The Happy Half Hour.

Hello friends, welcome to another exciting edition of The Happy Half Hour.

It's Thursday, right.

I think so I got the day of the week right the first time.

This week.

Dave Canalis did say, like, to everybody else's Thursday, but to us, it's Wednesday.

It even says work Wednesday all of the screens around the stadium.

I mean, people think I'm an idiot because I just walk around in my daily life not knowing what day of the week it is.

And it's because football it's broken my brain.

But here we are.

It's work Wednesday.

It's Thursday, which means it's Happy half Hour time.

So thanks to our friends from Deep Eddy for sponsoring the Happy Half Hour and bringing you all this high quality entertainment.

We do it for the people.

If nothing else, if everything else in the world changes, the one constant you can count on is the Happy Half Hour podcast.

That's right.

Do not hold this against us if we change our schedule next week.

That's right.

And here's the thing.

I came in today in a good mood and it started right off that.

And I tell you why I walk in this morning.

I get here fairly early, and I go straight to the coffee pot, because I drink a lot of coffee and Rico daddles standing there.

It's one of those communal pots.

You kind of do the thing, the coffee comes out.

So Rico goes up, he puts his cup there under the thing and he pushes the lever and he goes and I looked at him and I said, that's one.

And he pushed it again, and I said that's two.

And Rico Dawdle looked at me and said, and I quote, I'm gonna take the fine for three pumps on this one.

And that's a story about Rico Dawdle drinking coffee at the same time I'm drinking coffee.

Welcome friends, There's a lot of stuff to talk about.

It's a big week around here.

Yours, yours, six and five Carolina Panthers are heading out west at some point later this week, on a day I'm not quite sure of, to go to San Francisco and play the hated forty nine ers on Monday night football.

How about that?

Are they hated?

Is that a big rivalry?

Everybody's the hated?

Of course it's hated.

Have I not taught you NFC West history around this place?

For the first seven years of franchise history.

This team was in the NFC West until the until the end of that until expansion, but I did they realigned and created the NFC South.

But from ninety five to one this was in fact an NFC West rivalry and your Carolina Panthers.

The other day in a meeting, some of our other even younger people on staff said, are the forty nine ers really anybody we pay attention to?

And I was like, yes, because of those first couple of years.

So of course all of you people who were listening to the Half Happy Half Hour and watching know that Carolina Panthers beat the hated forty nine Ers three out of four in the first two seasons in franchise history.

Ninety five and ninety six won the NFC West when and that was when the forty nine ers were at their Steve Young Pete, Yeah, Yeah, there's still a lot of famous cats running around out there, and your Carolina Panthers went out there and took it to them.

Dom Caper's always had a great line, especially that first season when they played their home games at Clemson and would have to get on a bus and ride on to Clemson where traffic is notoriously bad.

Yeah.

Dom Capers like to say the only difference between a road game against the forty nine ers and a home game against the forty nine ers is a hot meal and stewardess is and that's story, and that's a story about dom Capers.

So anyway, we've touched, we have touched all the bases, all rdy, but just a big football game.

Panthers are six and five.

They're over there and that in the hunt graphic on the right hand side of all your screens, and they're kind of digging it.

They're feeling pretty good.

Life is good around here.

They're getting used to the idea of Okay, this is a place where we want to live.

We like this neighborhood, we think we might stay.

So getting used to being in big games.

That's been Dave Canalis's message all week.

This is another he talks about every week being a championship opportunity because it's another opportunity to learn something.

You know, it's it's go on the road, it's playing primetime, it's have your schedule disrupted and adjust to it.

And that's been his thing all and that's why he wants to call today Wednesday and screw me up because he wants the football team to approach this thing very matter of fact and just like they do every other week.

That being said, this one is going to be different like it just is because they're going to have a full day of Monday to kind of just sit around and wait for the game and wait till they leave for the field.

It won't be as big of a difference just simply because it's eight o'clock here is five o'clock there, and so, you know, it's it's not like you're losing a whole day.

To what three hours.

