March 19, 2025 • 26 mins
This week on the Happy Half Hour, Darin and Kassidy travel the globe, recap the exciting start to NFL free agency, react to the newest Panthers, discuss draft rumors, and interview the Panthers International Fans of the year, Kai Beuchling and Moritz Haist.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This week on a Happy Half Hour.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
They're still putting together the rest of the defense. They'll
go add pass rusher, they'll add probably another defensive climb,
and certainly they're gonna bring more bodies in in the secondary.
I wouldn't expect all, but I would expect most of
that nine man draft class would concentrate on defense because
that's the place they've got to make the most ground up.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
What's up, Cow, It's time for the Happy Half Hour,
presented by Southern Star, an official bourbon of the Carolina Panthers.
Here are your hosts, Darren Gant and Cassidy Hill.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Hello, friends, Welcome to another edition of the Happy Half Hour.
This is gonna be an international edition. We're gonna be
all over the globe. We're gonna go everywhere from Columbia,
South Carolina to Germany to Green Bay and back. We
got so much to cover, so this is gonna be
a jam packed episode, which means we're very grateful to
be brought to you by our friends from Southern Star Bourbon,
(01:05):
an official bourbon partner of the Carolina Panthers. Celebrate the
spirit of the Carolinas.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Charlotte, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Germany, Green Bay Wesconssin
that's like the weirdest game of Immaculate Grid ever played.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, it's a lot, but there's been a lot going
on in the last couple of weeks. I mean, I
was just looking back in the archives. We actually haven't
taped one of these since free Agencies started. Oh by
the way, they've only turned over the roster since then
since a little bit to talk about since we talked last.
I just sometimes I have to even do it. Sometimes
(01:42):
I pull up the transactions page on Panthers dot Com
and our tracker just to remind myself of everything that's happened,
because it's been a lot. I mean, if you think
about it since we last joined you, they re signed
Cade May's Austin Corbett, Brady Christiansen, Mike Jackson, j C. Horn,
Tommy Tremble, went out and got a brand new punter
(02:03):
in Sam Martin, agreed to terms with six other free
agents from other teams, including tersha On Wharton, Bobby Brown,
Patrick Jones, trave I'm married, Christian rose Boom and Rico Dudel,
and then brought back her old friends Dan Chasina and
David Moore.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yay Corbett in there.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, Austin Corbett in there. There was a lot of
stuff going on. Dang, it really was. And last week
was one of those I know, we talk on this
podcast from time to time during a regular season, we
kind of get in ruts where it's like, what day
is this, I don't know what week is it? Time
is lost all meaning. But last week rolled in. We
rolled in here Monday morning early, and it started early,
(02:42):
and it kept going till about the middle of the
afternoon Friday when everybody was just exhausted and it all stopped.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I went home Friday afternoon, I put away my computer,
I put away my phone, and I didn't speak to
anyone for twenty four hours. It was It was nice, yeah,
but it was a fun week. It's always fun to
get new guys in here. Like the first day of school.
I'm mean, no, no, it's not the firstday school. It's more
like the preview day, you know, when you go like
a week before the first day of school and you
meet your teacher and you meet your classmates, you see
(03:10):
where Jess is going to be. It was the preview days,
So it was a lot of fun just to kind
of meet the new guys and figure out who they
are off the field as well, and we'll figure out
who they are on the field here soon.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, And basically, as we discussed when we were advancing
free agency, they were intent on remaking that defense from
the back of the front, and they did. They took
the big swings early. You go get a Wharton and
a Brown to supplement your Derek Brown's, your A'shawn Robinson's,
and suddenly you've got something they did not have at
any point last year, which is a competition for jobs
(03:43):
and b depth going into a season, being able to
being able to roll those defensive linemen, being able to
rotate six guys through there is going to make a
huge difference defensively. And as you may have heard if
you followed this team last year, the run defense was
a little bit of an issue, and that's arts up front.
But now they've got dudes, and that's the biggest difference
(04:04):
to me out of everything that happened in the last
week and a half.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
You know who I think is the happiest person in Charlotte,
North Carolina right now? Actually I don't know where he's at.
Let's just for sake of the story, say, Charlotte, North
Carolina is Ashawn Robinson.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Ayshawn tired.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Hashn is tired.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
He's tired. Last year, that man played about seven hundred
and fifty snaps, which is basically two hundred and fifty
more than he had played the year before or in
any year, and you could tell the end of the
year he was gassed. Now, credit now, he did it right.
Credit to him for going out and doing it week
after week after week and being that old head they
needed on that defense.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
But now he never complained.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Right now he doesn't have to do it every single snap,
and that ought to mean you get a better version
of him coming into this year.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
That's exciting for sure. A little bit more consistency. They
are a little bit more girth in the interior line
to go along with Derek Brown, as you said, Yeah,
you also mentioned kind of building it back to front,
bringing in Uh. I've tried to say it so many
times and I need to get it right. Out of
respect Marig Marrig, Marrig Marrick Marrig, I made it much
(05:10):
stuffer than it is.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I always want to put a g in it. Tame.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I want to put and I want to put it
here in there for some reason.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, he is not marrying. It's marrig he.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Uh. He's an intriguing little signing because he's a safety
and he's a but he's a safety who has also
played corner, and he has a safety who played last
year up near the line of scrimmage, had one hundred
and four tackles up there. I don't know what that
means necessarily for Charles, for Shaw Smith Wade. I wouldn't
(05:43):
be surprised if they figured out a way to get
them both out there. We're getting way way ahead of ourselves. Yeah,
but I'm excited to see what they do with him
because he has shown the ability to play every defensive
back position. Obviously, with only one safety under contract, that's
where he he's needed the most.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
But he can he can be kind of moved around
and so well.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And again, this thing is far from finish. The Panthers
are sitting there now with sixty seven guys under contract.
