Instead of going into a huge spiel about what went wrong and what needs to be fixed, I'll simply rehash what I said on a message board last night:

We got our asses whupped. No ifs, ands, or butts. You know, the Panthers have been a team that has been so banged up for the last couple of years, yet always found a way to win the game somehow. Yet when you face a team with strengths throughout every corp, the deficiencies in the positions where you have injured players become glaring.

But there's a bigger problem than that. On offense, one of the younger WRs have to step up (Colbert, Carter), especially now since Ricky Proehl is sure to retire in the offseason. There's also talk of John Kasay retiring too, but it's premature at the moment. The offensive line needs to be strengthened too.

And then - my god - we need a running back. Not just any running back either; I'm saying someone that can punish a defensive line throughout the game and still be able to play a full season.

The juggling between Davis, Goings, and Foster has to cease. Davis needs to retire; there isn't any coming back. Goings can stay on as a third down backup. And Foster, well, if he wants to be a backup, okay, but the Panthers can NOT give him a starting contract. Hell naw, even. What team in the league would be stupid enough to give money like that to a guy that hasn't played a full season since he's been here, and when he was handed the starting spot, didn't do shit until it was playoff time, and then got injured again? No, no, and HELL naw.

Defense is less troublesome. The main thing is to strengthen the DT positions, as Jenkins has only played five games in the last 2 seasons. Also, find competent backup at safety. And change the defensive zone coverage scheme and make it more aggressive, because I'm tired of seeing Carolina give up so many yards in zone coverage. We have guys fast enough to work with to use man-to-man (oh, and by the way; great coverage out there Lucas...I am being sarcastic, yanno). I would say replace Minter with a better coverage safety, but I know I'm wasting my breath there.

Anyway, overall the team is decent, and should be able to gell together and make another big playoff run next year. However, these are the things that will help us, and will allow this team to not only get get to the Super Bowl, but win it. Particularly with the RB problem, lets hope the Panthers do the right thing.

You hear that?

It's all of those Bears fans crawling back into their caves.

They were considered one of the best defenses ever....that is, until Steve "The REAL MVP" Smith scorched them for 218 yards on 12 receptions.

Contained?  Shut down?  Right.

Oh; and I've noticed that a certain blogger hushed up about the Bears and never mentioned the beatdown from Sunday. 

That'(S) all rig(H)t, bec(A)use we all know wh(Y) that happened.

Heh.

You want to know how good Steve Smith is?  A Seahawks fan posted on OKP yesterday that safety Andre Dyson would "own" Steve Smith on Sunday....by limiting him to 115 yards and 2 TDs. 

Smith only averaged 97.7 ypg this year, amassing 1563 yards for the season.  The rest of the starting WRs in the league averaged 406.  Smith had 12 touchdowns this year.  The rest of the league averaged two.

In other words, Smith would be "owned" simply by Dyson limiting him to a quarter of the average reception yards and the same amount of touchdowns most WRs produce...FOR A SEASON...at Sunday's NFC title game.

Yeah.  Please own him.

I feel so fortunate to have witnessed this game, and to witness this guy in action. 

That had to be the best single-game performance in modern college football history:  30-40, 267 passing yds, and then 19 Rushes, 200 rushing yds, 3 rushing TDs.    Not only did he run in the go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game, but then turned around and scored the two point conversion to put them up by a field goal.  Amazing.

I really don't think people understand the full extent of what went on tonight.  This was a man who faced off against the last two Heisman trophy winners in college football and the two-time defending national champions that haven't been beaten in 34 games, playing in the most anticipated bowl game in decades.  To outscore those Heisman winners, and dethrone the champions was a feat in and of itself, but then to put up those kind of numbers, come from behind by two scores in the last six minutes of the game while virtually carrying your team on your back is something we'll probably never see again in our lifetime.

I've been one of his biggest cheerleaders since I saw the Texas/Ohio State game earlier this year, and he was the one who should have won the Heisman.  But I'm sure he'd take this instead.  If he isn't the number one pick for next year's draft, something is definitely wrong.

I fell asleep watching the Miami-Ohio State National Championship Game that went into overtime a few years ago, because I was so exhausted from work.  But this makes up for it.

The Associated Press has learned that only one of the twelve miners found were still alive.

HUGE mistake there on the part of the rescue crew, as even the WV governor was told the same thing.

What saddens me is this:

Hatfield told the families gathered at the Sago Baptist Church that "there had been a lack of communication, that what we were told was wrong and that only one survived," said John Groves, whose brother Jerry Groves was one of the trapped miners.

At that point, chaos broke out in the church and a fight started.

Dang.  Even though it was STILL a miracle that even one person survived, it was overshadowed by the previous miscommunication.  On top of that, what was to be a night of glorious praising and celebration turned into conflict THAT quick.

Doesn't take much to forget God, huh?

