The Group Chat Episode 14: London Special (Feat. Paul McGoohan)

in our team. There's one of us. He's six foot free and quite good at what he does, and then I'm not six ft free and I'm not quite good at what And then we take a look at what the Panthers need to do to get a win in London. How does Dante's presence, you know, how does that then change the nickel with ross pack of the nickel. We've got that and so much more, including a reference to Harry Potter. On this week's The Group Chat. You've been added to the Group Chat with your friends Carol One, Can,

Max Sensen and Will Brian. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Group Chats London Special. That was way better than anything we're doing right now. Guys. We did not hire Brilliant. Brilliant, We did not hire that person. That person works for the Carolina Panthers. He more more than just f a is. Um. We had organization. We have two Brits in our in our in our team. There's one of us. He's six ft free and quite good at what he does. And then I'm not six ft free and I'm not quite

good at what. But you did just put the token brit word in front of like describing things, any adjective. Putting quite in front of it, I've learned is the most brit thing to instantly sound British. You're shaking your head.

You agree a degree, and I definitely agree over the good morning everybody, um, so over the past the past year, having spent time with it with the Carolina Panthers and spent numerous meetings with various people across both states, you do have to go through a process and start every meeting. When I start to speak and you see people's faces, just go, what are you doing? Why? Why? Why are

you talking to me about football? Your your accent doesn't work, um, And then you get into it and you get then you start to explain, you know, why the NFL is in London, why it's so big. White generation, my generation love this game. And then people started to start to warm to you, and then of course you got literally the quite the amazing you know, the over politeness that the US Brits have quickly followed by huge inso irony.

And you know, being slightly not as confident as my American friends m just generally in our world and how we operate as you were, not confident. That's that is a very nice way of talking about Americans. Just confident. Yeah, we're quite confident. Happy, Smiley, we are. We are happy most of the time. Just give everbody a bit of context. Were sat in a hotel lobby right next to Wemby Stadium.

It is beautifully British weather, which is gray, windy, rainy. Um. I don't know what the weather it is today in Charlotte, but I'm assuming it's gonna be mid seven seas blue skies, probably harder than that. When we came from Charlotte, it was like ninety degrees all the time. I was not packed properly for the thirty degree change in temperature back here. But Paul, give us a quick rundown of what you do for the team, just quick, quick for the fans

out there. What you do, how you got here, you've just joined the group chat. We need we need an introduction so we can put you in our contacts. It's my name is Paul McGowan on, the vice president of Business Development for the Carolina Panthers. Uh, you can ask what does business development mean? As we all know, under the ownership of David Tepper, UM, the outlook of the Panthers has changed dramatically in terms of what we want

to achieve as a winning organization and winning across both states. UM. And there's a lot of infrastructure work that goes around that, a lot of commercial work, a lot of political work, and I'm part of that executive team under Tom Glick who's helping to bring that to life. And it's been an incredible fourteen months. Loved every single minute it. It's brilliantant, that's just brilliant. Everyone ahead, well, well have you picked up in the American words since we're just saying brilliant

over and over again? Yeah, what do we do? We just filled things in with what I found myself being is UM I spent I spent a huge part of the last six months commuting from London to Charlotte, which you know, a a flight seven thirteen thirty one. I can tell you all about I'll say about the menus, but what I found myself being if I come back to the UK, I'm naturally I'm nice, you know, I'm happier being being around obviously my wonderful staff, colleagues, and

obviously the people of the people. Charlotte welcomed me. I go back to UK and I find myself being really nice. Within six hours of being here, I find myself being slightly miserable, slightly slightly, quite slightly. The experience of going on going on the tube and on the wonderful whether we have in this country kind of you know, it kind of dampens my mood of enthusiasm ever so slightly.

