Sports columnist. Charlotte Observer since 1994. Proud father of 4. 27x APSE winner. Specialties: 9/11/74; "Sports Legends" series; Carruth; Panthers/Hornets.
Joined December 2008
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12 Nov 2024
EXCLUSIVE: The son of former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth is thriving in Charlotte, 25 years after the shooting of Chancellor Lee Adams’ mother shocked America and sent Carruth to prison.
My update on the murder, the miracle and Carruth (now a free man): charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Yes. You see that stat and every team in the NBA - including the Hornets - goes in with hope for 2026-27
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Jun 12
I mean, we could do worse, @JoeBrunoWSOC9
Jun 12
Records provided to me show a man named Nils Lucander applied to be interim mayor of Charlotte despite not being eligible because he is unaffiliated and lives in the town of Davidson. Applicants were asked to submit their resume but Lucander instead attached this picture of food on the grill. Looks good.
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Jun 12
Nice analysis
Jun 12
The way to look at this from Jalen Coker's perspective:
- Got an $8.75M APY after playing just 22 regular season games, and he's now making Jordyn Tyson/Marvin Harrison Top-10 pick money with a rather large signing bonus. He was on a practice squad for portions of his rookie year, for context.
The way to look at this from the #Panther perspective:
- Avoid a first-round or second-round restricted tender in 2027 to keep him from being signed elsewhere with a tender if he balls out. They also have an out, essentially, after two years if things don't work out. He's the unquestioned No. 2 WR now and in the future with this deal. After drafting a wide receiver (or two) in each of the last three offseasons, they now have an established long-term duo, plus young, promising guys developing behind them.
The way to look at this from an overarching perspective:
- If Coker stays healthy and averages 800-1,000 yards per season on this deal, it'll be ripped up and renegotiated shortly after. Even if he averages the lower end of that number the first two years, it's a bargain by market standards. Rashod Bateman and Darius Slayton make more than $12M APY.
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Scott Fowler retweeted
Jun 12
To clarify, the extension for #Panthers WR Jalen Coker is three years, $34 million in base. Added to his qualifying ERFA deal, it's just over $35 million over four years (before incentives). It's an $8.75m APY.
Updated story on the contract extension: charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Scott Fowler retweeted
Jun 10
My column on the disparity between what the Hurricanes are doing in the Stanley Cup final and what Charlotte pro sports teams have done post-2015…. charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Scott Fowler retweeted
Jun 11
“I can’t have another year like I did last year. I can’t do that.”
The #Panthers' 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette says there's an urgency and "pressure" he'll continue to play with through 2026 and beyond. More on his comments here, in @theobserver: charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Jun 11
I am starting to realize that Dave Canales has a type.
Xavier Legette LOST about 7-8 pounds this season to get down to 221 pounds because, he said, that's where Panthers wanted him to be.
TMac GAINED 17 pounds of muscle to get to 220 pounds.
"Bigger, stronger, faster," he said.
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Jun 11
Classic Seinfeld reference
The Spurs know how to TAKE the lead, they just don't know how to HOLD the lead. And that's really the most important part of the lead: the holding
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Jun 11
Listening to Xavier Legette talk about his teammates’ trip down to see him in Mullins, SC is a lot of fun.
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Jun 11
As the World Cup opens, here's a story of 2 Lake Norman-area high school teachers, now in their mid-70s, who saved those teachers' salaries up for decades and attended 8 WCs in a row.
On Monday, in Atlanta, they will go to their 9th straight World Cup. charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Jun 10
TMac says he put on 17 pounds of muscle in the offseason
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Jun 10
One of those football drills we all think we could do but watch how 95 does it
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Scott Fowler retweeted
Jun 10
#ProcessingBlue (and @mike_e_kaye) is here with an episode that broke down all-things-#Panthers:
-Veteran WRs shining
-Chau Smith-Wade (as a safety?)
-With special guest and former Panther @DDafney24 giving us insight into life in mandatory minicamp: youtu.be/6lU9lvUjP9M?si=AvxO…
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Scott Fowler retweeted
Jun 10
The #Panthers are testing out their versatility in the secondary.
A homegrown contributor is exploring different avenues of a crowded defensive backfield:
charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Jun 10
Dave Canales began his press conference after OTAs Tuesday with something completely unrelated to football.
Could it have been the most significant thing he says all summer? For @theobserver - and FREE to read, because it's important. charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Scott Fowler retweeted
A run-down of what you should know from Tuesday's #Panthers mandatory minicamp practice:
-Xavier Legette and his growth with Bryce Young
-Dave Canales and David Moore (it's D-Mo SZN !!)
-Who played and who didn't
-Chuba as a leader
-More in @theobserver: charlotteobserver.com/sports…
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Jun 9
This guy makes me smile every day.
Jun 9
Good morning America👋
Another day, another adventure. Currently in the Appalachians. Highlight of the day: Argentina vs Iceland in Auburn.
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Jun 9
New Panther edge rusher Jaelan Phillips says “I don’t have Twitter on my phone” and adds that’s been healthy for him.
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