I wasn't the only one who bit on this story; Wizbang did too.  I just happened to still be up at this time of night.  I think I'm part vampire or something.

UPDATE:  Here's what happened:

Hatfield said the erroneous information spread rapidly when people overheard phone calls between rescuers and the rescue command center. In reality, rescuers had confirmed finding 12 miners and were checking their vital signs, he said.

"The initial report from the rescue team to the command center indicated multiple survivors," Hatfield said during a news conference. "That information spread like wildfire, because it had come from the command center. It quickly got out of control."

Hatfield said the company waited to correct the information until it knew more about the rescue.

See how much damage word-of-mouth can cause?

Also, the early risers trying to blame this one on the media should shut up.  The media crews can't be blamed for this one.  They simply reported the information as they understood it, and it was widely accepted. 

 In fact, the ones who knew the truth withheld it until more information became clear, which helped make this worse than it should have been.  For three hours, everyone thought 12 of the 13 miners were alive, and they knew it wasn't true.

or some other furniture company.

Why?  Two reasons:

First, West Virginia upset Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last night.

Second, 12 of the 13 miners were found alive after being trapped for two days.

I'm just glad my father was working for the NC Forest Service, instead of in WV.

West Virginia will celebrate HARD.  And they should.

Since the new year signals new beginnings, I decided to start one also, albeit minor.

Starting this week, I will start doing reviews of major fight sports cards, particularly MMA, wrestling, and boxing.  Boxing will be harder, as it's tough for me to get those PPVs, but WWE, TNA, Pride, UFC, and K-1 will be available to review.

On my docket in the next week or two:

- TNA's Turning Point PPV from December.  I wasn't going to do this, but considering the great tag team match between Strong/Shelley vs.  Bentley/Ares and the awesome match between Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, I decided to do it anyway.

- Pride Shockwave 2005.  From New Year's Eve.  I've already got it; I just have to watch it.

- K-1's PPV.  From NYE.  I'm having that sent to me.

- WWE's New Year's Revolution.  That takes place this Sunday, if I'm not mistaking.   should have it reviewed by the following Wednesday.

- Joe v. Kobashi.  Watched that last night, and now I'm trying to get Kobashi v. Lo-Ki as well as the tag team match with Kobashi/Joe facing Lo-Ki/Homicide.

That should keep me busy, blog-wise, for a while.  I don't think UFC has a show until February, so I should be straight until then.  Also, when they start, I will do the reviews for the episodes of the second season of The Contender, which will be on ESPN, and also The Ultimate Fighter, which starts its third season on Spike TV.

I'll have more to talk about in regards to the NFL Playoffs, the firings that are sure to be going on all week, and the college basketball picture later.

Carolina Panthers' Al Wallace (96) runs down Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick (7) during second-half NFL action in Atlanta, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006. Carolina won, 44-11.

I'm lovin it © McDonalds

Gee, what a difference a year makes huh?  Carolina destroys Atlanta in a sweep and Vick can sit the playoffs out.

More on the playoffs later.

Now, Steve Smith is my boy.  My ace boon coon.  My dawg, etc...

But Chad Johnson?  He has got to be the most entertaining kat in football today.

Both of them rival each other with their touchdown celebrations.  In fact, seeing what either will do next is one of the key highlights of the game.  But Chad Johnson's "Riverdance" celebration was one of the greatest highlights in recent football memory.  Add to that the end zone putt and the proposal to a cheerleader this season.  He's even got Jim Rome wondering what's next.

Well, Chad answered it tonight:  He's going to use a deer.

Seriously.

Johnson told reporters that he had hit a deer with his car.  He nor the deer wasn't hurt, and the deer is living in his garage for the time.  He claims he will use the deer as a prop for his touchdown celebration on Saturday.

He's nuts.

First, there is no way they are going to allow that deer into the stadium, unless he somehow smuggles it in.  Second, while Marvin Lewis has allowed Johnson to cut up this year, Lewis will have his ass if he tries something like that.

Regardless, Johnson wants to make up for last week:

Fans in Detroit booed when he merely handed the ball to an official following his touchdown during a 41-17 victory Sunday that clinched the AFC North title. It was only the second time this season that he didn't celebrate a touchdown -- the other came when the officials needed time to decide if he had scored, spoiling the moment.

"But this Saturday, I'll be back to my old self," he said. "You can look forward to the celebration being part of something that has to do with Christmas. It's going to be fun. I might get in trouble, so I might as well let that out now. I might get in trouble for what I'm going to do, but it's worth it."

He's already said Tagliabue might suspend him for the last game of the regular season because of it.

I'll be watching the Dallas/Carolina game...but I hope CBS shows that Bengals/Buffalo game just so I can see what he'll do.