Um So you know, it's um, it's it's good. But you know what, I kind of say that deliberately, knowing that pretty well that we're recording this on Saturday, but on Sunday we're going to go to this massive celebration of the NFL and then for the Carolina Panthers. And

I think we've seen that seen that this week. Um, some of the images we've seen from up up in central London and Dave going to go to a couple of pubs yet last night, and it's just been it's a fantastic opportunity for this organization to kind of, you know, pat herself on the back of a little bit, enjoy what it is and looks at the future and if we can all get back on the plane on Sunday night four and two one an incredible week. This would

have been after starting oen two. My goodness to go into the buyer four and two would be would be something Paul, what do you think this obviously the first time the Panthers have been in London, fitting that you joined the team and here we are, is the NFL taking hold in the UK? Do you've you've seen a lot of these games come and go now for the past few years. What do you think the impact it's having on the fan base here? I think I think

it's two two ways to answer. The reason why the NFL came back here in two thousand and six is that there's a whole generation. I'm part of that generation who just loved this game for love of the game first and then the kind of game day experience second. Um, you know, obviously coach Veria is part of that. That fantastic five Bears team. We started to show those games

live Intrustrial TV in the UK. We only had four channels in the UK in the mid eighties, which I tell by your faces in general, that's a bit of that's a bit of surprise. So we had four channels and that every Sunday at six pm UK time they would show a one pm Eastern game. And so we went through this process of my generation watching American football as we would call it, a gridirons as we would

call it. And then he had the Bears team and then to be fair to the NFL and to be fair to the commissioner is part of the set up at the time. They brought those stars of that team here to Wembley, the stadium right next door to us, and started playing what they used to call the American Balls. That one of the preseason games would always be here. And because London acts as this major gateway city, it

is a hub city, has no doubt about it. Um, you know, two loads of American forces across the world, you know, and American businesses. That's why it's been so successful. Then over the last ten years, where you found is a new generation starting to love the sports. The coverage of it is amazing. But the spectacle of going to

a game is incredible. And it's so different to what we have in the Premier League, which is really tribal and that the Premier League and European europe who in soccer, which I still can't get used to saying that was weird coming out. It was it was not a natural and I have to I have to pause when I say it. Soccer soccer be under the illusion we love soccer, so no, and you come over to the games here in this new generation who found it and just think

it's so different to what we have here. And you know, credit to everybody the NFL for doing it. Credit to the teams. You've come here really embraced and use it as an opportunity to just to do something different. And you guys would have seen it from a our staff and be the players during this week. This the whole process of going through something different for them, it's kind

of really had this positive impact on the organization. I mean, I know you've done it before in your in your previous previous role, but certainly just seeing seeing the guys this week and just just the general it's a real air of enthusiasm this week, and not even two days in London can damp that well. I thought an interesting part of this week was so you mentioned Tepper going to the pubs and there were a couple of pub parties and we weren't. We weren't there, but I heard

that we are. We didn't get to go. Um just kidding, We went and um one of at the first pub, the bear Boy and Banker, there was this group of guys there that we're not Panther fans at all. They just happened to go, but they stayed like at the party. I mean, they were Panther fans. Everywhere. The music was extremely loud. People were yelling keep pounding, and I was trying to look at it from their perspective of they're they're not Panther fans. They don't get the sweet Caroline thing.

They don't get to keep pounding that there. You know, wired so many drunk Americans in this pub right now, you know, looking around, But it was they were fascinated with this, just like the world of the NFL. And of course they know the emblem and they were kind of getting into it. But I mean, the three of them were just sitting back at a boost just looking out, and I thought that was just really interesting because that

would never happen in the US. They you know, that would everyone's kind of used to this football world, and yes, it is like you get wrapped up in it. But I thought, what an interesting perspective that they have right now, that this team that they've really probably maybe have heard of but they're not fans of that have taken over their normal Friday Saturday night pub. I just imagine those guys showing up and thinking it was going to be a normal day and then being like, what is happenings

going on right now? We picked a very strange day to have a pintier. But yeah, I mean I think I was blown away with like just the passion we saw last night. I mean, I think that's the thing I've always loved about the Premier League is the pageantry and the passion that the fans have for their clubs.

