As for Sherrod Martin and Corvey Irvin, the remaining unsigned drafted rookies, the two are also looking to solidify deals before August 2, when the Panthers’ training camp begins in South Carolina.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Meeks Already Talks Tough with Panthers

Ron Meeks, former defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-winning Indianapolis Colts, has moved on from Indy and is now reworking the wiring of the Carolina Panthers’ defense, and it seems as if he’s already made his mark in Carolina. Meeks will get the chance to work with Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers after all this season, and the Panthers’ defense is sure to be an improvement from last year. While Meeks has been setting the bar high in Carolina, his high demands and oft-heard lectures have been beneficial and almost welcome so far this season for some players.

D.J. Wilson, a third-year Panther at nickel back, is one such player who has taken criticism from Meeks in stride, saying, “(Meeks) is like that uncle that sits on the porch when you’re out playing football in the front yard. He’s going to tell you every little move. I love it. It’s good. We all love it.” Though he’s motivated by Meeks, Wilson is also his own biggest critic, saying, “One thing about it is that no coach, no coach, no player, no fan has higher expectations for me than I have for myself. I expect to get coached hard even if he doesn’t say anything, because I expect to coach myself for when I go in and watch film. The good players are the ones that analyze themselves harder than anybody else does.” With an attitude like this and a defensive coordinator like Meeks, Wilson is one top contender for ample playing time this season.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Monk Transitions from Hoops to Touchdowns

Both sports involve making field goals, but it’s no secret that there are totally different skills involved when comparing basketball and football. While the sports are very much on opposite spectrums, for Marcus Monk, the two created great cross-training that resulted in his shot at playing with the Carolina Panthers. Monk, a receiver out of the University of Arkansas, made his NFL debut in 2008 after being drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears, but after being quickly disposed by the Bears and then the Giants, he went back to school at Arkansas, spending his last year of eligibility playing for the school’s basketball team. Having worked up his cardio strength and honed his football skills, Monk finally got the chance to show the Carolina Panthers what he’s worth, invited to the team’s minicamp and OTAs this past May and June, now perhaps even going into the Panthers’ upcoming training camp.

Does Marcus Monk have a real shot at securing a position with the Carolina Panthers this year? It may be too soon to tell, but for the former Arkansas receiver and basketball star, things are looking up. “Coach Williamson (the Panthers’ position coach), he’s teaching me a lot,” Monk said. “Coach is on us about splits, getting in and out of your routes, separation, all those small things that you’ve got to concentrate on. I’m (also) learning from Moose (Muhsin Muhammad) and Steve (Smith). As far as me as a receiver, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better just in a month, just from listening and taking everything in.”

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Remembering More than Arizona

When coach John Fox told the Carolina Panthers last month following OTAs to “remember Arizona,” it hit home for QB Jake Delhomme, the player who was blamed for most of the Panthers’ disastrous performance against the Cardinals in the playoffs last season. Delhomme has owned up to his actions and is ready to prove himself worthy of his new contract starting at next month’s training camp, and he recently spoke to the media about it, saying that when it comes to what went wrong in last season’s game against the Cardinals, “I’m going to get asked that question in training camp, I’m going to get asked that question leading up to the first game, and if I have a bad game this year, that’s going to be brought up, but you know what? It’s part of the deal. It’s part of the contract I signed in third grade to play quarterback.”

While Delhomme might be eager to put the playoff game behind him, last season’s tumultuous game against Arizona will always be in the back of his head. “It’s easy for me to say, ‘I’ll forget about it,’” Delhomme recently said, “but no, because it burns, it bothers you. Sometimes when you want something so bad, you don’t just get it right away. You have to get knocked down. I know myself, I’m looking to get back up.” He’ll get his shot at redemption soon, so look for Jake Delhomme and the Carolina Panthers to put up a fight this season.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

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