NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

Sometimes we get so caught up in the action and the outcome that we forget to say what's most important: "Thank you."

What an awesome night. No Limit Larry would say "crunk!" and it was.

Butler goes first with their great win. Remarkable job on defense with the early interceptions. Standing on the sidelines it was obvious the Bulldogs were ready for those passes in the flat and they made it work. Also, I thought a key part of the game came when Butler trailed 7-0. Instead of firing back with passes, the Bulldogs mixed in the running game. The effects wore on Indy and Butler was able to bounce back from the early turnover to build the big lead.

"It's never over at the Big I..." Anthony Carrothers made mistakes in the first half with all the interceptions, but he found a way to bounce back. I said on the Frenzy that's not easy for NFL players to do, but that's what they do at Independence. Tough minded, big time football. Carrothers made one great throw after another in the 2nd half, and the man throws a beautiful deep ball. It's one thing to call the hi lites. It's another to see it in person.

Tony Yorio... take a bow, young man. Coach Newsome called you his "unsung hero" on Tuesday at practice. Unsung no more with 2 big touchdowns in a great game.

Great job by the Indy cheerleaders live at 5:45. Up and 4am for live work on Power 98 and rocking til late. Amazing what young people can do.

Fans from both sides were great to us at the game. Thank you again and we'll see you again soon.

The set up at Indy was as professional as it gets, from the parking folks to everyone working the game. Congratulations on a great show. Thanks for all of your work, so we could focus on the young people doing their thing.

Catch my slideshow on WCNC.com from the game. I'm not a pro, but I had a great time taking pictures.

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

I said it on the air Sunday - the Panthers win in Arizona was the team's best performance since the win over Tampa last December. Upon further reflection (and friendly lobbying from some in the Panthers organization) you might have to go back farther than that. It really was that good.

Carolina can be rock solid, but we also learned their margin for error is razor thin. Right now, the Panthers must punish their opponents with their running game to have a shot.

But if the light bulb really did come on for Julius Peppers... (If John Kasay's words to Pep were that powerful Kasay needs to find a way to lead to masses after he retires.)

I'd put Peppers in my "all time most-stunning athletes in person list." You really can't appreciate him until you've watched from the sidelines. Not only that big and fast, but agile and explosive when he wants to be. (I won't reveal the entire list, but Lions linebacker Julian Peterson would be on it, too. He'll wrestle his way past a 320 pound tackle for a sack on one play, before dropping into the next level to cover a slot receiver 30 yards downfield the next. Wildly underrated.)

If the light bulb really has come on for Dwayne Jarrett... that can be a big, strong body who can make some plays where Carolina desperately needs someone.

If Sherrod Martin is half as good as he looked against the Cardinals... the Panthers have solidified a sore spot at safety with more than a player. Martin looks like a play-maker. Big difference.

Carolina's offensive line has found it. Gritty and dominating. They deserve every bit of the credit they've received.

The Panthers aren't perfect. Far from it. But they haven't quit, either. A ton of people were sure that was going to happen a few weeks ago.

Jeremy Markovich

NewsChannel 36 Producer

I purposely waited until Wednesday night to figure out how to cast my vote for mayor of Charlotte.

It's Thursday afternoon, and I'm still not sure.

I was one of three people who got to live-tweet the Charlotte Mayoral Debate for NewsChannel 36. The idea was that I'd take the temperature of the audience and provide some sort of color commentary. I did my best.

It was hard.

First off, you're limited to 140 characters per tweet. Once you go over the limit, you've got to go back and try to shorten it up. By then, the candidates have already moved on to the next topic. I tried to use most of my time to quickly analyze what John Lassiter and Anthony Foxx were saying. Thirty seconds later, my commentary was technically old news.

I changed my strategy. I uploaded pictures I'd taken before the debate. Old news. I provided links to a relevant question about campaign fundraising. By the time I'd found the articles and posted them, the candidates were already two questions onward. Old news.

I did what I could, and my other two colleagues (the talented Bobby Sisk and the sharp Tonya Jameson) filled in the gaps when one of us fell behind. It was over in an hour. I felt like I had much more to say. I tried to provide some sharp insight.

