PanthersATL

Honestly, people will be screaming in 6 months no matter how successful or not SF was in the draft. As long as the team gels and we show early season brightness/success, we'll be in better shape than we were this time last year regardless.

SF does seem to be in charge of the room, but also appears to listen to everyone's opinion before making a decision and gaining consensus of the direction to go in. I'm sure that there are some who won't challenge an SF mandate, but it seems that he's open to hearing objections/improvements if the concerns are valid AND have supporting arguments. Observation upon subsequent viewings: The Fetterer "game ball" that Tepper gave him keeps appearing/disappearing from the desk during some of the scenes. Doesn't take away from the overall storyline being told, but makes one wonder more about the out-of-sequence editing that's taking place and where/when those conversations took place during the overall draft

just bought a new mini SUV this weekend. Some takeaways: Comparing our walk-out price vs KBB and Costco's "fair price estimates", we believe we got a good deal. We probably left some money on the table, especially by not sticking harder on a better trade-in value for the 20-year-old 190k high-end sedan that still ran great, but we feel we did okay in the end (which is half the battle). The finance guy -- who may or may not have been telling the truth -- said that the Tower said we drove a hard bargain and that the dealership "took a loss on the purchase". We all agreed wasn't entirely true with manufacturer kickbacks/payments, but he insisted that we actually got a really good deal in the end. SUVs are in short supply. 2022's are being sold for MSRP or higher -- aim for the 2021 (or 2020s if they still have inventory). The compact SUVs are harder to find than the mid-size or full-size models. new Corvettes are being sold for 20k-30k *over* MSRP. We still like Carmax as a great place to compare used cars/models easily on the same lot, next to each other. Not overly impressed with the standard Subaru warranty (3 yrs/36k) vs other manufacturers, but others we know absolutely love their Subarus. That warranty caused us to not go with Subaru. dollar for dollar, if you're looking to buy a relatively recent used car vs something similarly equipped and new.... you're probably going to be looking at roughly the same price neighborhood, but without the New Car Warranty things if you choose used. As always, I'm probably wrong with the above items.

Probably the most important news article you will read today: https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/01/survey-finds-most-popular-underwear-for-men-is-the-tighty-whitie-14685509/

So far, hasn't disappointed. Heist stuff is fun Thx for the suggestion if you want more heist stuff that's a bit older, there's a collection from the same author, all different types of heists: 11 HARROWHOUSE, 18MM BLUES, and 19 PURCHASE STREET (and others by Gerald A Browne) are all kinda fun

Panthers Video/SM team for the win. Let's also give credit to Panthers mgmt for allowing that much access. Plus, it also helps shed a bit of light on the amount of work that goes into the draft (draft day and the weeks building up to it) to help quiet those nay-sayers who watch the draft and say "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?"

Looking forward to watching this. In the meantime.... Caption this. Wrong answers only.

The Athletic is also "for sale this weekend" https://www.axios.com/new-york-times-nytimes-acquisition-athletic-7f1dabf4-9315-4975-93f9-68e13c642a43.html The New York Times is looking into a potential acquisition of The Athletic, three sources familiar with the matter tell Axios.

What are the best (or worst?) team crowd chants you've heard at various stadiums? Some examples: KEEP....... POUNDING! TAMPA..... BAY! WHO...... DAT! J-E-T-S JETS JET JETS GO PACK GO RISE.... UP If we were to have a 2nd Stadium chant to alternate with Keep Pounding, what would you like it to be?

Documentaries: CRIME OF THE CENTURY (HBO) - a look at the opioid crisis and how we got to where we are. It may be slightly biased in presenting a very specific view/side of the situation, but a lot of what they talk about may make you say OMG, that's crazy. LOSING SIGHT OF SHORE (TUBI) - an incredible look at four women who try to become the first crew to row a boat across the Pacific Ocean, with zero external support to help them along the way. Battery failure? Yes. Sunburn in uncomfortable places? Yes. Run out of food? You'll have to watch to see. THE MOLE AGENT (HULU) - a sweet, endearing documentary investigating nursing home abuse. Nominated for an Oscar this year. MIDSOMMAR (AMAZON PRIME) - An look at life in a secluded Swedish/Norwegian cult, and what it really means to be "family".

If you're looking for a traditional sports book, the closest one is probably Harrah's Cherokee or Harrah's Valley River. Either are a bit of a drive from Charlotte, South Carolina, or North Georgia - but on a nice day you can make an adventure out of it.

Eventually I hope we have a catalog of party/fight/tailgate/win-win-win songs like the Packers do: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/01/11/crank-em-up-10-best-packers-songs/96406616/

But other than a few people who like the nostalgia of it, nobody new cares for Stand and Cheer...

Something a little lighthearted? The Oral History of The Office is an interesting look behind the scenes of what it took to conceive, write, produce, film the TV show.

I liked American Gods (especially in combination with the Starz series). Quick background: it's a battle between the "old gods" (like... REALLY old, like Odin) and the "new gods" (technology, media) in the battle for Americans' devotion. And since the Starz program was cancelled after three seasons before getting to the final portion of the story, you can't rely on TV to give you that closure that the book will give you. Which... could be interpreted as the battle between "old god (books)" vs the "new god (TV)". Anyway, I found it a good read

Probably because the producer was in his ear, yelling “SAY ON THE AIR! ON THE AIR! KILL THE CALL! KILL THE CALL!”

quick typing during the segment.... =+=+=+== What are the pitfalls in the schedule? schedule starts out pretty good but November is a pain..end of season is brutal. If they can go 500 to the middle of the season that’ll be good, but not a playoff team this season this team has vastly improved, but the Panthers are likely either 2 or 3 this season. But once sam is comfortable in the scheme and gets off to a fast Start... will be a battle with the saints for 2nd place. carolina has a chance to be 8-8 instagram poll says 9-10 wins this season. If we can get 10 we have a shot.

Positive comments on Sam. Coming up, a look at the Panthers in the conference

Piece on Sam Darnold coming up after the break, as they look at some QB stuff.

He does (did?) put on a decent sing-a-long concert. So did Kenny Rogers, for that matter.

It's sung to celebrate wins in Ghana! But more importantly, it's still a thing

For Super Bowl odds, the top of the list I have is... Chiefs 5/1 Packers 10/1 Bills 11/1 Bucs 7/1 Seattle 20/1 (dropped from 12/1 in January) Bottom of the list is Jets 125/1 Bengals 125/1 Lions 125/1 Texans 125/1

The lastest William Hill-provided odds for the Panthers. Your local sportsbook may have different odds, so shop around if that's your thing. NFC Championship: 30/1 (opened at 35/1 in January) NFC South: +750 Super Bowl: 50/1 (opened at 75/1 in January)

If anyone has solid "here's how to buy a car/price negotiation" advice, would love to hear it.

Always recommend keeping a car for at least 10 years. The longer you can go without having a car payment to make, the better off you'll be. (And even in those months when you have no official car payment, make that payment to yourself into some savings/investment place that you would utilize for the next car purchase) Used is almost always going to be more cost-effective than new. Some have suggested never buying the first year of a new model or redesign. Let them work out the kinks before you buy in. Personally, I like buying the original extended car warranty from the dealer, but that may not be the best use of $$ vs dealing with individual repairs and maintenance. A lot depends on how long you intend to keep the vehicle. If you're planning on keeping it for a long time, then an extended warranty may be worth the investment for peace of mind.