You're going to add nine draft picks to that. That
gets you to seventy.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Six.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Watching you do math in real time, it's one of
my favorite things to do.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
It's it's seventy six it's not watching.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
You soccer when your kids are four years old and
everybody goes to kick the ball and it's slow motion
right until the one burst of frenetic motion. That's Cassidy
doing math in real time.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I have to picture a chalkboard in my mind. This
is how I do math. I picture a chalkboard in
my mind, and I picture my first grade teacher like
writing it out on the board, and like I have
to like follow her as she does it. So it
just takes me a minute.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
But the point is sixty seven on the roster right now,
which means seventy six seventy six once you add draft picks.
That's right, she's doing great. Gang, we're all very proud
of her. Once they signed some undrafted guys. But this
roster's far from finished. As you mentioned, there's two safeties
on the roster at the moment, and merrig and Demani Richardson,
(07:14):
they're still putting together the rest of the defense they're
gonna have to go. They'll go add pass rusher, they'll
add probably another defensive lineman. Certainly they're gonna bring more
bodies in in the secondary. I think a good portion.
I wouldn't expect all, but I would expect most of
that nine man draft class would concentrate on defense because
that's the place they've got to make the most ground up.
(07:36):
I mean, you know, they broke all the wrong kind
of records last year, and JC talked about that, and
that's the big news out of all this. I mean,
for all the other stuff we've talked about, those are
all it's almost like adding fiber to the defense. I mean,
not to say they're not good players, but they needed
players in bulk. But signing j C. Horn was a
(07:56):
statement of intent. I mean, for about a week there,
he was the highest paid corner in history until somebody
else comes up and makes more money or reported money,
because that's the way this thing. They already beat him,
but yeah, Stingley in Houston, you know, topped him on
average per year. But the point is the Carolina Panthers
made the effort to go out and do JC now
(08:16):
for the same reason they did Derek a year ago.
That's what they want to be about. He's the kind
of player they want to build this thing around. Because
for all this stuff on defense, it's hard to say
it was jac Horn's fault because he was doing his business,
you know, as you've pointed out before him and Mike Jack,
who's also back led the league in pass breakups for
a pair of corners. So things are beginning to stabilize.
(08:39):
But if you want to be that draft and develop team,
when you get those guys like Derek, like JC, you've
got to extend them and they become kind of those
torch bearers for the next generation.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Of this thing.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
That's exactly what I was about to say, kind of
what you just touched on was you know, this also
tells the guys that are coming in here, It tells
the guys that they drafted last year, tells whoever these
nine are going to be in April this year that
if you put the work in, you will be rewarded here.
And obviously things happen. You can't predict every single thing
that's going to happen in a football career, but you know,
(09:10):
you look at Derrick Brown, you look at jac Horn.
These were first droun guys that came in that put
the work in, that did their part. Obviously both had
some injuries at different times, but did their best to
get back on the field and then prove that they
were worth that first dround pick, and they were both
rewarded for it. That sends a message to anyone else
coming in here.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Yeah, no doubt. And j C is aware of his
place in this thing now. He and I talked last
week about kind of him taking over as a leader
of this team, and he talked about the lesson Shack
Thompson taught him years ago. Shaq pulled him into huddles
and places he wasn't prepared to go to get him
ready for moments exactly like this, and I think jac
(09:51):
has been learning this as he goes. He admitted at
times last year he's like, I don't think about myself
as a leader because I'm still trying to they on
the field and achieve at a certain level, So I
don't think about telling other people what to do. But
you know, good news, with a contract like this, JC,
you're the guy now. You and Derek are the people
who are gonna have to carry that on. And I
(10:14):
thought it was interesting hearing him talk about Shaq and
the impact Shaq had on him, because I do think
those people like Shaq Thompson, who act as bridges from
one generation to the next, have a real importance to
an organization, because you know, Shaq was out there with
a couple of guys named Thomas Davis and Luke Keigley
on a daily basis, and so he knows the history
(10:34):
of this place. He knows what it takes to be
successful and perform at a high level. He passed that
on to JC and Derek. They're going to be responsible
for passing it on to the next generation.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
That story he told you about Shaq pulling him into
huddles when he wasn't expecting it was such a great story,
one anecdote and just a peek into the intent behind
Shaq Thompson's decisions at times. And you know, I wish
the best to Shack is he kind of sees where
his football career takes him next. But moments like that
(11:04):
are what build a franchise. And so all respect to
Shack for.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
That, no doubt, no doubt. And pretty soon we're going
to be shifting gears in straight into draft mode because
free agency. Hey it's over. Yeah, like you said, I
mean Friday afternoon, when I saw Dan Morgan leaving this
place at a time slightly before five pm, perhaps I
was like, all right, we're closed up for the day. Gang,
let's go home. But free agency's basically over. The Panthers
(11:32):
have done the bulk of the work. They'll fill in
some blanks. Like I said, since that burst, they brought
David Moore back. I think it's good to have David
back in the building just because he's so good for
all those young kids.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
He's such a steady like he's a steady heartbeat when
things peak or when valleys get low, David is always steady.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
He knows what Dave Canalis wants, and that's why Dave
keeps dragging him around from place to place. He Adam
in Seattle, he took him to Tampa and he brought
him here. So David is you know, he's good for
big plays, he can get downfield, he can still run
for a thirty year old, and uh, you know, he's
just got that mindset that you want in that room,
along with Xavier and Jalen Cocher and probably young people
(12:14):
who are too join this team in the coming weeks.