And I think, yeah, if we're going to continue with this theme of the three random guys who were at that pub last night, I imagine they looked at that and we're like, yeah, I mean this, this is the passion that we would see for for Chelsea for Arsenal for Tottenham. That same sort of fervent passion exists for the Carolina Panthers fan base in the NFL. But inter

you say that. So, I went to my very first Panthers game preseason a year ago and before officially was involved with the organization and sat there was a Friday night game. It was against the Dolphins, and I felt like I was going to somebody else's party. It was amazing. It was like I can come out to UK and described to people it was a Friday night and you had everybody just celebrating and the working week they was celebrating together. And instead of having this guy with a

funny accent and going WHOA, who are you? You have people literally handing me beer and boj Angles. Is that beautiful? That was my That was my first experience boe Angles and a British accent. Could we hear that again? No?

I think that really is like the cool part though of when I came over in sixteen, and that was when they did the big fan fest on Regent Street and it was our first experience because we were saying, about an hour and a half outside of London, so that was our first chance of going to central London and seeing, you know, all the buildings that you see when you look up London on Google. So everyone, you know,

we're looking around like, oh my gosh. And then you pop out on Regent Street and there are jerseys from every single NFL team, and like a person might have on a jersey from one team and a hat from another, like they're just excited to be around the NFL. But then when you end up talking to these fans, they're extremely knowledgeable about the game, and it's not so much

about their team per se, but about the game. And I spoke to a couple of fans last night that are from London and they were at the pub and I said, do you might be after my job? I mean they knew more people like where they were, you know, where they're from, where they went to college, how they play, and and it was just simple questions of you know, who's your favorite panther We were trying to do just like this fun. Oh you've been at this pub for

many hours drinking, let's ask you some puny questions. No, they wentn't straight into like here's who this guy is, Here's how he's played this year, here's you know. I just I was blown away by the knowledge. This after the Place sixt event with the kids from Harrow School. I assume that they had pretty limited knowledge of the of the roster, right, I mean that was just an assumption. Um, sure, Cam and Christian. But I figured I was like, I

wonder how many players these kids actually know. So I went up to one of the kids and was just like, do you know any of the Panthers players, and expecting him to, you know, have pretty limited knowledge. And he turns to me and he goes, um, yeah, I know quite a bit of the plays. And he was like, first name a kid you not? He goes, you know Alexama, you know, the fullback And I looked at him and I was like, oh damn. I was like, I've made

I've made a grave mistake. That was like apologies. You know. I was blown away that he, of all the names to rattle off, rattles up. I mean, that would be like Paul, that would be like me if somebody asked me who I knew, you know, played for Tattenham, and I rattled off like the guy who's never listed in the squad, who was the bottom of it? I was. I was shocked that he pulled that out. One guy told me his favorite UM players Ray Ray McLeod and

I was like, that was my reaction. I was like, Ray Rays wonderful, but he's not our poster child, like where he's not on any tickets, he's not on any team on the team, he doesn't have an amazing name though. That was it, So I said, I said why him? And then this, you know, very British like James was his there or something. He was like, well, all of

our names over here are like John, Paul, James. It's wrong with Paul, absolutely nothing, but it is not Ray rag okay so and he said that it's just such a fun name that when they were looking at the roster, like his name is Ray and I don't know. Yes, yes, so you mentioned actually mentioned Tottenham, which is that's how

I say it, which confused everybody. So tomorrow we get to play in some incredible stadium six or two thousand, I think about a thousand more than than Arsenal, which if if any of you understand the if anybody understands the dynamics of just a little more founding Premier League, that they would they would get it um. It's an incredible facility. Was open in April's lucky enough to go to its opening night and then see it first time set up for the NFL UM. I was here with

with f A and Marrow Addison in July. And I think for the players who get to see if they get to see it later on on the Saturday for the first time as we do a walk through, it's an incredible all place to play their game. So I think the biggest concern for the organization coming over wars Okay, are we going to be able to perform out here, you know, because we're here to win us first and for Ace, we're here to win, and I think the stadium is going to give the players the best opportunity

to shine. You know. CMC could have one of those days tomorrow where we all just go, yep, he's MPPs. Don't know about he's just the m v P. But the facilities are fantastic and our fans, you know, there's three thousands of them. We know we're here, there's many many more we don't know about, and we're so looking forward tomorrow just to see a sea of blue and black.

