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Thank you so much for all that you and your team have done this summer to keep us informed. As is my custom this time of year, I visit some of our opponents’ websites to get a pulse of what they are experiencing, etc., I can honestly say that there is so much more content on Panthers.com than anywhere else. Whether it’s a Car(t) Talk, a flashback to 2015, Happy Half Hour podcast, a Blueprint, or maybe just some random story about a defensive lineman going fishing, you guys are doing an awesome job of really keeping the fans connected to the team and more than just football.
And I really appreciate that, so here’s my question. I think it’s kind of rare to have a team like you and Kassidy with such great media chemistry as well as linguistic ability to either do a video or a well-written article. So which one would you prefer? If it were your last day and you had to do one last assignment, would it be an interview in front of the cameras and microphones like the Happy Half Hour, or maybe a Cart Talk? Or would it be an article that requires you to commit a journalism? Either way, we appreciate all you do for the people. — Jonathan, Bedford, VA
Thanks, Jonathan, you even stole my line.
Yes, we do it for the people, and we’re fortunate to have access to bring you the kind of stories you literally cannot find anywhere else. And that’s a responsibility, which is why we don’t mind putting in long hours for you, our consumers.
And if it were my last day, I think I’d choose, . . . the one that takes the least time.
I’ve always enjoyed finding strange and unusual stories and telling them to people. Often over and over again. So if someone has a curious hobby, a historically significant relative, an adorable pet, or just an interesting and unexpected anecdote, I’ll never mind making an extra call to tell it.
For instance, Coker’s in the news lately, and I remember talking to his mom last year about his draft party that resulted in him not being drafted at all. She bought hats for all 32 NFL teams just in case one of them took her son. At the end of the day, she had 31 hats she didn’t need, which demanded one more question.
“You kept the receipts, right?”
“Yes, I kept the receipts, and all of them got returned on Monday,” his mom, Jenny Coker, said with a laugh. “I mean, let me say that was a big part of the budget, right? Because 32 NFL draft hats, I mean those were not inexpensive. I even made a deal with the Lids guy. Like, you know that I’m probably going to be returning a bunch of these.
“And he was, of course, disappointed because he was making this gigantic sale. But I explained the situation, and he was like, ‘Wow, OK, what an incredible day.'”