So with that said, as we transition to draft mode,
we had a very special opportunity this week to talk
to a couple of guys who are going to be
at the draft. Check this out and as promised, friends
of the Happy Half Hour, we got special guest here today.
(12:36):
And not just any guests. These are international guests. And
not just international guest, but the international fans of the year,
ladies and gentlemen, Kai boy Kling, Moritz Heist, the Panthers
international fans of the Year. Welcome guys.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Thank you for having us.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Absolutely yeah, thank you, absolutely great to have you guys.
And I got to tell you I've talked to y'all
in the past before. We'll try to overcome the language
barrier between the American South and German. We'll do our best.
Just be glad I don't have Cassidy with this. When
she's from Alabama. It's even harder to understand. Trust me
on that one. Well, I guess the first question I have.
(13:17):
I mean, you guys have been at this since twenty nineteen.
You've been involved in the community since twenty nineteen. You've
got to keep talking podcast. Tell me, in a very
basic sense, why the Carolina Panthers. How did you guys
end up Carolina Panthers fans?
Speaker 4 (13:32):
I think Kaya has to start because he's much more
longer at Pantas fans than I am, so Kya the story.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
Yeah, okay, I'm pretty much a Patis fan since the
beginning of the franchise. I'm a football fan since I
was young, and the time the Panas came to the league,
I searched the team I can I can cheer for,
and the Carolina Panthers were there and where my team
(14:05):
from very much the beginning.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That's great, March, how about you.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
It's less romantic than that. So when I started to
getting into football, came after a vacation in the United
States and I went to a preseason game between the
Giants and the Jets. So, yeah, it's not that that
kind of entertaining, but I want to understand the rules
(14:30):
and get into American football. And then I thought, okay,
I need a team to follow the league and to
follow the sport. And then I had to look at
different teams and some friends gave me advice. And then
I looked at the Panthers and said, okay, this is
the cool that this team got cool colors, their cool jerseys,
(14:51):
the black and the blue, and big heads I like.
And yeah, my friends at a and they had this
crazy quarterback, it's Cam Newton. You should follow this team.
And then I followed the team and yeah, didn't take
that much time, and I fell in love and now
(15:11):
we're here.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
That's awesome and one of the things that's fascinating to me.
I mean, growing up in the United States following American sports,
it's easy for us to follow American sports, but in
watching international soccer and following Harry Kane to Bayern Munich
that kind of stuff. Learning about those other cultures, you
realize how much effort it takes. I mean, you've got
to really try to be an American football fan in Germany.
(15:36):
You know, as you guys have expanded and kind of
developed that community, how do you guys stay plugged in?
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Yeah, it's easier the last years. You can follow football,
American football around here, every everywhere, so it's it's it
is becoming easier. Since the nineties. For example, I played
football by myself, so I'm good in this spart I
(16:05):
know very much about it. Yeah, but the last years
we're very easy to follow the part over here. It's
becoming bigger and bigger.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I think one of the things that was so cool
for me about being in Munich last year was the
tangible sense of passion about American football there and the
Carolina Panthers in particular. I mean everywhere you went, there
were people where in jerseys and just being in the
stadium that day, the passion was incredible. I love the singing.
(16:35):
This is one thing I want to bring to the
United States. I want to bring the way you guys
sing in stadium back home and do that every week.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
I mean, it's a special kind of a culture thing,
especially in the European soccer community. The singing and the stance.
I think it's very special. And I've seen a lot
of American guys, especially after the Unique game, who was
kind of overwhelmed about this kind of yeah hype inside
(17:06):
the stands.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
It really was. It was such a cool environment. I mean,
and how did how did Country Roads take me home?
How did John Denver become the official theme song of
American football?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
I think I was live at the beginning of his
second career inside the German stadium the first NFL game
in Germany, the Seahawks played against the Buccaneers. It was
in Munich, two or three years ago. I think they
they played it after I think after a timeout during
(17:43):
a timeout, And so yeah, the Germans and especially the
Bavarian people liked it and they started singing, and the
game on the field, it goes on and Tom Brady
through a pass and everything is in. The entire crowd
(18:05):
didn't stop singing. And I think this was the most
surprising thing, especially for the Americans, that the Germans didn't
stop singing when Tom Brady plays the ball. So maybe
that was the Yeah, the birthday of Country Roads and
(18:27):
Americans football.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It was amazing stuff. There's true. People can say whatever
they want about this crazy, mixed up world we live in,
but when you get seventy thousand people together in a
stadium and they're all singing the same song, we're all
the same gang, We're all the same. It was just
an incredible amount of enthusiasm and energy in that building.
And guys picked up on it too. I mean, I
(18:48):
remember players, I remember players coming back from it just
talking about the energy in that stadium and how cool
that environment was. I think our friend Bryce Young said
he was super grateful for all the and support there.