But, uh, you also got this from me:

• Lassiter: "We need Jack Bauer in Charlotte."
• I think, THINK there is a sports related question coming... (NOTE: I was wrong)
• Cell phone going off in here.
• If you think Dave is ridiculous now, you should hang around him in the newsroom.
• McGlohon security guards watching Transformers 2 backstage.
• Please don't yank out my power cord, people.

Most of all, I had hoped that by furiously covering the debate, I'd be able to form my own lasting opinion about the candidates. That didn't happen. Oh sure, I had a general idea of how they performed, and I was able to get their words down into my computer, but multi-tasking robbed me of any lasting memory of what they were actually saying. It's all a blur. Kind of like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time.

I swear I'll watch the whole debate again online (Tonya gasped when I told her that). I need to. But this time, I'll leave the commentary to my brain, and not my fingers.

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

It doesn't really matter at this point if Raja Bell can play effectively next week or not. His willingness to take a huge personal risk to benefit his team is the kind of crystallizing moment that can change a franchise.

Bell will try to play with a torn ligament in his wrist, forgoing surgery that would leave him on the shelf for 4 months. Bell would then be healthy when he searches for a new contract at the end of the year. This is something out of a 1963 Packers scrapbook. It cuts against everything in the "me first" culture of the NBA.

Make no mistake, Gerald Wallace has played with this kind of pain and then some. He told me last year after he came back from the collapsed lung that it hurt deep inside his body.

Now Bell adds to that, stating emphatically that the Bobcats are worth the sacrifice. It's a statement that everyone should hear.

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

Panthers Coach John Fox made the only call he could on Monday declaring that the starting QB job "will be evaluated" this week. Fox and his staff will make the choice that gives Carolina the "best chance to win."

Fox said that no one has much confidence in the Panthers passing game right now and that has to change. Fox also said (in his own way) that the Panthers are seeing the same looks from defenses as they take advantage of the passing game issues.

Carolina starts the week -14 in turnover margin, and Fox said it best when he said given that number "we're probably lucky to be 2-4."

Tony Esposito

NewsChannel 36 Production

Halloween is fast approaching and I thought I would take a look at ways to be green at Halloween.

When I was young all the kids would spend a great deal of time deciding what they were going to be for Halloween. Then the whole family would get involved in creating the perfect costume. Old shirts, pants, hats, and items from the kitchen would be used to transform a normal child into the scary character he had thought up.

Back then, almost all the costumes were created from scratch. Then as families became busier, they didn't have the time to create their own costumes. They went to the store and bought them.
Halloween has become big business. Even though spending is expected to be down by 20%, customers are still expected to spend $60 for their Halloween items.

Retailers will haul in around $4.75 billion for the holiday. That is a lot of candy, costumes, and decoration, and all this creates a lot of waste. Here are some tips I have found to have a greener Halloween.

Go back to the early days and make your own costume. Use your imagination to come up with a one of a kind creation. It's not hard and it is fun to do.

If you have been making your costumes for a while, have a neighborhood costume swap. Reusing old costumes brings new life to them when someone else is using them.

When you really have to buy an item for you costume go to a thrift shop and make your purchase there. All thrift shops have a wonderful supply of cloths and accessories that can be had for a low price. Don't overlook other stores for supplies such as hardware store and fabric shops.

When the kids go out to collect the goodies use pillowcases or canvas shopping bags. Decorate them and you have a wonderful way to carry home the treats. An added benefit of using these bags is they will hold more treats that the store bought bags.

Speaking of treats. When giving out treats try to give out something better than the candies usually associated with Halloween. Fruits are a good way to eliminate the sugar treats. If you must give out candy, try to use a fair trade chocolate or the new organic lollipops. Another great idea is to skip sweets altogether and hand out useful items like school supplies or bookmarks.

Above all, have a fun and safe Halloween. By using these suggestions you will cut down on waste you generate while having fun creating your costume with the family.