And I think it's just gonna be, you know, but people often talk to me about the atmosphere of going to a going to an NFL game, and there are certain moments of going to Bank of America Stadium, you know, some big key moments. He saw against the Jags last week. You know that there were some big moments in that game. The noise, and we generate the stadium the way it's designed and built, designed to keep all the noise inside.

And so if we which I know we were at certain points during the game tomorrow, our fans will make that noise. It will certainly just have an impact on us, but also on the players, will be a great impact. And I know we're officially the awayside, it doesn't feel like it, do you do you feel like some of the London fans, the fans that are just here that might be wearing various jerseys seeing the Panther fan further, will they kind of pick a side or will they

continue to just kind of cheer from everything? Well, we do have the We do have the the other brit and the Panthers, which is this incredible story. And you guys, you guys know FA and you know what what a just a nice gentle giant he is and his story is clearly resonated here. So you know, you would hope that that the fans who are going to game be the Eagles fans, Patriot fans, Ryans, fans, whoever they are, that they go there and they're cheering for the brit

and he happens when playing for us. So you know, one would hope that that that that works. Who works, who are our advantage? And outside of that, it's the same thing of you know, people like the stars. So

we mentioned Christian La. Everyone knows this guy's star and you know they'll be as he runs tomorrow and does you know got numerous numerous, numerous first downs and hopefully a couple of touchdowns that you know, the celebration for him because everyone knows they're seeing something and somebody special and that will resonate. It's you know, it's like when Messi comes to the US. You know, people want to see the big guys do amazing things. Especially with Christian

flipping over a dude for a touchdown last week. I mean, he couldn't be a bigger star right now. The f A thing is gonna be fascinating though. F A has a flair for their dramatic last year, his first ever first ever game action a sack and an interception. He hasn't had quite their production since, but you just sort of have a feeling that with everything charged up into this, if he were to make a big play, I mean,

what an amazing moment it would be. I think we're all just sort oferst cross that he does and has that chance to do something special because what I mean, what good just what the story would write itself out of it. So I think it's amazing story for for for the game and actually just shows you how powerful this game is and actually the impact of it all.

And in July they launch the NFL Academy, which is in the UK, which is that they're the starting point to try and create a halfway for the next generation of a to come through because his story is so unique that what the NFL quite rightly of understood is there's a huge amount of talent here and people just love the game. So how do we harness that talent, how do we how do we create that next generation of international start be they from Europe, be they from

other parts of the world. I think the intern internationalization of the of the NFL is is something that's it's quite fascinating to see um and now working and and understand it because it comes down to the game, and the game is just amazing. The games are an amazing game of strategy. And I think this is what so many people friends of mine have grown up and actually

love the they realize that's what it is. And that's where it's different from the premier league and different from our from our football is the strategy and the moments that you get in the in the in the NFL outstanding. You know, there's big free into form one moments where you know that this is this is it. You feel the suspense and just just building up. Yeah, this is

a very different game in that way, you know. Whereas your football is a continuous action, you know, and there are tactics before the game and at halftime, in the NFL, every play is dialed up from a guy up in the boot, you know. Norv is literally you know, telling his guys what he wants them to do before each snap.