So Bryce is here in the background with us, so
he dropped by to sale low. But and he's not
the only one we've got special messages from. We got
(19:10):
a quick video here from our good friend, Mike Rucker
check this out, h right.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
I'm Mike Rutcker Forth Carolina Panther. I want to say
congratulations to Kai and Morrits on being named Carolina Panthers
twenty twenty four International Fan of the Year. This is
a remarkable achievement. Is a true testament to your unwavering support,
passion and dedication. Fans like you are the heart and
soul of everything that we do, and your energy and
(19:37):
enthusiasm never goes unnoticed. As the twenty twenty four Carolina
Panther International Fan of the Year, we would like to
invite you to the NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
That's right, April twenty fourth and twenty fifth. Congratulations and
keep pounding.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
And there's the VIDIA. So there you go. You've been
welcomed to it by Panthers legend Mike Rockerd. How does
it feel.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Wow, that's amazing. That's really amazing, such a great message
to us. I'm out of words.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Yeah, And so you guys are headed to Green Bay
for their draft.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Yeah, unbelievable. Didn't thought this will will happen one day
when we started our Small Panthers podcast and a few
years later, a Pantas legend like Rocker welcomed us and
send us a video message and we're going to the
(20:36):
NFL Draft. I mean, this is unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, you guys are going to have a great time.
Green Bay is also one of those really unique places
in the NFL. It's very similar in that regard in
terms of the authenticity of the fan passion. I mean,
it's a very small community compared to a Munich or
even a Charlotte. So it's a small town. You won't
have much trouble getting around. You probably aren't gonna get
(21:02):
lost in Green Bay. I can't promise you the same
level of public transportation or any of the amenities like that,
But the feeling they have for the football in Green Bay,
Wisconsin's unlike it is anywhere else in the anywhere else
in the country in a lot of ways, just because
it is such a small community, so welcoming. So you
guys are gonna have a great time. Well, you're gonna
(21:23):
be there, You're gonna be boots on the ground. So
if we call you looking for draft coverage, you're gonna
help us out right, Yeah for sure? Yeah, all right,
I love it. So if you had to make a
pick for us right now. Number eight overall, who are
you sending to your beloved Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
Jalen Walker.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
You're going Jalen Walker, the versatile defensive piece for this thing.
That makes a lot of sense. You could put him
in a lot of places. I've told people before. He
reminds me of a Frankie Luvu, a guy who's just
high energy all the time. And if you can be
like Frankieluvu, that's always a good thing to be.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Yeah. Really, it's the same for Danda Walker, all right.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Yeah. See, they are on board all defense, all the time,
even with all these free agent signings that we've been
talking about for the last week or so. I agree
with you, guys. I don't know if it'll be Jailing himself,
but I got a feeling it's going to be somebody
to add to that defense. So, yes, this has been awesome.
It's been awesome, guys. I'm excited for you to get
to experience Green Bay in the same way I'm excited
(22:24):
that we were able to come over to your place
and be in Munich and experience something that none of
us who were there is ever gonna forget. So I
appreciate you guys, Guy Boikling, Marris Heist, our international fans
of the Year, thank you so much. Yeah, Cass, I
hate you missed that.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It was I noticed a little shot you through my
way though.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Well.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
I mean I wanted to make our German friends feel welcome.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
So do you think you're more I think you're more
Southern than I am.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I mean, geographically speaking, that is incorrect. I mean if
you look at if you look at Mobile, Alabama on
a map, it's way down here at the bottom, And
if you look at suburban Hickory on a map, it's
much higher up, closer to the north pole.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
There's some different balances that go in there the closer
you get to Appalachia.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
You didn't even say that right, So I don't you know,
I don't even want to get into your entire speech
impediment right now, but it's uh, I.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Think me not saying it right further proves my point.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I feel like our German friends understood us. And you know,
the one the one thing I did pick up from
those guys is they speak the language of football and
community and that was the cool part listening to them
is just talking about how passionate the fans were over
there because you got to work for it if you
want to be a football fan in Germany. And they
have Yeah. Cool for them that they get to hang
(23:48):
out in Green Bay. If you would have been here,
I would have asked you to offer them a Green
Bay recommendation.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
I could have done that. You know what, I would
actually have told them to do. Maybe they'll they'll listen
to this part of it. Afterwards, I would tell them
to drive up to Door County, which is not that
far from Green Bay. It is worth the hour trip
and go to Al Johnson's. It is it's more Swedish
based because that is the influence there in that area
(24:16):
of the country. But Al Johnson's Pancake House in Door
County is a traditional Swedish breakfast place. Very good. You
go for the goats, especially during the summer, although actually
I don't know if they will be out by that
weekend in April when they bring the goats out, you
would love this, darn. When they bring the goats out
at the beginning of the summer, they do a goat parade.
(24:37):
Everyone lines the streets of Sister Bay in Door County
and they bring the goats out and they march them
down through the streets and they do this little parade,
and they go up on the stairs and they get
up on the roof of Al Johnson's, and that welcomes
them in for the summer, and then they stay there
for the summer. Now, sometimes they want to get down
and explore a little bit. They can come down the
stairs and they walk through the town and they're ready
(25:00):
to go to sleep or eat. They go back up
onto the roof because this is a grass roof, which
is a apparently I have learned a common Swedish architectural technique.
And the goats keep the roof maintained.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Well, I guess you don't want to take your push
mower up on the roof restaurant.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Well, you put a goat uf there.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
It makes as much sense as anything. So goats on
the roof at Al Johnson's Swedish restaurant.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
YEP.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
If I ever find myself in Door County, Wisconsin, I
will definitely check you.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
You should. It is a beautiful, beautiful area of the
country on Lake Michigan, ideal during the summer.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Yeah, I'm sitting here. Thanks to the miracle of the Internet,
this is one thing the internet's good for. I'm starting
to think it was a terrible invention. But they have
goat cam apparently, yes.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
They do. When the goats are up there during the summer,
you can watch them live.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
The goats are apparently not on the roof at the moment.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
It's way way too cold.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Probably a little cold for goats on the roof, but
all right. So we've now taken an unexpected detour on
this road trip to Door County for the goat camp
in Wisconsin, so we might want to just call it here.
