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Patriots-Panthers: Fighting spirit will be alive

Discussion in 'Carolina Panthers' started by law1ng2b2, Sep 17, 2005.

  1. law1ng2b2

    law1ng2b2 Full Access Member

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    from Boston.com this morning

    Patriots-Panthers: Fighting spirit will be alive
    By Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | September 17, 2005

    FOXBOROUGH -- ''Whatcha wanna do?"

    There likely are no doctoral theses on the matter, and the league has yet to commission a study, but an informal, unscientific survey of NFL players suggests the above is a common exclamation prior to fights on the field.

    You can bet that was heard Monday night before the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles got into it at the Georgia Dome, leading to the ejection of a player from each team -- before the game even started -- and fines to nine.

    That also is the question Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour asked Carolina's Brentson Buckner -- in a not-so-gentle manner, mind you -- prior to the 2004 Super Bowl. Daniel Graham of the Patriots and Julius Peppers of the Panthers, who are good friends, joined the verbal jousting in support of their teammates.

    Back judge Scott Green stepped between the barking behemoths, backing them away from each other to avoid an escalation. But from that moment, there has been bad blood between the teams.

    ''They want a piece of us and we want a piece of them," Seymour said calmly yesterday as he dressed for practice.

    In Patriots' parlance, that's significant trash talk. And tomorrow's matchup in Charlotte, N.C., is the first real game between the teams since the Super Bowl, which New England won, 32-29.

    ''There's respect there, but they're not fond of us and we're not fond of them," said Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, who remembers that game in Houston as the most physical game in which he's been involved.

    No one seems to know what started the beef -- the teams met in January 2002, with the Patriots drubbing the Panthers, 38-6, on the road in the season finale en route to New England's first Super Bowl title -- but it is unusual for teams that meet so infrequently to have such a dislike for each other.

    ''We are both passionate football teams," said Carolina safety Mike Minter. ''We are both intense and feel our defenses come and bring a lot of intensity to the game. You are going to have the offense feeling like not backing down from anybody, and we are going to jump back in your face.

    ''There was a lot of passion and intensity going on [in the Super Bowl]. It was good. I felt like they were a team that was trying to gain respect, even though they had won a Super Bowl previously. We were trying to do the same thing. There was a lot riding on that game and it showed on the football field. You saw two teams that were fighting to the end."

    Panthers fans, and some team members, did not recover quickly from the loss. T-shirts labeling last year's preseason contest as ''The Rematch" were sold in bunches, and players describe the game as more intense than a typical exhibition.

    Before the game, Minter even said the game was ''Super Bowl No. 2, Round 2," and there were a number of shoving matches after whistles.

    ''Typically, preseason games, they're sort of intense, but not like a regular-season game, but that game had more magnitude," Seymour said. ''We put everything we had into that game, and so did they."

    Carolina won, 20-17, though New England's starters came out of the game at the end of the third quarter with the lead.

    ''There's not a lot of love lost [between us]," said Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green.

    Therefore, don't be surprised if Seymour has a few words for a Panther or two at some point, but he'll be wary of the events from earlier this week, particularly since the NFL has warned its players that pregame incidents will not be tolerated.

    ''You know it can turn into something ugly quickly, just by retaliation," Seymour said. ''You never want to be in a position like that, to lose a player like that before we go out on the field."

    Patriots coach Bill Belichick understands that emotion is an indispensable component of winning football, but he cautions his players to avoid crossing the line.

    ''Anything that hurts the team I'm not in favor of," Belichick said. ''So 15-yard penalties, ejections, and all those kinds of things is not really what we're looking for.

    ''I understand there's talking that goes on out on the field between plays, and certainly 90 percent of that isn't penalized and it's within the overall context and part of the game. But on the other hand, when it becomes detrimental to the team, either by a player losing focus in what he's supposed to do because he is wrapped up in something else, or getting penalized for it or getting thrown out of the game, whatever it is, then that's certainly not what we're looking for."

    Jerome Solomon can be reached at [email protected].
     
  2. Fan. Attic

    Fan. Attic Upstairs Lurker

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    I've always wanted to know what was going on between Jake and Rodney Harrison after the TD pass to Moose in the Super Bowl. Anyone seen that anywhere?

    Tomorrow's game is going to be a good one.
     
  3. Black&Blue

    Black&Blue NKW

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    We just took the lead, and Rodney, being the piss-poor loser that he is, gave Jake a cheap shot forearm.
     
  4. buck nasty

    buck nasty Full Access Member

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    didn't jake say something like " i just burned your ass good and i'm going to do it again."
     
  5. Black&Blue

    Black&Blue NKW

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    By reading his lips, it looked like "You can't stop this shit!" But I'm not sure what was said.

    Jake is funny as hell. He tackles his own players after touchdowns, curses out opposing defenders, and owns horses.
     
  6. chipshot

    chipshot Full Access Member

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    HORSES? HE'S INSANE!
     
  7. Fan. Attic

    Fan. Attic Upstairs Lurker

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    Yeah, they caught a little of that on the broadcast. Rodney gave Jake an elbow in the ribcage as he's heading downfield to celebrate with Moose. I was just wondering if Jake's ever been asked specifically about that, and what was said. I assume Harrison had probably been talking trash all game...
     
  8. GRWatcher

    GRWatcher Member

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    :agreed: That is why I love the man!!! And why he will lead us to victory this Sunday! He plays with the intensity of a child enjoying himself! :woohoo:
     

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