Tom Talks

Non-lock of the week

Need witnesses. Baltimore beats Atlanta by 1. Thank you.

Plenty of good seats are available, except there are no good seats, not for this

    Carolina-New Orleans is the worst football game I have ever seen.

Befriend the forward pass

   Panthers have thrown for 24 yards and been thrown for losses of 15. So they have nine yards passing. But there's time; the third quarter is not even half finished.

   Panthers are. They trail 17-3 and Saints are about to score.

The passionate Mr. Fox

   John Fox has been especially animated on the Panther sideline. Is he irate with the calls of officials? Or is he trying to show prospective employers how deeply he cares? I know he wants to win; Fox desperately wants to win. But I haven't seen him as consistently animated all season.

Free Armanti

   Armanti Edwards is inactive again.  I don't get it. I don't like it. If nothing else, use the man as a change of pace. The Carolina offense doesn't work. The Panthers established that during the preseason and have yet to deviate. If you're going to use trick plays, and I hope the Panthers do, why not use a trick player?

    If the Panthers move the ball the way they did last week against St. Louis, this will be unwatchable.

 

Garnett is a cancer on trash talk

    Boston's Kevin Garnett says he didn't call Detroit's Charlie Villanueva a "cancer patient."

    Garnett says he told Villanueva he was "cancerous to your team and our league."

    Why would Garnett say that? If that's what passes for trash talk, what advantages does it confer? What do you gain?

    Why invoke cancer? Is it funny, is it amusing, will it compel Villanueva to miss his next jump shot? Will the fellows guffaw about it in the locker room after the game?

    Villanueva, who claims in a Tweet that Garnett called him a "cancer patient," suffers from Alopecia Areata. That's not cancer. That means he can't grow hair.

     Garnett is one of the great complementary players of all time. But if he's your star, you aren't very good. He's good at filling in around the stars, especially when officials aren't watching.

    Garnett is dirty. Watch him push around smaller players, and most players are.

     I have no idea why he brought up cancer -- and he admits he did -- to Villanueva. But it was cheap and classless and less than a surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

Randy Moss to Panthers, OK

Carolina ought to sign Randy Moss, or at least try to. This has been among the most frustrating seasons the Panthers have ever had. Moss at least would make the team interesting.

Would Moss (right) serve as a role model for young receivers such as David Gettis and Brandon LaFell? Not unless you define role model differently than I do.

Moss would be nothing more than a temp. So what? How much fun would it be to watch him line up on the same field as Steve Smith?

For the first time, Carolina  would have a receiver with a bigger name and a bigger ego.

The Panthers can't run anymore; I think there were times Sunday when St. Louis stacked 12 defenders at the line of scrimmage. The quarterback is going to have to win games.

Moss can help. And he does so many things, such as run deep.

Just because Moss stopped jelling in New England this season with Tom Brady and jelled only for a few moments in Minnesota with Brett Favre doesn't mean Moss won't jell with Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen.

Moore-Moss would make Sunday's game against New Orleans compelling. There's nothing to lose. If Moss acts out, the Panthers could cut him and he could continue his NFL farewell tour with, say, Cincinnati.

I'm serious about this. Inject some age into the youth movement and some color into an otherwise gray season.

Remember what  boxer Roberto Duran said famously during his second fight with Sugar Ray Leonard?

Duran said, "No Moss."

The Panthers should say, "Moss."

• POLL: What do you think? Should the Panthers try to sign Moss? Vote in the poll.