So this, the strategy element is is a very big difference in this and the fact of course that there's only maybe one or two goals scored in in your football versus hopefully some more points to give people something to cheer about on Sunday. Yeah, it is a it has been a very cool trip to to see, you know, the passion from the fans, not only Panther fans that have traveled over, but fans that are he or And I do want to give a shout out on here

to Panther nation, who travels extremely extremely well. I've noticed that just on normal road games, but the amount of fans that you know, like last night, yes, there were the two parties and so a lot of Panther fans were decked out in their their gear, but even afterwards we're leaving, the parties were at other pubs and other bars,

and you're still seeing Panther fans. Like that's when you know that there's just so many, because you'll walk into a random, you know place in London and there's you know, six Panther fans standing in the back. And so I am interested in kind of what you said, well of when other people see the passion of Panther fans, like that's something that when you're trying to find your team and you may not be connected to a team yet, like wanting to be a part of that and having

Fay on the team. Um, it has been a really really neat experience because when I did come in twixteen, it wasn't this big of a fan base that traveled. Like I I've been turning to people this whole time and be like, are you kidding me? How? What? Like? Even at the airport when we landed with the team, they were you know, the charters and the it literally looked like Panthers had fans had just all taken over you know, American Airlines and flown into what I mean

it was. It was unbelievable and has been really really quiet, and we're all really excited for this game. Being like, for you guys, just on a practical basis, you went to Harrow school man for to to practice sessions. What was that Like? I got a unique experience there because with the practice fields number one are unbelievable. We we drive in and I think everyone was like, what, like this is a school like a high school, you know what.

These fields are amazing facilities. But then someone was like, well, this isn't the norm. This is like a very very very nice school. So but we didn't know anything about it, you know, and so the practice fields are are great, uh, and the facilities. But then we went on a tour. Four of us during practice. I mean, we've seen a lot of football, so we thought, let's walk around and see the school because they had mentioned this is like

a Harry Potter type school. So we hear that and then we're going on the tour and the first thing she says to us is, well, we'll we'll end in the Harry Potter room. And we were and we were like, wait, there's really a Harry Potter room because oh yeah, they filmed here, like in one of the rooms. And so I was like, oh my gosh, Like okay, So we walk around and there's a photo gallery on Panthers dot

com and I mean really it was like history. Like he walked in uh different rooms, and like one of the rooms I recognized as soon as the door opened. I was like, oh, they filmed the Crown here. I got I know this room. And then you know, she's like, well, you know, yes, they did film the Crown here. But this is also rumored to be where Whitston Churchill gave his never given speech. Um, there's no photos of it, and so you can't you know historically verify that, but

went in. Churchill went to the school, him and his brother, and so they you know, this is where the speech happened. I mean, it was just we don't have anything close to what we were experiencing of that and then you walk in like pride and the Prejudice was shot at the school and the Harry Potter room. It really was we we love thinking. I hope they had a great

practice because that tour was just unbelievable. The history. I mean, you know, in the States, we we can look, I'm already saying in the States, however, it was that that was good, right, thank you, thank you. But in the States, you know, well we'll say, you know, in the nineteenth century and all these this school was founded sixty years before, like a hundred years before the United States was even like discovered. Like it's so the history is just unbelievable.

And it's not like a museum where you can't touch anything. I mean, she's like, yeah, go stand behind the podium,

go it. And you know, the school when it first opened was just one room and there was like each corner of the room was a class and they would sit with their chalkboards and face the wall, and against the wall there was like a chair that faced it was more like a booth like you kind of sit in, and then there's a table in front of you, and you could see where the teacher had like hit the you know whatever the pin of the point like on the wood to where they had like chipped away at

the wood of like and and the she pointed out, she was I don't think I would want this teacher, because apparently they got very mad a lot because they're the thing and you can sit there and you can touch it, and you can, you know, touch where Winston Churchill etched his name into the wall, and it was just it really was a fascinating tour to see. And then that we met the I'm not I'm not gonna remember his exact name, but he was the master of keys, like that was his his role, and so he was

the disciplinary for the boys in the morning. It was all boys school. He would of the disciplinary in the morning. And then he actually carried all the keys to the school. So if you wanted to go, like we wanted to go into this room that was locked, well we had to go find that the him to get the key to go into and he was very like a dressed to the nines, and he keeps all the boys making sure that they're in their uniforms correctly with their hats, and it was I just had to kind of like

