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Section
C. Jemal
Horton
Panthers
have new
issues to
start year
There’s no need to blame
Sports ninstrated or New
Orleans voodoo dolls for aU
the bad that’s happened to
the Carolina Panthers in
recent days.
This football team simply
has issues.
Already
From Kris Jenkins’ season
ending knee injury to the
way Carolina was playing
defense BEFORE Jenkins
went down, to the embarrass
ing performance every
Panther except
Stephen Davis
and Steve
Smith put
forth in that
23-20 loss to
i the Saints last
Sunday
If only Sports
Illustrated
knew what it
was getting
itself into when it put the
Panthers on the cover and
anointed them the next
Super Bowl champion,
I know, I know; It’s only
been one weekend of regular-
season football, and the
Panthers still are good
enough to win the NFC
South and make a deep run
into the postseason.
I honestly believe those
things.
But there is much work to
be done. Just because the
Panthers are that good and
the season is still young,
there’s no reason to just yawn
in contentment after the way
this team played last Sunday
Especially since the reigning
Super Bowl New England
Patriots are coming to Bank
of America Stadium this
week.
Is it time to panic? Of
course, not. Since we’re only
l/16th of the way throu^ the
season, the Panthers defi
nitely still are in the pla5^ff
hunt. It’s merely time for this
city and this team to take a
deep breath and say: You
know what? We're good
enough to have a magnificent
season and make it td. the
Super Bowl ... and we now
realize we're vulnerable
enough to finish in the lower
tier of the conference, ifwdi'e
not careful
Here’s the understatement
of the year: Against the
Patriots, the Panthers simply
cannot do what they did
against the Saints.
Eleven penalties for 84
yards? Four turnovers?
Playing inconsistently
enough to lose to a team that
barely knew where it was
going to be sleeping later on
in the week because of
Hurricane Katrina?
It’s the things seasons fiom
heU are made of
And in come the Patriots,
who are not that far away
fiom replacing the Dallas
Cowboys as “America’s
Ifeam.” But the Patriots are
that respected, that bdoved
because they hardly ever
have days like the Panthers
had last Sunday Not that the
Patriots are incapable of hav
ing a below-average game.
They just rarely ever have a
poor game mentally And
that’s where the Panthers
have to improve.
“(The Patriots and the
Saints) are two different
teams,” Panthers defensive
end Julius Pepper said. “The
Patriots are going to be disci
plined Iheyre going to be a
good football team. We’re
going to have to work even
harder to clean up the stupid
mistakes that we made.”
And, well, there’s a
Manute-Bol-long list of stu
pid mistakes the Panthers
See NEW SEASON/3C
C|)arlotte ^osit
SPORTS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2005
Business 8C
PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON
Johnson C. Smith freshman quarterback Carlton Richardson saw extended playing time for
the first time last week against Benedict He completed 5-of-18 passes for 60 yards.
No offense, but
time to move on
Task of sparking Bulls falls to freshman QB
By Herbert L. White
herb .whiie^. ihecharhttepostrom
Carlton Richardson has earned a trial by fire.
The Johnson C. Smith fi^hman played the
majority of downs at quarterback in the (k)lden
Bulls’ 26-11 loss to Benedict last week in
Columbia, S.C. He’ll likely do more of the same
Saturday against Virginia Union at Belk
Complex as the Bulls try to develop offensive
consistency
Game time is 6 p.m. at Irwin Belk Complex.
‘T’m looking at it as an opportunity,”
Richardson said. “Coming into a college league,
a lot of people didn’t think I was going to be able
to {play immediately), so I was just coming in.
here trying to prove myself and make our team
better...so we can win as many games as possi
ble.”
Smith (0-3) probably doesn’t have much
(hoice. The Bulls were short on experience
with senior Edvard Jean the only quarterback
to throw a collegiate pass when the season
started Head coach Darji McNeill indicated
last week his willingness to get Richardson
and fellow fieshman Rodriquez Patterson
more playing time.
The Bulls had their best offensive game of
the season with 203 yards, yet came up empty
twice inside Benedict’s 10.
“That was tough,” said Richardson, a
Columbia native who completed 5-of-18 passes
See FRESHMAN/2C
Coast couldn’t be clearer for Bonds
k J
Bonds
By Jim Litke ,
THE .ASSOCIATED PRESS
The coast couldn’t be much clearer.
The nation’s attention is still riveted
on New Orleans, the NFL just kicked off
in earnest, BALCO is an all-but-foigot-
ten acronym, and Rafael Palmeiro’s
recent turn as the villain in baseball’s
long-running steroids drama has
quenched some of the audience’s thirst
for revenge.
What better time for Barry Bonds to
make his comeback?
Only a cynic would surest the timing
of the San Francisco slugger’s return
Monday, after three knee surgeries
since Jan 31 and an extended stay on
See THE COAST/2C
PHOTOWADE NASH
Davis
Carolina Panthers strong safety Thomas Davis
struggled in pass coverage in the season opener
against New Orleans.
Wetoome
to the big
league, hid
Panthers safety T. Davis
learns hard lessons early
By David D. Dawson
7HECHARL07TEP0S1'
Thomas Davis, the Carolina PEinthers’ rookie
strong safety is obviously going to make some mis
takes this year. It’s also obvious that the former
(^rgia Bulldog is goii^ to make some
great plays this year too.
Davis, who is the only rookie starting
for the Panthers, strug^ed Eigainst
New Orleans Saints’ tight end Ernie
Conwell, who cau^t a career-best six
passes for 71 yards in the season open
er. Not surprisingly, he has learned
fiom his mistakes and moving for
ward.
“We have a lot to play for this season. That was just
a minor bump in the road. I just say to myself that I
have to be better prepared next week. It’s nothing
that I can dwell on. If you’ie goii^ to improve, you’re
going to have to come out and play harder next
week,” said Davis.
When in doubt, Davis turns to veterans Mike
Minter and Marlon McC^ree for support.
“The whole secondary has helped me out since I’m
a rookie. Whenever I have a question, those are the
guys I can go talk to. They have just been there for
me, so I am going to just keep using my resources,”
See ROOKIE/3C
Hornets owner not
ready to abandon
New Orleans
By Eddie Pells
THE ASSOCIAIED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans Hornets owner
George Shinn says he is far fiom ready to abandon
the hurricane-ravaged city despite the obvious diffi
culty in playing home games near the Gulf (Doast.
“(Dur objective is not to abandon ship here or to get
out of dodge,” Shinn told The Tlmes-Picayune fium
his summer home in 'Iblford, Ibnn. “Our plan is to
hope and pray New Orleans rebuilds. And I think it
win with everyone’s support and the federal money
that’s coming in there. I think it. will be stronger.”
Louisville, Oklahoma City, Kansas C)ity, Nashville
and San Diego have extended offers to the Hornets to
play their home games in those cities this year.
Shinn said hopes are dimming that Baton Rouge
could be used as a possible home venue this season.
The Hornets cannot play in the New Orleans Arena
because of facility damage and hurricane-related
infi'astructure problems in the city
Hornets’ representatives informed Shinn that the
See HORNETS/3C
EYE ON OPPORTUNITY
PHOTO/HAROLD TYSON
South Carolina State quarterback Cleveland McCoy
sets up to deliver a touchdown pass in the Bulldogs’
52-12 victory over the Winston-Salem State
University Rams on September 10.