I was just helping you.

Yeah, it's just helping you with the math.

I don't think of it as three hours, because then I want to make that Yeah, well, I guess that actually does.

Listen, we ain't gonna be out there long enough to change the clocks, all right, you know.

They it is going to be a different day.

It's not like a Sunday night football either, where you can sit around and watch Sunday football while you wait.

And so guys were talking today about what they do and they're like, you know, everybody does something a little different.

Some of the younger guys haven't had a primetime game in the NFL yet.

They did it college and so kind of reverting back to that, Nick Scott compared it to Fridays in high school when like you've got to build up all day to a game and uh, you know the excitement and anticipation that comes with it.

So we'll see what they look like.

It makes it.

It's going to make that first quarter interesting.

What do they look like coming out of that after a day of both either anticipation or bored them.

And this is going to be a good coaching challenge for Dave Canalis too to kind of keep them focused and make Monday night at eight o'clock slash five o'clock feel like Sunday at one.

Yeah.

By the way, I don't know.

There's a couple of things I want to point out here.

Number one, my partner here is playing hurt.

She's feeling a little under the weather, but I feel okay, I've got my shots, and breathe towards you prepared.

Don't breathe in my general direction.

I did not put on my hazmat suit today.

But he's playing hurt.

She might have to hit this deep eddy on her way out he's kind of loosen up the bronchial passages or something.

But no, the other thing I was going to point out is maybe you've noticed Dave canal is kind.

Of a type a personality.

He's very on always, and so it's I have this picture in my mind of what Dave Canalis would be like if he was ever just like laying in a hammock and relaxing, reading a trashy novel or something like that.

I just can't imagine it.

I just can't imagine Dave Canalis with leisure time on his hands.

So I asked him to day, I said, do you ever get bored waiting around for kickoff?

He's like, no, there's all kind of stuff to do.

Of course there is, Dave.

So you're a man who's filled up every minute.

Dave Canalis.

That coffee me and Rico Daldo we're drinking this morning.

Dave Canalis makes it nervous.

That's how much energy he's got.

But you know, they've got their playing, they've got that stuff, and it's kind of once we get to this point in the week, they're sort of into there on the football and they're working on the things, and you know there were some news and notes out of out of Thursday's p today.

The biggest one is Bryce Young lives.

He's okay, he's run around.

That ankle's fine.

He's not you know, running around with any kind of protective material on it or anything like that.

He's just out there being Bryce and having a good day.

I always love when people try to ask Bryce, how's your ankle feey?

Like, what's he gonna say?

Like it's falling off, right?

This is how it ends.

Rice's answer is always same.

He just kind of grins.

He's like, good, good, good, I'm blessed.

And that's how every Bryce Young injury question begins.

So stop asking if you ever tempted to do that.

But no, Bryce is fine.

But they do have some other injury stuff.

I mean, linebackers are going to be an issue again this week.

Christian rose Boom Dave Canalis said today would be out this week.

Uh.

He picked up a.

Hamstring late in that game down in Atlanta the other day and wasn't able to finish.

They know rose Boom's out.

They're playing wait and see on Trevin Wallace.

Trev's uh missed last week's game and the three before that.

He would get a little dinged up, and Cludon Cherillis had to come in and finish for him a couple of times.

And so they're playing wait and see to see if he can get him back, because that's going to be important.

I mean, you've got.

Some guy named Christian McCaffrey on the other team.

Maybe you're familiar with him, and so you want that to be as tight as you can.

I mean, they've got Chris Barnes on the practice squad.

He's a guy who was starting to experience in Green Bay in Arizona in the past.

He's a trusted agent in that case.

They've got Muma Jung Meta came in and finished the game.

In case you people only Readpanthers dot Com and don't participate in all of our spoken word properties, that is how you say it.

It's Muma Jung Meta, and Muma's a good dude.

He finished up the game, and Dave talked about all those possibilities.

But obviously if Trevin willace as well, you want to get him out there, because again, that McCaffrey guy pretty good at football.