keep looking Bill. Bill was there, and if Bill and I we can't be serious about anything. I mean, we kept looking at each other like and seen like, alright, great job everyone. That was a great scene. We'll run this back like it felt like a movie. Just there is no equivalent to that in the States, and it was just it was a fascinating day of practice. I'm sure practice was great as well. Have you have you

found transport in London? And the reason why the reason why I say that is having spent the last year in Charlotte, most people telling me referencing the bad traffic I seven, et cetera, and just you know, think the chaos of trying to travel into up town. Now you guys have to sample in London for the last few days. How's it being Well, I've tried to get on the tube and I still haven't actually gotten into the tube correctly yet. Can't get the ticket to work. I can't

We couldn't get the ticket to work. And then when I tried to buy a ticket, couldn't get any of my credit cards to work. And so literally I've gone on the two maybe six times, and each time I've just had someone swipe in I'm gonna take you on the tube like today, Will, Like this could not happen

to a better person. Where there's a group of us going through the tube, like everyone gets through just fine, Like they just bought we bought like twelve cards for everybody, and in one transaction the one card that I got it, yes, and and and everyone's kind of walking through and it's like where's Will, And he's back and he's frustray to try to pick we still, man, I mean we just die laughing, like of course it's Will that can't get

through with this card. But I was amazed that the attendance at each station, until you know, at all hours of the day and night, we're just there and like, yeah, sure, come on, very kind. It's just any way you can try, anyway you get around the traffic. And otherwise it was at one point, you say, trying to get out of Central on this trying to come to to practice yesterday, Um, we we just stopped turned around because it's gonna take us an hour and five and I'm just not gonna

work it. Really, even coming from the airport here, I mean getting getting out of the traffic there and being an NFL team, you get very spoiled with police escorts everywhere. They do not do police escorts here, and so that was very funny. And when we realize how spoiled we are, I mean we're like, where's the escort? Like what come up, Paul?

That we are not getting an escort, you know, to get through this traffic, but they do not do police police escorts here, and so that it really has been a I mean we were looking at ubering down to central London and it was like, Okay, that's gonna take an hour and fifteen. Or you know that there's a train leaving every what ten minutes here in every twelve minutes. You get on it and you'll be down there in forty five minutes, and it Yeah, it's nice. The tube

is actually extremely like it's not New York subway. It is. It's nicer than the New York subway. It felt a little bit like DC. I don't know if you guys have been on the DC Metro compare, but it gets very crowded, very very Yeah. When where we are and Wingley, it was I mean we got on we with a whole car to ourselves and then we're thinking, gosh, this is fantastic. Now by the time we were down in central London, I mean there were there were we were

sitting down, there were many butts. And Max took a great picture of Rob Yes with this gigantic camera bag holding it like a child. It was fantastic. So many people just right up against him. He's got this giant camera bag like pressed up against his chest. Is that

was pretty great? Well, we do need to talk a little bit of football instead of just talking about magic and Harry Potter and all the things here and because there is a game, and like Paul said that the number one thing that we've heard from this team is you have to win. This trip will be spoiled if if the end is you lose in your back on

the plane home. So Tampa got here a day later than the Panthers did, which good luck advantage Panthers, right, And I think definitely advantaged Panthers because I don't know if you can tell I'm not as enthusiastic on this podcast. So whoever doesn't like when I'm very loud, you're welcome. This is this is your podcast, because the jet lack is real. The jet lag, that's what it is. The jet lack is real because you want to go. I don't appreciate the laughter. It's you know, it's you know,

it's it's it's a yeah, lack of good rest. It's a lack of good rest. Lack of good rests celebrating with the Panther fans that are here so full experience. Yeah, we activated, Yes, a lot of a lot of activation. But back to the sleep, because that's the big thing that the first night that we were here, I was so tired at dinner, like I I would have curled

