Atlanta Braves Should Take Pages Of Notes From The Carolina Panthers
By Jeff Schafer
Super Bowl 50 will be played later today with the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers currently hold a -5.5 spread to be victorious, but those numbers are only on paper. It’s insane that Carolina is where they are since at the start of the season, most predicted them to be one of the worst in the NFC. Funny, in 2016 most are already writing off the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves and Panthers offense CAN be very similar if Atlanta starts taking some notes. The notes and plenty of studying, we could see the Braves where the Panthers are (the World Series) this upcoming season.
Not a NFL fan? That’s okay…I can break it down. We’ll be mostly looking at the Braves offense and the Panthers offense.
Let’s start with the Coaches…Ron Rivera and Fredi Gonzalez. Both coaches started their tenders with their teams in the 2011 season. Coach Rivera was almost fired a few years ago when the team had their fourth consecutive non winning seasons (two years under Rivera). How many times has the fans and media called for Gonzalez to be fired? Both organizations continue to trust in their coaches and it’s paying off for the Panthers. It’s about time for the tide to change in the Braves direction.
The Superstars…Cam Newton and Freddie Freeman. Both young stars of the sport are 26-years-old and the leaders of their teams. Cam is obviously the more vocal leader, but leads by example on the field…similar to Freeman. Newton is also from Georgia and has always said he grew up loving the Atlanta Falcons…I wonder if he likes the Braves?
The Gifted Players….the Panthers have many gifted players who have helped them get to where they are today. Well, if you look at the Atlanta Braves roster, we’ve got some as well. Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis. We’ll compare these guys to Panthers tight-end Greg Olson and running back Jonathan Stewart. Both Panthers players are huge assets to their teams. If Inciarte and Markakis step up to the players they can be, a similar outcome to the Panthers players is possible.
The Forgotten…Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn is a nine-year veteran of the sport, but everyone has never given him a chance at the receiver spot. Everyone has forgotten about him and he just continues to perform. Does Erick Aybar come to mind when I’m talking about Ginn? Why not. He’s a 10-year vet and has always been that guy who is just there.
The Youngsters…Another Carolina’s wide receiver Corey Brown has showed glimpses of being a great players in the NFL, but has also struggled at times. He continues to show promise and has been getting better at the position. I’m going to group him with Hector Olivera. Olivera is a young prospect who has moved from second base to third base to now the outfield. Still trying to find his spot, Olivera shows promise with his bat.
The Veterans…remember the movie The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw? The movie was about a young offensive lineman named Michael Oher. He went on to have success in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, but eventually moved on from the Ravens. Very similar to our catchers…A.J. Pierzynski and Tyler Flowers. Yes, no movie has been made with either of these guys, but their playing careers are similar.
The Unheard Ofs…the Panthers have three offensive lineman who if you’re not a fan of Carolina, you probably have never heard their names before. Andrew Norwell, Trai Turner and Mike Remmers are all on the line for the Braves and are very crucial to the success of the team. Kind of like Adonis Garcia and Jace Peterson for the Braves. If these guys produce, the Braves can be successful.
My main point of this article is to remind everyone that all sports (well most) are a team sport. The 2015 Carolina Panthers became a “team” and are now dominating the sport. They don’t have the stars or the most popular names, but they work together, play together, and win together. Why can’t the 2016 Atlanta Braves do this?? They can! Don’t write them off before a game is even played!