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

I spent most of the race on Kevin Harvick's pit box. Great view and a lot of fun. I'll put that together for a story that will air on Tuesday.
Harvick's crew chief, Gil Martin, is a great guy. Very calm on the radio and he made a great call early in that race that helped a team that's seen its share of struggles.

Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and Rick Hendrick tried for 30 minutes after the race to deny that the 48 team has wrapped up a 4th straight title. It wasn't very convincing.

Jimmie did his best, saying that mechanical issues can come at any time, but one reporter fired back, "That doesn't happen to you guys!" It's true. Barring an alien arrival from outer space Johnson will make more NASCAR history.

Hendrick freely admitted that his man should go down as one of the best ever. No argument here with one addition - the combination of Johnson and Knaus might be the best ever.

The weather had to take some of the blame, but the small crowd had a lot to do with the economy. The brutal effects that have hit us all are laid bare on race days. I'm hoping it will get back to what it was, but the fear is that this is the "new normal." Either way, I'm rooting for race fans to get back on their feet.

Tony Esposito

NewsChannel 36 Production

Work on the new house is going well. All the main lights have been changed over to fluorescent bulbs. That will give us lower lighting bills and because of the longer bulb life, lessen the need to purchase replacement bulbs so often.

As far as the heating system goes, we haven't had the need to give it a try. The house is well insulated and the indoor temperature hasn't dropped below 70 degrees. Since we set the temperature to 69 degrees it could be awhile before I can write a full report.

As I wrote in my last blog, the heating system is built around the gas-fired tankless hot water heater. I am excited to see how it heats and the cost of using this system. Stay tuned...

Water use is another resource we are working to reduce. Low-flow showerheads are the easiest method to cut water use and are very effective. A $30 showerhead can save more money than $3,000 worth of solar panels. The water comes out with a strong stream and feels like a regular showerhead. Give one a try and see how much water you can save.

Speaking of saving water, we just replaced our toilet. We bought a dual-flush toilet made by American Standard. It is quite amazing. There are two buttons you can use. The small button is for liquid waste and uses .8 gallons per flush and the larger button is for solid waste and uses 1.6 gallons per flush. Newer toilets are made to use roughly 1.28 gallons per flush for every flush. Having the option of using the .8 gallons for liquid waste is certainly going to save a lot of water.

How does it work? Just fine. It handles liquid waste with no problem but I was concerned about solid waste. Did it have enough power to flush the waste down the drain? I am happy to say it has worked flawlessly for over two weeks. I love it.

If you ever have the need to replace your toilet, I highly recommend giving this toilet a try. You will save a gallon of water per flush of liquid waste. The cost is a little more but savings in both water and money will add up over time.

I am in the process of doing some yard work in a sustainable manner and will report on this next week.

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

Frustrating day at LMS with drizzle that has finally let up. The new schedule has qualifying starting at 9:10.

One of the guys on Carl Edwards crew told me these days are the ones that wear you out more than any others. Simply waiting to hear something before you can really start working is tough.

A few notes from the race track:

Jimmie Johnson is pumped about his new series on HBO. It's modeled after the 24/7 series HBO does for their boxing matches. All access type deal on and off the track. It will run before 2010 Daytona.

It's almost like Jimmie has conquered all lands in NASCAR and now he has to move on to a bigger stage. Those are my thoughts, not his -- at least not publicly.

Greg Biffle is not happy with Joey Logano. Biffle bristled today when asked about his on-track run ins with Logano. Biffle says he played the veteran role and tried to talk with Logano. Did Joey take that well? "No" was Greg's answer. Watch for sparks this weekend.

Everyone is tired of talking about Jimmie Johnson. I saw the same thing happen when Tiger Woods started to dominate big time players. Johnson is that good, and his racing buddies are that tired of talking about it.

Juan Montoya is a piece of work. If you want him to give you a straight answer he wants you to prove to him that you know your stuff. I like his personality.

Mark Martin really is the most thankful guy in that garage. More with him and his crew chief, Alan Gustafson tomorrow.

BTW, does anybody know what BOOT MGR MISSING means on your computer? Mine said that today so I had to borrow somebody else's. I'm not very technical so I'm late blogging!