up in the booth and just gone to bed. But then we get back and I'm wide awake and I don't go to bed until three am, even though I'm trying, Like I was in bed around midnight and could not could not fall asleep until three. Last night was more of a voluntary stay awake until three because the activating of the panther areva um. So I don't I'm not sure what today might be Saturday Saturday. It is Saturday, and I'm not sure what time it is right now,

but I do think the players do. I think the players are well adjusted, and I think to your point, they have an advantage over Tampa Bay, who got in a day later. And that's all at the end of the day. That's what this is about, right, trying to beat the Bucks when they were your matchup in week two. I think Carolina has done a really good job of

trying to make this as routine as possible. I mean, some of the guys have gone sightseeing, but a lot of like Christian tool Us the other day, he was like, dude, I'm I'm not doing anything. I'm just getting prepared for Sunday here to win a game. So I feel like you're gonna see a very well prepared, business like Panthers team at Tottenham on Sunday, and they're gonna have to be good because this Bucks team has given teams problems

all the year. They gave the Saints a game last week they went destroyed l A put up fifty five points. Uh So this is this is going to be a challenge and in the division game, this is when you've got to have him. You don't want to get swept by a division arrival this early in the season. We'll have to see how Dante Jackson is coming back, you know,

miss the last two games with the injury. You know, Tampa's vertical passing games what we've heard about all week with with Godwin and Evans, and you know there are there were times last week when Ross Cockwell was close, but you know he got beat a little bit, you know, d J Chark and how does how does Dante's presence, you know, how does that then change the nickel with Ross back in the nickel um And so that's gonna

be about test form. Yeah, it's been interesting to look at the different schedules of the team where you know, the Panthers it was they got in that that day earlier, but then you know it was you're gonna get up and we're gonna go to practice earlier that. The Bucks have been practicing in the after They practice in the afternoon on Friday. Today again their schedule is pushed back a little bit. But that game is a it's not a late game here, you know, I mean back in

in the States, of course, it's nine thirty. Everyone waking up and having brunch and watching the Panthers. But I'm interested to just see how is that going to play a factor. And it is hard because when when we were here in with the Colts, the adjustment was different. You couldn't quite They took a little bit of a later approach as well, um, and it was just it

was a tough, a tough adjustment. I think it was tougher than it is now with with the players figuring it out, getting here day earlier, getting not getting up and moving like you're seeing guys at nine and ten o'clock. They're up and moving when you know that's the middle of the night back at home. Um. So it will definitely play, But like coach Riveria said, both teams are doing it. There is no like we think it's an advantage that the Panther has gotten here a day earlier,

But we have no idea. They will find out as soon as they kick the ball, all right, I mean, curiously, who starts faster? Honestly, I think that'll that'll be a test early on to see which team comes out the gates stronger. I mean, my key to this really is con Christian get going. His worst game by far was against the Buccaneers in Week two at sixteen carries for thirty seven yards. This Buccaneers run defense is number one in the NFL and yards allowed per per attempt. They're good,

They're They're good at stap in the run. Carolina wants to run the ball. I mean, that's been their key of success. There's been no secret they've hitched their wagon to twenty two and the m v P of the league so far has been carrying him. Can he do it again Sunday? Are they gonna be able to find ways to get him into some open space in the run game? Big challenge for the offensive line? She kill Barrett had three sacks in that week to match up. How are they going to handle him this time around?

That's what I'm looking for Carolina's offense. Paul, what's your kee of the game? And you meant it was with CMC. If we go back to that Thursday night game, it was so noticeable that it was the first game in over a year that I that I've seen where he did not have that impact, And so I had to hats off to the Bucks. The way the way they played that played that night, You've definitely got a sense if you think about you know that Friday morning we woke up, we were owing to to where we are now.