And it's not even so much just the physicality, although Trevor Balce does bring a lot of it.

But you know, Chris Barnes, Muma Claude.

We saw Claude in finished with ten tackles last week.

I think it was rear high congratulations.

And so those guys you know, are are physical.

Trevan does have like a really really strong level of physicality though, but it's more so than he Like Nick Scott made the point today, he's like, if neither Rose Boom or trevn are out there, he was like, you know, to be honest, it is a little bit of an adjustment just because you get into a flow with games when you've got somebody you know who's calling the plays and you know how you play together, and so that's gonna be a little bit more responsibility kind of on the back end as well, with guys like Nick Scott who have played in this defense for a long time, just kind of making sure everybody is where they need to be and that they're not faltering a step, because buddy, this is not a week that you can afford to falter in the linebacker corps because I mean, Christian McCaffrey, like you said, George Kittle, they make their money off yards after the catch, and George Kittle is the biggest one that does that, and he lives right there across the middle and in the flat, So you've got to get to them and get to them quick.

Yeah, And you know, with brock Purty coming back and playing last week, obviously, the forty nine ers get back a little closer to what they're used to being, and you know, we'll see they're gonna They know it's Monday night too, they know it's primetime too, so they're and they've got their own playoff considerations on the line.

They're also firmly in that wild card chase.

I don't even think they're over here in the hunt with us on this side.

They're lead their division because they have a tiebreaker.

I think, well, the Seahawks are Seahawks are doing pretty well, and I think, you know, when I started thinking playoffs, I've kind of penciled Seattle into that spot until further notice.

But the reality is forty.

They do not lead their division bad.

Yeah, I know there is the Rams.

There are the Seahawks, so they have the most division wins though they're four and wooded their division.

But the point is they are they're playing good football and they're capable of better football, because you know they've gone through some stuff.

They're missing some dudes on defense and guys that make a big difference.

But it's it's still until the Carolina Panthers proved themselves a couple weeks in a row doing the things they did down Atlanta, spreading the field, throwing the ball effectively to go with the stuff you know they can do in the run game, then we'll see.

But you know, they're a little more used to playing on that stage and than the Carolina Panthers are.

But again, it all revolves around Christian McCaffrey, and let's be honest, everybody around here still loves that too.

Christian McCaffrey did all the things the right way.

I have never seen a guy more locked in.

I mean, as much as Dave Canalis loves talking about process and having a schedule and having a routine.

Bryce would have loved this year because Christian McCaffrey was almost manic about his preparation and he wanted to make sure everything was right because he had a plan.

For every week and it worked out for him.

I mean, Christian obviously a great player, and a lot of people around here got a lot of fine memories that dude.

I don't know that I've ever encountered a more competitive cat in football, Like locker room ping pong, there were there were categories of players in the power rankings.

It was like Christian McCaffrey everybody else.

And CMC is just one of those dudes.

Like whether you're playing whether you're playing chess, whether you're playing cards, in the back of the locker room where they playing ping pong, whatever it is, Christian just has this compulsive need to win everything and it and uh, it would be insufferable if he wasn't so adorable.

He's such a good dude.

So he kind of is their offense right now.

And granted with Brock Party coming back, you know, George Kittle had one of his best games of the season last week with Party back.

But I mean, you can't ignore what Chris is doing.

I think he's uh he is their leading rusher and receiver, which sounds about right right, yep.

And leads the league in yards from scrimmage.

That sounds pretty familiar around here.

He can do it all, and he could do it anywhere on the field.

dB said.

Derek Brown said today like he said, that kid has the best vision I've ever seen, like you know or something.

He's like, his vision is just insane.

And to stand there and hold the practice field and see him coming at him, he was like, you know, I thought I had him multiple times and he jumped the other way.

Right.

He says, We've got to all be ready for him to be like anywhere at any point.

Right, you know that gift about they had us in the first half.

They had us in the first half.

Not gonna lie, not gonna lie.

That's that's life with Christian McCaffrey.