I don't know what sounds worse: I'll be a half-century old, I'm turning five decades old or I'm just plain old 50. The only good part about turning the big 5-0 is that it seems to be OK to celebrate a little extra and maybe that's because people feel sorry for you.

One way I celebrated was to go salmon fishing with my two brothers -- Paul, who's 55, and Tom, 52.

The plan was to make the 1 1/2 hour trip from Tom's house in a northwest suburb of Chicago to Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Harbor. During late September and October salmon from Lake Michigan start to move into area harbors and rivers on their spawning run. We will be using small chunks of King salmon and Coho salmon spawn or eggs suspended 5 to 9 feet below a float.

The night before the trip the winds started to pick up and the temperatures started to fall. Overnight, wind gusted to 40 mph and the temperature dropped to a chilly 44 degrees. Needless to say, we were not very optimistic about our chances to catch fish on our trip.

After buying our Wisconsin fishing license online we left the house around 6 a.m. The winds started to let up and were down to about 15 mph. The skies were cloudy and the forecast was for clearing skies.

We reached the harbor at 7:30 a.m., loaded the boat with fishing tackle and were at our spot and fishing by 8 o'clock. We became more optimistic about our chances when we saw fish surfacing in the harbor. Within the first 10 minutes Paul hooked a nice size king salmon but after a quick jump, the fish threw the hook.

Five minutes later Paul was into another salmon. This one was a brown, hooked jawed, 15-pound fish. This fish we landed and released it after taking pictures.

About a half-hour later, my bobber took off and soon I was fighting a big female salmon. Even with the drag set fairly tight the fish pulled my line around a large boat dock support pole and I was afraid of losing the brute. I kept the line tight and eventually I was able to pull the fish back to the boat. This fish weighted more than 15 pounds. We kept this fish because it was loaded with more spawn to be used on the next fishing trip, plus smoke salmon also tastes pretty good.

During the next three hours we caught two more nice size salmon and lost five more. Just as we started to call it a day and bring in our lines, I hooked the biggest fish of the day. Ten to 15 minutes later, we netted a 20-pound Chinook salmon.

At the same time Paul hooked a fish, this one a silver colored rainbow trout. We ended up catching six fish and losing six more. It was a lot of action for just five hours of fishing. We caught all these fish while seeing only five other boats that day and I'm sure the cold weather had something to do with it.

On our way back to the boat launch we met up with Tom's son, Robbie, who was fishing for these monsters from his Hobie fishing kayak. All by himself and in the kayak, my nephew caught five fish and lost a few more. I would have liked to see that.

My brother Tom runs Tom's Taxidermy in the Chicago area and is planning on mounting the 20-pound King salmon. I know it will look great above the fireplace.

Wisconsin fishing license $15, fishing rod and reel $85, fishing with my brothers on my birthday....Priceless!

Click here for more photos from the trip

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

The sincerity in Jordan Gross's voice means even more than the words. More than inspired, Gross was touched by what Jake Delhomme had done.

"I told him that's why I love him, he's fighter and I don't care what people say. He's a winner," Gross said.

Sure, Jake looked slow and awkward and worse than that on the nine yard run that clinched Carolina's first win of the season. But he made it. He stiff armed DeAngelo Hall (kind of) and squirmed forward just far enough to do what his team needed. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that. All the way back to December of last year.

Think about that. A player who's smart enough to measure himself solely on the essence of his job - winning and losing. That's it. Jake knows he's not pretty. He makes fun of himself in front of the media, but is stone serious about helping his team and his teammates succeed. He did that on Sunday.

When we sat down to talk before the Dallas game I could sense the hurt. The kind that can eat you alive if you forget how strong you can be. Jake didn't care so much about the ugly interceptions for interceptions' sake. He hurt because he had let his team down.

Now about that run. After covering the NFL for 15 years I know Jake's teammates let him hear it in today's film study. DeAngelo Williams told us that he laughed when he saw Jake do it in person. Williams also said he thought DeAngelo Hall had fallen for the old "banana in the tail pipe trick."

