A shot for a miss (win - win situation)

[Sapper]

Helping contribute to a humor site has its downsides. I can't write articles specific to my interests. I can't give opinion pieces unless they are somewhat okay (hint: never are). I can't write about the Panthers.

So, I decided to do a 10 day time-capsule piece on how this season would start. If we won, I would destroy it and not re-read it. If we lost, I would revisit it and post it. Take it for what its worth (in a sea of Chicken Little threads) but I am okay with how it turned out.

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1. The Panthers will lose.

The Bucs have a new staff based on a team that wasn't bad 2 years ago. They will confuse a staff in the same situation a year ago, and win in a close one. It sucks to write this, but it is a gut feeling.

2. The refs will be horrible.

They will suck - for both sides. Their criticism will be fierce and will slow down the game because of it.

3. Regardless of politics, the DNC will really hurt.

Nobody likes being displaced, and we were. The Panthers will claim that having to 'go through the motions' by going down to Florida days before a typical week won't be a big deal. But it will be - and they will look confused.

4. Tampa sucks every time I visit.

Not the team, but the city - as I have experienced. No offense to residents, but someone please show me a good time? Interests include: Heavy drinking, not getting soaked to take a phone call, zeroevacuation warnings. I am sure the city is wonderful, but I seem to visit at the worst times.

5. Cam won't shine in week 1 again.

If Smith doesn't play, I might be wrong, but I see something more balanced. More from Stew/D-Will/Tolbert. (Got this one wrong by a mile).

+

1. Kuechly, Alexander, Adams will make an impact. Edwards won't.

Luke won't be the defensive savior week 1, but he won't need to be. Alexander and Adams will have their moments and Ron Edwards will be Kemo 2.0. (Missed this too - Luke was okay at best but Alexander was good. Adams and Edwards were both upgrades).

2. The fans will make it known how horrible these refs are.

Bucs fans/Panthers fans...unite on this and let Goodell know how much he needs his original refs.

3. Adjustments will be made.

If things go sour, the staff will find a way to adjust. This isn't Fox and crew.

4. If we do lose, it won't be a big deal (but it will be made one).

Not baseball, but we will have time to adjust even if there are only 16 games. A call for a fire sale will be had, but things will be calm mid-week.

That was it....I only had 4 +'s, but chill out everyone. Remarks are in red and the actual type up was pasted (though edited for brevity and insane typos (sic: I was kind of drunk at the original write up)).

[Sapper]

Thread started out as a +/- prognostication for the week, but now I have a drinking game - a shot taken for each wrong guess.

Shooting out some initial +/- reactions for next week. Posting topics before the game now and analyzing during the week.

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Unless we get the original refs back, next week will also seem like a sea of weak preseason 4 officiated games.

(Shot #1 taken) I didn't miss this entirely; sub refs are still pretty finicky, but they weren't as awful as last week.

Carolina isn't bad, but neither is New Orleans.

(Shot #2 taken) New Orleans is in serious trouble, and Carolina is much better.

Carolina could win just as easily as they could lose.

(Abstained) Carolina owned most of the game, but I wasn't relieved until Beason's pick.

Whether will be much more important than Weather.

(Shot #3 taken) Mainly because that was way too vague of a prediction.

The fans might not help.

(Shot #4 taken) They did.

+

Adjustment will be noted and necessary - and Carolina will make that understood.

(Shot poured but not consumed) Our game plan was tweaked to adjust to NO.

Stewart's return will frustrate odds-makers, and invigorate fans.

(Ahh I want that 5th shot, but Stews presence made a huge difference)

New Orleans isn't bad, but neither is Carolina - a rebuttal.

(Realizing I should misfire on more negatives each week in necessity of more alcohol)

The defense has already evolved in many ways, and that will be on display.

(Took the shot because I didn't want it to go bad)

[Ivan The Awesome]

You should work some Haiku's in there.

[Sapper]

You should work some Haiku's in there.

Cam will throw many passes

Passes will translate into feats of strength

Panthers will beat the Saints*