We might just want to circle back next week with
a Charlotte based episode of The Happy Half Hour. We'll
see all the
This week on a Happy Half Hour.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
They're still putting together the rest of the defense. They'll
go add pass rusher, they'll add probably another defensive climb,
and certainly they're gonna bring more bodies in in the secondary.
I wouldn't expect all, but I would expect most of
that nine man draft class would concentrate on defense because
that's the place they've got to make the most ground up.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
What's up, Cow, It's time for the Happy Half Hour,
presented by Southern Star, an official bourbon of the Carolina Panthers.
Here are your hosts, Darren Gant and Cassidy Hill.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Hello, friends, Welcome to another edition of the Happy Half Hour.
This is gonna be an international edition. We're gonna be
all over the globe. We're gonna go everywhere from Columbia,
South Carolina to Germany to Green Bay and back. We
got so much to cover, so this is gonna be
a jam packed episode, which means we're very grateful to
be brought to you by our friends from Southern Star Bourbon,
(01:05):
an official bourbon partner of the Carolina Panthers. Celebrate the
spirit of the Carolinas.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Charlotte, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Germany, Green Bay Wesconssin
that's like the weirdest game of Immaculate Grid ever played.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, it's a lot, but there's been a lot going
on in the last couple of weeks. I mean, I
was just looking back in the archives. We actually haven't
taped one of these since free Agencies started. Oh by
the way, they've only turned over the roster since then
since a little bit to talk about since we talked last.
I just sometimes I have to even do it. Sometimes
(01:42):
I pull up the transactions page on Panthers dot Com
and our tracker just to remind myself of everything that's happened,
because it's been a lot. I mean, if you think
about it since we last joined you, they re signed
Cade May's Austin Corbett, Brady Christiansen, Mike Jackson, j C. Horn,
Tommy Tremble, went out and got a brand new punter
(02:03):
in Sam Martin, agreed to terms with six other free
agents from other teams, including tersha On Wharton, Bobby Brown,
Patrick Jones, trave I'm married, Christian rose Boom and Rico Dudel,
and then brought back her old friends Dan Chasina and
David Moore.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yay Corbett in there.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, Austin Corbett in there. There was a lot of
stuff going on. Dang, it really was. And last week
was one of those I know, we talk on this
podcast from time to time during a regular season, we
kind of get in ruts where it's like, what day
is this, I don't know what week is it? Time
is lost all meaning. But last week rolled in. We
rolled in here Monday morning early, and it started early,
(02:42):
and it kept going till about the middle of the
afternoon Friday when everybody was just exhausted and it all stopped.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I went home Friday afternoon, I put away my computer,
I put away my phone, and I didn't speak to
anyone for twenty four hours. It was It was nice, yeah,
but it was a fun week. It's always fun to
get new guys in here. Like the first day of school.
I'm mean, no, no, it's not the firstday school. It's more
like the preview day, you know, when you go like
a week before the first day of school and you
meet your teacher and you meet your classmates, you see
(03:10):
where Jess is going to be. It was the preview days,
So it was a lot of fun just to kind
of meet the new guys and figure out who they
are off the field as well, and we'll figure out
who they are on the field here soon.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, And basically, as we discussed when we were advancing
free agency, they were intent on remaking that defense from
the back of the front, and they did. They took
the big swings early. You go get a Wharton and
a Brown to supplement your Derek Brown's, your A'shawn Robinson's,
and suddenly you've got something they did not have at
any point last year, which is a competition for jobs
(03:43):
and b depth going into a season, being able to
being able to roll those defensive linemen, being able to
rotate six guys through there is going to make a
huge difference defensively. And as you may have heard if
you followed this team last year, the run defense was
a little bit of an issue, and that's arts up front.
But now they've got dudes, and that's the biggest difference
(04:04):
to me out of everything that happened in the last
week and a half.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
You know who I think is the happiest person in Charlotte,
North Carolina right now? Actually I don't know where he's at.
Let's just for sake of the story, say, Charlotte, North
Carolina is Ashawn Robinson.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Ayshawn tired.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Hashn is tired.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
He's tired. Last year, that man played about seven hundred
and fifty snaps, which is basically two hundred and fifty
more than he had played the year before or in
any year, and you could tell the end of the
year he was gassed. Now, credit now, he did it right.
Credit to him for going out and doing it week
after week after week and being that old head they
needed on that defense.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
But now he never complained.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Right now he doesn't have to do it every single snap,
and that ought to mean you get a better version
of him coming into this year.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
That's exciting for sure. A little bit more consistency. They
are a little bit more girth in the interior line
to go along with Derek Brown, as you said, Yeah,
you also mentioned kind of building it back to front,
bringing in Uh. I've tried to say it so many
times and I need to get it right. Out of
respect Marig Marrig, Marrig Marrick Marrig, I made it much
(05:10):
stuffer than it is.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I always want to put a g in it. Tame.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I want to put and I want to put it
here in there for some reason.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, he is not marrying. It's marrig he.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Uh. He's an intriguing little signing because he's a safety
and he's a but he's a safety who has also
played corner, and he has a safety who played last
year up near the line of scrimmage, had one hundred
and four tackles up there. I don't know what that
means necessarily for Charles, for Shaw Smith Wade. I wouldn't
(05:43):
be surprised if they figured out a way to get
them both out there. We're getting way way ahead of ourselves. Yeah,
but I'm excited to see what they do with him
because he has shown the ability to play every defensive
back position. Obviously, with only one safety under contract, that's
where he he's needed the most.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
But he can he can be kind of moved around
and so well.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And again, this thing is far from finish. The Panthers
are sitting there now with sixty seven guys under contract.