Make no mistake about it; what we saw on Friday was nothing short of an attempted coup. The New York Times wrote a very sloppy and biased story in order to do the bidding of the Democratic Party and provide a last-minute defeat for the Patriot Act's renewal, depicting the program as "domestic spying" and questioning its constitutionality.

In truth, the "domestic spying" program really consists of wiretapping messages.  And they are partially domestic.  You see, the NSA was still obtaining warrants for wiretaps that consisted of information that was being sent from one person inside of the U.S. to another person inside of the U.S.  The program in question, however, tapped calls that were between an international location and a domestic one. 

I'm not a lawyer, therefore I can't tell you accurately if it's legal or not.  Hell; if Orin Kerr couldn't do it, do you think I have a chance?  Right.

I can tell you one thing; this article gives more credence to the fact that the mainstream media should be considered more of an obstacle to national security rather than simply neutral.  The New York Times is more than willing to publish and distribute anything that will tip off our enemies and embolden them to continue engaging in terrorist activities.  And if they make a buck or two while doing so, that's part of the perks.

Thus, it's no wonder why leftists feel sensitive and even paranoid when it comes to patriotic issues.  Someone needs to question their patriotism.  The president should not have to beg the NYT's publisher not to publish something that's going to expose a tight-lipped national security intelligence program.  They should have done it on their own. 

Of course, the Democrats did what they always do when something negative comes up:  bash the president and pretend as if they never knew anything about it. However, members of the Senate Intelligence Committees knew about the program long ago, and President Bush states that congressmen have been briefed nearly a dozen times about the program.  Of the Democratic leadership and profilers, we know that Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, former Senator and presidential candidate Bob Graham have been briefed and/or notified of this program well ahead of the NYT article.

I agree there should be an investigation to make sure that the NSA is using the program properly and is not engaging in illegal activity.  However, Congress should not head that investigation.  It should be done by an independent group that will not turn this into a partisan issue.  If the 9/11 Commission can be formed, why can't another commission look into these programs and make sure they are being used in an appropriate manner?

But with Congress, all you're going to get are a bunch of hens clucking once they get in front of the mic and cameras, trying to look good while trying to make others look bad.  This is too important for the typical antics that happen in every high profile Congressional hearing.

But here's the real question:  how many Democrats are going to call for an investigation of this leak, of which the Plame leak pales in comparison?  With the possible exception of Joe Lieberman, it won't happen.

The playoff hunt is starting to heat up.  In the AFC, five of the six spots have all but been chosen.  Denver and New England locked up postseason births and pretty much their divisions, and Cincinnati and Jacksonville are set to do the same.  That leaves a three-way race for the last wild card spot, with Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Kansas City vying for it.

The NFC is a bonafide mess, with Seattle and the Giants at the top of the conference.  Chicago, Carolina are next with four losses, and Dallas, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota are right behind them.

With Tampa Bay getting blown out of the water Saturday by a resurgent Patriots team, a Carolina victory over New Orleans and an Falcons loss to the Bears should give Carolina a playoff berth.  Carolina has everything going in their favor, playing a weak New Orleans team that has all but given up the season. 

Indy faces San Diego, and everyone has the Chargers picked to go down in flames.  Lucky for them, the Chiefs got trounced by the Giants Sat night, thus they still have a decent chance to finish second in the West.  However, all of that is moot if there is only one team out of the West getting a wild card birth. 

Everyone's calling the Colts/Chargers as the game of the week, but it isn't.  If either lose, nothing will really change.  The TRUE GOTW is Steelers/Vikings.  This is where we see whether the Vikings are man or mouse.  Both teams have shown signs of toughness, as the Vikes are running a six game win streak, going undefeated since Culpepper went down and Brad Johnson took the helm, and the Steelers got back into winning form by whupping the Bears, ending a three game losing streak.  A loss by either team, and their playoff chances could go down the drain with it.

The Bears/Falcons game should be very interesting as well.  The Bears' vaunted defense allowed the Bus to run over them last week, something that definitely surprised me.  If they come in the game with that same attitude this week, it'll be a track meet.

The picks:

- Arizona over Houston

- Pittsburgh over Minnesota (although I kinda hope I'm wrong)

- Seattle over Tennessee

- Carolina over the Saints

- Miami over the Jets

- Indy over San Diego

- Jacksonville over San Francisco

- Philly over St. Louis

- Cincinnati over Detroit

- Oakland over Cleveland

- Washington over Dallas

- Chicago over Atlanta

And Monday Night:

- Green Bay over Baltimore

A lot of key games this week:  Indy/San Diego, Pittsburgh/Minnesota, Washington/Dallas, Chicago/Atlanta.  Add the Giants/Kansas City and New/England/Tampa Bay games from Saturday night.  Cincinnati/Detroit and Carolina/N.O. are crucial now as well considering they may lock up the divisions with a win.  Minus that terrible Monday Night game, the NFL is doing a fairly decent job of booking this year.