He made He creates his own holes a lot of time, and he can find a little bit of space and get through it in a hurry.

So it's gonna be fascinating to see him.

But that's that's just part of this game.

I mean, I think it's big for the Carolina Panthers for their own stuff.

Yeah, I mean, we'll talk more about this as the week goes on, but there's a lot of guys growing into this thing right in front of our eyes.

Talked the other day a good bit about Corey Thornton jumping in and playing a more prominent role.

Ttero McMillan obviously had a huge game.

The other day he won one of the awards, which one was that.

Called FedEx airon ground?

There you go?

Was he a he and Bryce?

They were both there.

It could either be both air, both ground, air or ground.

It's just two players.

They both It was Bryce and t back.

First time this year that a team has had both winners.

Yeah, that's right.

That was the other cool thing about Bryce the other day.

Obviously he won NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

He throw for four forty eight and win on the road.

That's generally gonna get you one of those weekly awards.

He was the fifth Carolina Panther to win a Player of the Week award, along with Ryan fitz Money, Sam Martinon Merrick and Codaldel.

The last time the Carolina Panthers had five guys win was in twenty seventeen and the names were Julius be Cameron, dre L.

Newton, Luke Keigley, Jonathan Stewart and.

Dang those were all.

My guess is Josh Norman.

Baby demere bird, thanks for playing.

I tried.

That's all right.

So basically you're saying those are all on the same level.

Yeah, what I'm saying that this is Sam Martin Julius Peppers basically the same.

Yeah, I hear they strike the same fear.

No, if it's to Sam uh, I believe it was.

Who was it this week?

It was a former quarterback was telling a great Julius Pepper story on their podcast about Oh it was Alex Smith talking about when the Panthers were paying the forty nine ers one time and the left guard kept like trash talking Julius and the forty nine ers left tackle and I know the name, and it's playing.

Yes, Joe Staley turned Alex said, it was so funny.

They get back in the huddle and Joe Staley comes over like grabs the left guard and he's like, stop rilling him up.

You don't have to block him every play.

But a Julia's story.

But this is also the first time this year a team has had five Players of the Week.

Yeah, that's right, Carolina Panthers breaking new year time.

I mean, and that's the thing we talked about the other week, going from two wins to five wins.

Now they're at six and it's almost like house money at this point.

The improvement continues.

I think, you know, regardless what the record ends up being, this year, you will we will be talking about the strides they made during this season setting up whatever comes next.

And I think it's important to remember with what comes next, so to speak, they statistically have the hardest schedule in the NFL left held out.

Details and so like, just keep that.

In mind whenever you when we're looking back over what these next few weeks bring and the results that come.

I mean, think about it.

You're facing uh it'll be pulled up the next two weeks and an eight win team, that's right, and then you get a bye, and then the Saints, and then you're facing the Seahawks, which is another seven win team, and the Bucks and then the Bucks twice, and so you know, I think Canal has pointed it out today.

He was like, four of our next five opponents are all like firmly in the playoff phrase, this is gonna be a little bit of a gauntlet.

That's right.

Tea Bac basically said today like, if that's not what you want to play, what are you doing here?

Exactly exactly?

Hey, speaking of teams getting on rolls and stuff, you went back and watched.

Yes I did.

Now Week twelve in.

Twenty fifteen happened to be Thanksgiving week, and you know what, I didn't even go back and watch that game last night, but I kind of remember the Carolina Panthers.

Who is it they played?

Oh, it was the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

When the game started, I was like, oh, I've been waiting to get to this one because I've heard so much about it, and I remember vaguely watching the game when it happened, but you know, not all the details.

And this is one of my favorite parts about you going back and watching twenty fifteen games for the first time.

Yeah, like a whole new experience, which is why I was shot alert and almost fell off the couch when fifty nine seconds into the game, Coleman had a pick six and I was like, oh, okay, we're just getting this started off right away, like barely had even gotten in your seat yet.

And then Luke had a huge tackle on the next drive.