It's different sense in this organization, no doubt about it. And you can even send some from the guys this week that this game is so important because it is the Bucks, because they felt that night they let themselves down. I mean everyone that they sent that d down and signed. So this is why you can sense that extra there's an extra need, want, desire to win this game. So

to your point, he's gonna start faster. I think this is where the Panther fans and you know everyone's gonna listening to this and fans were here help us out tomorrow. You know, we this can be our home game if we if we work really hard, which I know you guys will have been just just seen the scenes of the last twenty four hours, and so we'll start fast. I'm hoping because the combination of the stadium are fans,

the noise, our team will be ready. And to your point, the fact they've been here a day earlier, the fact that they're just getting used to the being in this climate. It does take you twenty four hours to start to get used to it. Um, you know, quietly confident for tomorrow. Quite the confidence coming from the bridge. It's nappy Americans all the time. Yeah. I spent a long period of time around Mr Tepper oh Man. Well, what's something that you know, we hear CMC and all these things. But

the defense. I think Tim Bay has had this offense that no one really saw coming, like which like hanging a lot of points out. How different is this defense from the first time that they saw him in Week two? Because you're talking about the sack Street boys, they were not a group the pass rush. Over the last three I mean, since the Tampa Bay game, Carolina has led the league in sacks. And it's not just the sacks.

It's the big plays, it's the strip sacks, it's the forced fumbles, it's the I mean last week Brian Burns with a touchdown, Like they're scoring points off the defense, and how important that is to kind of take some pressure off of Kyle Allen. I think in a way, you know, he doesn't feel like he has to go out there and score every drive or he's got to go eight yards and put a ten play scoring drive together. That this defense can can do some of that lifting

on its own. Now, that's a lot to ask a defense, but they they feel like they should go out there and get a strip sack every play. I mean, that's literally what this defensive line is feeling right now. That's their vibe and and that that's one of those kind of special sort of things when you get that group

of people together. Bruce Servants now back Coach Rivera talked about his influence yesterday and just is he might not have the stats already, but when he's out in the field, it's just like we're gonna go wreck somebody because Bruce Servants right next to me. You know. I thought that was interesting because you put him in the same category as Trey Turner for the offensive line, and everyone knows

how you know, he's the captain. He everyone knows the influence that Trey has now with the new way that that offensive line looks, and he was saying that that's what Bruce Servant is to the defensive line, which I think that was like an under the radar thing that I know, I didn't I didn't necessarily see, especially with him being injured and not not being out there and them still being a you know, as productive as they are, we're doing the offensive line to Tray Turners still not

in there. You're going to see the same five guys that we saw, you know, last week, and I think it's actually it's going to be great for them. You want some guys back, obviously, and you hate the injuries on the offensive line, but to have two weeks together is going to be really really big for this offense. They've had five different offensive line combinations. They're finally going to get some continuity here and be able to do

that again. But um, it is interesting too. I think the guys that travel that are injured and and and that's not normal people like when when when guys are injured and you're going on a trip this long, and it's you know, maybe they're gonna stay back and they're they're gonna, you know, just focus on getting better there. But I think what's interesting about this team is now you're traveling, your trade Turner, you know, you're you're traveling.

Great little is here and it's good to see that that maybe they are getting closer and that's why you bring up But I think too, it's just this team and the way that they get along and the time that they spend together. Ron talks about that a lot of they just they like each other and they like to hang out. And when you have the downtime that you do here and and you're not gonna wander out

or they can't run home quickly. You know, between this this downtime in between meetings that you're allowing them to spend time together here and experience this together and seeing the team. So it is gonna be another big matchup. I think it's so interesting how different this Panthers team is versus the you know, week to Thursday night game, um, and then everything else that's different about this road trip. This is not a normal Everything is different than the

first time that they played the Bucks. But I now have to have Paul signed us off. You brought us in this podcast. I feel like you're going to have to set the scene for us of for the game of what people can expect, and we'll say bye at the end of it. Ladies and gentlemen of Panthers Nation. This is going to be an amazing day. Sunday, October sixty two thousand five people in the Tommam Hotspur Stadium, sixty two thousands of which we supporting the Carolina Panthers,

this is our day. Keep pounding, goodbye, bye,