>The Good News - Panthers are 8 and 3.
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>The Bad News - Panthers are 8 and 3.
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>It's good and bad. Normally good.... 8 and 3 at this time of the year would just about assure a playoff spot. Not this year.
>
>The NFC East has 3 good teams left - the Giants are a shoo-in. That leaves a wildcard spot that Dallas and the Skins will fight over - heck - they may wind up with both wildcards.
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>The NFC South had 3 good teams left - we don't know who will win the division, but the Panthers have the hardest path to get there now. Tampa Bay has played their hardest part of the schedule, and the Panthers are just beginning theirs. Good luck, Panthers.... @GreenBay, Tampa Bay, Denver, @ New York, @ New Orleans.
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>The Panthers had a chance to earn a little respect from the Media - (they haven't received any respect all year - 8 and 2 and you never get any air time by the talking heads???... and they get a chance to earn some, and they get their rears spanked....).
>
>As Rodney Dangerfield says... "I Get No Respect"... well, small market teams hardly do... even in a good year.... watch how the big market teams dominate the media... even when they choke and play badly.... still, 24/7 coverage...
>
>Jake has earned his accolades so far... NONE.... Jake had better step up and show what he is made of, or else I can imagine our first round pick (if we get one) will go toward a new QB....
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>I Love you, Panthers, but you are Breaking my Heart.....

I hate to say it but the sports media bias may be more against southern teams than small market teams per se. Tampa Bay and Tennessee also have good records and they don't get a lot of love from sportscasters, either. You can add Atlanta and Miami to that list -- they are not among the league's elites but have played pretty decently. The coverage, at least what I've seen, has been more like, "Hey, they don't stink as bad as we thought they would."

OTOH you can't blame New Yorkers for feeling a little cocky with the Giants 10-1 and the Jets 8-3, with the Jets knocking the snot out of the previously unbeaten Titans on the road yesterday.

As far as Da Bears, well, too bad they can't play the Lambs every week ;-)