——————————————————
What a game! And, what a rollercoaster of a season!
Also, thank you for the T-shirt! You’re right, it is real AND spectacular. And after this latest win, I’ll forever remember that the Panthers beat the top Super Bowl Contender Rams, the day after I received my FOTM T-shirt.
I’ve decided that as long as the Panthers perform the final four games at a high level, no matter the result, I’m proud to be a Panthers fan. To go from 2-15 to the way they’re performing this year is amazing. Yes, there are some consistency matters to work out, but at least these are within their control. Unlike when Bryce was drafted, and saw multiple head coaches, coordinators, and ownership distractions. Not to mention, he’s still young, so he’ll make mistakes, get a little ahead of himself, take unnecessary risks, etc.
One thing that has been crazy, at least for me, is that I don’t ever remember a time when I was so optimistic about having the ball with the game on the line, except this year with Bryce delivering game-winning drive after game-winning drive. Even going back to 2015, I remember always being extremely nervous when Cam Newton was trying to put together a game-winning drive.
Anyway, since it’s a bye week, I want to ask a fun question: One of my favorite celebrations I’ve seen done was when Cam would do his Superman shirt pull. I wonder, if Bryce were to follow in his footsteps, what superhero would he mimic? I’m thinking Ant-Man, to throw shade at his nay-sayers. Or, Iceman, for his record-setting game-winning drives. Before anyone freaks out, I know Superman is DC and Ant-Man, and Iceman are Marvel, I may be a geek, but I’m not a clueless one. — Jonathan, Whittier, NC
Sorry, that was reflexive (And a little glass-housey, from a gigantic Star Wars dork who still celebrates Life Day on Nov. 17. And Life Day, as we all know, is the Wookiee holiday of family, joy, and harmony that they celebrate on Chewbacca’s home planet of Kashyyyk.)
I’m sorry, where were we?
I think part of what makes them memorable is when they’re organic. They come from a place deep inside you, not from market-testing. So when Cam hit the Superman back in the 2010s, that was his deal. (And when he hit it in 2021 in Arizona, people felt some kind of way for a few weeks.)
Bryce is, as you may have noticed, rather understated. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have fun, like when he and McMillan do their weekly pregame ritual in which they go deep. And when that spilled out onto the field Sunday after McMillan’s touchdown, you could tell it the joy was real.
Also, one of the conditions of membership into the prestigious FOTM society is that you share the maturity to not let small sample sizes affect your mood or emotions. You’ve got to be the same nerd every day, Jonathan.