You're going to add nine draft picks to that. That
gets you to seventy.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Six.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Watching you do math in real time, it's one of
my favorite things to do.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
It's it's seventy six it's not watching.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
You soccer when your kids are four years old and
everybody goes to kick the ball and it's slow motion
right until the one burst of frenetic motion. That's Cassidy
doing math in real time.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I have to picture a chalkboard in my mind. This
is how I do math. I picture a chalkboard in
my mind, and I picture my first grade teacher like
writing it out on the board, and like I have
to like follow her as she does it. So it
just takes me a minute.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
But the point is sixty seven on the roster right now,
which means seventy six seventy six once you add draft picks.
That's right, she's doing great. Gang, we're all very proud
of her. Once they signed some undrafted guys. But this
roster's far from finished. As you mentioned, there's two safeties
on the roster at the moment, and merrig and Demani Richardson,
(07:14):
they're still putting together the rest of the defense they're
gonna have to go. They'll go add pass rusher, they'll
add probably another defensive lineman. Certainly they're gonna bring more
bodies in in the secondary. I think a good portion.
I wouldn't expect all, but I would expect most of
that nine man draft class would concentrate on defense because
that's the place they've got to make the most ground up.
(07:36):
I mean, you know, they broke all the wrong kind
of records last year, and JC talked about that, and
that's the big news out of all this. I mean,
for all the other stuff we've talked about, those are
all it's almost like adding fiber to the defense. I mean,
not to say they're not good players, but they needed
players in bulk. But signing j C. Horn was a
(07:56):
statement of intent. I mean, for about a week there,
he was the highest paid corner in history until somebody
else comes up and makes more money or reported money,
because that's the way this thing. They already beat him,
but yeah, Stingley in Houston, you know, topped him on
average per year. But the point is the Carolina Panthers
made the effort to go out and do JC now
(08:16):
for the same reason they did Derek a year ago.
That's what they want to be about. He's the kind
of player they want to build this thing around. Because
for all this stuff on defense, it's hard to say
it was jac Horn's fault because he was doing his business,
you know, as you've pointed out before him and Mike Jack,
who's also back led the league in pass breakups for
a pair of corners. So things are beginning to stabilize.
(08:39):
But if you want to be that draft and develop team,
when you get those guys like Derek, like JC, you've
got to extend them and they become kind of those
torch bearers for the next generation.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Of this thing.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
That's exactly what I was about to say, kind of
what you just touched on was you know, this also
tells the guys that are coming in here, It tells
the guys that they drafted last year, tells whoever these
nine are going to be in April this year that
if you put the work in, you will be rewarded here.
And obviously things happen. You can't predict every single thing
that's going to happen in a football career, but you know,
(09:10):
you look at Derrick Brown, you look at jac Horn.
These were first droun guys that came in that put
the work in, that did their part. Obviously both had
some injuries at different times, but did their best to
get back on the field and then prove that they
were worth that first dround pick, and they were both
rewarded for it. That sends a message to anyone else
coming in here.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Yeah, no doubt. And j C is aware of his
place in this thing now. He and I talked last
week about kind of him taking over as a leader
of this team, and he talked about the lesson Shack
Thompson taught him years ago. Shaq pulled him into huddles
and places he wasn't prepared to go to get him
ready for moments exactly like this, and I think jac
(09:51):
has been learning this as he goes. He admitted at
times last year he's like, I don't think about myself
as a leader because I'm still trying to they on
the field and achieve at a certain level, So I
don't think about telling other people what to do. But
you know, good news, with a contract like this, JC,
you're the guy now. You and Derek are the people
who are gonna have to carry that on. And I
(10:14):
thought it was interesting hearing him talk about Shaq and
the impact Shaq had on him, because I do think
those people like Shaq Thompson, who act as bridges from
one generation to the next, have a real importance to
an organization, because you know, Shaq was out there with
a couple of guys named Thomas Davis and Luke Keigley
on a daily basis, and so he knows the history
(10:34):
of this place. He knows what it takes to be
successful and perform at a high level. He passed that
on to JC and Derek. They're going to be responsible
for passing it on to the next generation.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
That story he told you about Shaq pulling him into
huddles when he wasn't expecting it was such a great story,
one anecdote and just a peek into the intent behind
Shaq Thompson's decisions at times. And you know, I wish
the best to Shack is he kind of sees where
his football career takes him next. But moments like that
(11:04):
are what build a franchise. And so all respect to
Shack for.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
That, no doubt, no doubt. And pretty soon we're going
to be shifting gears in straight into draft mode because
free agency. Hey it's over. Yeah, like you said, I
mean Friday afternoon, when I saw Dan Morgan leaving this
place at a time slightly before five pm, perhaps I
was like, all right, we're closed up for the day. Gang,
let's go home. But free agency's basically over. The Panthers
(11:32):
have done the bulk of the work. They'll fill in
some blanks. Like I said, since that burst, they brought
David Moore back. I think it's good to have David
back in the building just because he's so good for
all those young kids.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
He's such a steady like he's a steady heartbeat when
things peak or when valleys get low, David is always steady.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
He knows what Dave Canalis wants, and that's why Dave
keeps dragging him around from place to place. He Adam
in Seattle, he took him to Tampa and he brought
him here. So David is you know, he's good for
big plays, he can get downfield, he can still run
for a thirty year old, and uh, you know, he's
just got that mindset that you want in that room,
along with Xavier and Jalen Cocher and probably young people
(12:14):
who are too join this team in the coming weeks.