Des Brian and Josh Norman were doing so much small talking during the pick six that they weren't even watching it.

And I say small talk, I think I actually meant to say smack talking, and it auto corrected it because they were getting it on.

There was nothing small about the talk.

Between Dez and at one point this this was just a Luke heavy game.

As good at football, who were to thunk it?

He covered des Bryant on a deep shot downfield and saved a touchdown, and then he had a pick six.

Just an incredible play.

Read it the whole way, did every It was like textbook.

The next play from scrimmage, she picked it off again.

This one he just went up and grabbed it.

And the best part of it though, was Kurt Coleby come and flying it and laying out Jason Whitten before he could even realize what had happened, because it was Luke old Jason Witten, and he just jumped up in front of him and grabbed it and like before Witton could react or tackle him like Covid, just like layze him out.

It was pretty funny.

At that point of the game, Luke had more catches than des Bryant.

That's right at the end of the first half.

And while des Bryant may have wanted to punch Tony Romo in the head, only Luke.

Keiley had he thought about.

Luke Keickley is one of the nicest people you've ever wanted, you'd ever want to meet.

I mean, he's just a delight of a human being.

I kind of hate him sometimes because he's too perfect.

But Luke Keigley is not only good at football, and you know, he's just polite and nice.

He's not only your favorite football player, he's your mom's favorite football player.

And your mom loves Luke Keickley because he's so nice.

And Luke will get animated talking about the glee he took punching Tony Romo in there.

It's kind of funny.

It's like that one out of character moment where he just turns into Tommy Tremble or something for a second and right as on somebody.

But yes, Luke Keigley did in fact pick off a couple of passes, punched Tony Romo in the head.

Good day there was.

They didn't score an off as i've touchdown until the second half.

And it was kind of funny too, because like Cam could have walked it in and instead he like went around three guys and then did a front flip into the end zone.

It's like, why make it easy when it could be epic?

And then from there towards the end, like Tony Robo left the game.

I think he was done for the season after that, and then Matt Castle came in.

They scored a late touchdown, got a two point conversion, Old Luke, and I thought he was ready to choke somebody, maybe even himself, for giving up that two point conversion.

It's like, dude, you're winning one hundred and fifty to six, like chill.

But during that, Cam was like turning around to the Panthers fans that were there.

This was for the end of the game with this one, and he started like, let's go Panther's chance and he realized that the camera was like right in front of him, and he starts selling the camera.

He's like, I wanted to started.

I wanted to start the wave.

Instead, I couldn't get it going.

It was just such a funny moment because the game is still going on and Cam's just over there talking to the camera on the sideline about like starting the wave.

And that's the way it was.

That was a big one.

That was a good one.

So cool things happen when you get in front of a national television audience.

You never know exactly what it's gonna be.

And that's why you guys have to tune in to Monday night.

What are we gonna do.

We're gonna wait till Tuesday to take the next episode of the Happy Half Hour.

I promise you don't think I don't know what day it is today.

Let me get on a red I flight back from a red I.

Flight next week from sand Fred the week of a holiday.

Yeah, I just I'm gonna just get through next week.

We've got no shot.

I've heard it's Thanksgiving.

I haven't heard.

Arlo guthriees Allis's restaurant for the first time.

It's Thanksgiving.

Time to pull out wkr.

W KRP in Cincinnati.

As God is my witness.

I thought turkeys could fly, and they might fly.

But we'll be flying in a couple of days.

We'll be heading out to San Franz.

We'll bring you all the latest.

Keep it locked on Panthers dot com.

It's gonna be a busy week.

We've got a lot of cool stuff coming your way.

Keep it locked on the YouTube channel for this podcast and all of our other are fine.

Watch three Codond miked up.

It was really good.

Yeah, Rico miked up was awesome again.

He takes the fine for the third pump of coffee, but not any celebration penalties, but he was good.

All the good things are happening this week.

Keep it locked on panthers dot com and the YouTube channel.

Thanks for joining us this week and we'll see you god, I don't know, sometime next week on the Happy half Hour