So with that said, as we transition to draft mode,
we had a very special opportunity this week to talk
to a couple of guys who are going to be
at the draft. Check this out and as promised, friends
of the Happy Half Hour, we got special guest here today.
(12:36):
And not just any guests. These are international guests. And
not just international guest, but the international fans of the year,
ladies and gentlemen, Kai boy Kling, Moritz Heist, the Panthers
international fans of the Year. Welcome guys.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Thank you for having us.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Absolutely yeah, thank you, absolutely great to have you guys.
And I got to tell you I've talked to y'all
in the past before. We'll try to overcome the language
barrier between the American South and German. We'll do our best.
Just be glad I don't have Cassidy with this. When
she's from Alabama. It's even harder to understand. Trust me
on that one. Well, I guess the first question I have.
(13:17):
I mean, you guys have been at this since twenty nineteen.
You've been involved in the community since twenty nineteen. You've
got to keep talking podcast. Tell me, in a very
basic sense, why the Carolina Panthers. How did you guys
end up Carolina Panthers fans?
Speaker 4 (13:32):
I think Kaya has to start because he's much more
longer at Pantas fans than I am, so Kya the story.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
Yeah, okay, I'm pretty much a Patis fan since the
beginning of the franchise. I'm a football fan since I
was young, and the time the Panas came to the league,
I searched the team I can I can cheer for,
and the Carolina Panthers were there and where my team
(14:05):
from very much the beginning.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That's great, March, how about you.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
It's less romantic than that. So when I started to
getting into football, came after a vacation in the United
States and I went to a preseason game between the
Giants and the Jets. So, yeah, it's not that that
kind of entertaining, but I want to understand the rules
(14:30):
and get into American football. And then I thought, okay,
I need a team to follow the league and to
follow the sport. And then I had to look at
different teams and some friends gave me advice. And then
I looked at the Panthers and said, okay, this is
the cool that this team got cool colors, their cool jerseys,
(14:51):
the black and the blue, and big heads I like.
And yeah, my friends at a and they had this
crazy quarterback, it's Cam Newton. You should follow this team.
And then I followed the team and yeah, didn't take
that much time, and I fell in love and now
(15:11):
we're here.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
That's awesome and one of the things that's fascinating to me.
I mean, growing up in the United States following American sports,
it's easy for us to follow American sports, but in
watching international soccer and following Harry Kane to Bayern Munich
that kind of stuff. Learning about those other cultures, you
realize how much effort it takes. I mean, you've got
to really try to be an American football fan in Germany.
(15:36):
You know, as you guys have expanded and kind of
developed that community, how do you guys stay plugged in?
Speaker 5 (15:42):
Yeah, it's easier the last years. You can follow football,
American football around here, every everywhere, so it's it's it
is becoming easier. Since the nineties. For example, I played
football by myself, so I'm good in this spart I
(16:05):
know very much about it. Yeah, but the last years
we're very easy to follow the part over here. It's
becoming bigger and bigger.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I think one of the things that was so cool
for me about being in Munich last year was the
tangible sense of passion about American football there and the
Carolina Panthers in particular. I mean everywhere you went, there
were people where in jerseys and just being in the
stadium that day, the passion was incredible. I love the singing.
(16:35):
This is one thing I want to bring to the
United States. I want to bring the way you guys
sing in stadium back home and do that every week.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
I mean, it's a special kind of a culture thing,
especially in the European soccer community. The singing and the stance.
I think it's very special. And I've seen a lot
of American guys, especially after the Unique game, who was
kind of overwhelmed about this kind of yeah hype inside
(17:06):
the stands.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
It really was. It was such a cool environment. I mean,
and how did how did Country Roads take me home?
How did John Denver become the official theme song of
American football?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
I think I was live at the beginning of his
second career inside the German stadium the first NFL game
in Germany, the Seahawks played against the Buccaneers. It was
in Munich, two or three years ago. I think they
they played it after I think after a timeout during
(17:43):
a timeout, And so yeah, the Germans and especially the
Bavarian people liked it and they started singing, and the
game on the field, it goes on and Tom Brady
through a pass and everything is in. The entire crowd
(18:05):
didn't stop singing. And I think this was the most
surprising thing, especially for the Americans, that the Germans didn't
stop singing when Tom Brady plays the ball. So maybe
that was the Yeah, the birthday of Country Roads and
(18:27):
Americans football.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It was amazing stuff. There's true. People can say whatever
they want about this crazy, mixed up world we live in,
but when you get seventy thousand people together in a
stadium and they're all singing the same song, we're all
the same gang, We're all the same. It was just
an incredible amount of enthusiasm and energy in that building.
And guys picked up on it too. I mean, I
(18:48):
remember players, I remember players coming back from it just
talking about the energy in that stadium and how cool
that environment was. I think our friend Bryce Young said
he was super grateful for all the and support there.
So Bryce is here in the background with us, so
he dropped by to sale low. But and he's not
the only one we've got special messages from. We got
(19:10):
a quick video here from our good friend, Mike Rucker
check this out, h right.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
I'm Mike Rutcker Forth Carolina Panther. I want to say
congratulations to Kai and Morrits on being named Carolina Panthers
twenty twenty four International Fan of the Year. This is
a remarkable achievement. Is a true testament to your unwavering support,
passion and dedication. Fans like you are the heart and
soul of everything that we do, and your energy and
(19:37):
enthusiasm never goes unnoticed. As the twenty twenty four Carolina
Panther International Fan of the Year, we would like to
invite you to the NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
That's right, April twenty fourth and twenty fifth. Congratulations and
keep pounding.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
And there's the VIDIA. So there you go. You've been
welcomed to it by Panthers legend Mike Rockerd. How does
it feel.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Wow, that's amazing. That's really amazing, such a great message
to us. I'm out of words.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Yeah, And so you guys are headed to Green Bay
for their draft.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Yeah, unbelievable. Didn't thought this will will happen one day
when we started our Small Panthers podcast and a few
years later, a Pantas legend like Rocker welcomed us and
send us a video message and we're going to the
(20:36):
NFL Draft. I mean, this is unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, you guys are going to have a great time.
Green Bay is also one of those really unique places
in the NFL. It's very similar in that regard in
terms of the authenticity of the fan passion. I mean,
it's a very small community compared to a Munich or
even a Charlotte. So it's a small town. You won't
have much trouble getting around. You probably aren't gonna get
(21:02):
lost in Green Bay. I can't promise you the same
level of public transportation or any of the amenities like that,
But the feeling they have for the football in Green Bay,
Wisconsin's unlike it is anywhere else in the anywhere else
in the country in a lot of ways, just because
it is such a small community, so welcoming. So you
guys are gonna have a great time. Well, you're gonna
(21:23):
be there, You're gonna be boots on the ground. So
if we call you looking for draft coverage, you're gonna
help us out right, Yeah for sure? Yeah, all right,
I love it. So if you had to make a
pick for us right now. Number eight overall, who are
you sending to your beloved Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
Jalen Walker.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
You're going Jalen Walker, the versatile defensive piece for this thing.
That makes a lot of sense. You could put him
in a lot of places. I've told people before. He
reminds me of a Frankie Luvu, a guy who's just
high energy all the time. And if you can be
like Frankieluvu, that's always a good thing to be.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Yeah. Really, it's the same for Danda Walker, all right.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Yeah. See, they are on board all defense, all the time,
even with all these free agent signings that we've been
talking about for the last week or so. I agree
with you, guys. I don't know if it'll be Jailing himself,
but I got a feeling it's going to be somebody
to add to that defense. So, yes, this has been awesome.
It's been awesome, guys. I'm excited for you to get
to experience Green Bay in the same way I'm excited
(22:24):
that we were able to come over to your place
and be in Munich and experience something that none of
us who were there is ever gonna forget. So I
appreciate you guys, Guy Boikling, Marris Heist, our international fans
of the Year, thank you so much. Yeah, Cass, I
hate you missed that.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It was I noticed a little shot you through my
way though.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Well.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
I mean I wanted to make our German friends feel welcome.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
So do you think you're more I think you're more
Southern than I am.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I mean, geographically speaking, that is incorrect. I mean if
you look at if you look at Mobile, Alabama on
a map, it's way down here at the bottom, And
if you look at suburban Hickory on a map, it's
much higher up, closer to the north pole.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
There's some different balances that go in there the closer
you get to Appalachia.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
You didn't even say that right, So I don't you know,
I don't even want to get into your entire speech
impediment right now, but it's uh, I.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Think me not saying it right further proves my point.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I feel like our German friends understood us. And you know,
the one the one thing I did pick up from
those guys is they speak the language of football and
community and that was the cool part listening to them
is just talking about how passionate the fans were over
there because you got to work for it if you
want to be a football fan in Germany. And they
have Yeah. Cool for them that they get to hang
(23:48):
out in Green Bay. If you would have been here,
I would have asked you to offer them a Green
Bay recommendation.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
I could have done that. You know what, I would
actually have told them to do. Maybe they'll they'll listen
to this part of it. Afterwards, I would tell them
to drive up to Door County, which is not that
far from Green Bay. It is worth the hour trip
and go to Al Johnson's. It is it's more Swedish
based because that is the influence there in that area
(24:16):
of the country. But Al Johnson's Pancake House in Door
County is a traditional Swedish breakfast place. Very good. You
go for the goats, especially during the summer, although actually
I don't know if they will be out by that
weekend in April when they bring the goats out, you
would love this, darn. When they bring the goats out
at the beginning of the summer, they do a goat parade.
(24:37):
Everyone lines the streets of Sister Bay in Door County
and they bring the goats out and they march them
down through the streets and they do this little parade,
and they go up on the stairs and they get
up on the roof of Al Johnson's, and that welcomes
them in for the summer, and then they stay there
for the summer. Now, sometimes they want to get down
and explore a little bit. They can come down the
stairs and they walk through the town and they're ready
(25:00):
to go to sleep or eat. They go back up
onto the roof because this is a grass roof, which
is a apparently I have learned a common Swedish architectural technique.
And the goats keep the roof maintained.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Well, I guess you don't want to take your push
mower up on the roof restaurant.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Well, you put a goat uf there.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
It makes as much sense as anything. So goats on
the roof at Al Johnson's Swedish restaurant.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
YEP.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
If I ever find myself in Door County, Wisconsin, I
will definitely check you.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
You should. It is a beautiful, beautiful area of the
country on Lake Michigan, ideal during the summer.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Yeah, I'm sitting here. Thanks to the miracle of the Internet,
this is one thing the internet's good for. I'm starting
to think it was a terrible invention. But they have
goat cam apparently, yes.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
They do. When the goats are up there during the summer,
you can watch them live.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
The goats are apparently not on the roof at the moment.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
It's way way too cold.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Probably a little cold for goats on the roof, but
all right. So we've now taken an unexpected detour on
this road trip to Door County for the goat camp
in Wisconsin, so we might want to just call it here.
We might just want to circle back next week with
a Charlotte based episode of The Happy Half Hour. We'll
see all the
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Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.