Mike Minter warned me last night that when Jake gets fired up you do NOT want to be the first person to try to high 5 him. He'll run you over and try to hit someone else because he's that pumped.

The Panthers flaws are still obvious, but for the first time in 9 ½ months they feel good. That awkwardly delicious run from Jake has everything to do with that.

Tony Esposito

NewsChannel 36 Production

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I wrote the last version of the Simply Green Blog. A lot of things have changed and with change there is a great opportunity to write about what is going on.

I have sold my townhome and am moving into a home in Tega Cay, S.C. This home is a great opportunity to write about the things I am doing to make it energy efficient and making the yard a sustainable Certified Habitat.

Fortunately, the previous homeowner made some great changes to the house that will make it easier to be green and save green.

A little information about the house is in order.

The house is one-story with a walkout basement, and is approximately 2200-square-feet. There are two fireplaces with gas logs in both. Ceiling fans are in every room. The house is well insulated and has double-pane windows.

A gas tankless water heater provides hot water, which is also part of the heating system. When the digital thermostat calls for heat, the hot water heater provides hot water, which flows through a heat exchanger and then to the ductwork to heat the house. It is a very neat system.

One thing that was brought to my attention during the move was the amount of "stuff" I own. It really bothered me. It is one area of being green that I am lacking in. I plan on eliminating some of the "stuff" through FreeCycle or donating it to charity.

I will blog about all the changes I make and how I create our new backyard habitat so watch for future Simply Green Blogs.

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

Wow! What a show. Latin looks like they're in control at 28--14, and the Knights roar back to tie.

Latin leads 35--28, and the Knights roar back to tie. A late interception from Kelby Brown sets up the kid, Wes Mederios, for the last second, game winning field goal.

Christian wins a classic, 38--35.

If you didn't see it on the roundtable I'll throw it out here - the speed coach who works with Christian and other area schools told me this summer that if you take the top 20 players at Christian he'll put them up against the top 20 players from Independence. Quite a statement and he was serious.

The more I looked at that workout the more I started to believe. Christian's 3 linebackers get a ton of pub - all of it deserved for a trio headed to play big time football at UNC, Duke and Ohio State - but there's more to this team than that group. Great speed on the outside with Simms McElfresh, Matthias Farley and company. QB John Kincaid can play, too.

Latin's not far behind, if at all. Just like everybody else I'd love to see a rematch in the playoffs, but we've got a long way to go to get there. Country Day will have its say, too.

MYERS PARK ROCKS

Tip of the cap to Coach Ruark and everybody in the Myers Park program. It would have been easy to hang your head after last week's big loss to Butler, but the Mustangs moved on, regrouped and played a great game to beat a really good team from East Meck. This is one that they'll talk about at the twenty year reunion. (Trust me. I've been to one of those and this is exactly what comes up. "Got a job and kids? Cool. Remember the night we jumped on East Meck?")

NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

Short answer to the headline question, "Maybe, but probably not."

John Fox tells us that Jake is still his starting quarterback. Fox also says mental errors and turnovers can and will be corrected.

The schedule will help with the Redskins, Bucs and Bills next up. For now, we'll overlook the brutal, closing stretch to the schedule and focus on the issues at hand.

The Panthers must take a hard look at the selection of playmakers they have on the roster. It's a short list, and it just doesn't offer the explosive options that other contenders have. John Fox and his staff might resign themselves to slugging it out, game after game when opponents use an extra defender to shut down Steve Smith. From my perspective that's Carolina's biggest issue, and I think that it led to Jake's interceptions against Dallas. Take away Smith and the Panthers offense shuts down. Jake might start to force a throw here and there and presto -- big problems.

It doesn't take long for that secret to get out in the NFL. Everybody knows it and everybody will copy it until the Panthers come up with a counter.

Is that Moose? Maybe not at this point in his career. Jeff King? Not more than a couple catches a game. What about Dwayne Jarrett? Not unless he's played opossum for the last two seasons and will jump out of the cake with the NFL's greatest surprise since Kurt Warner left the grocery store to win a Super Bowl.

Imagine for a second if Jarrett lived up to his billing as a 2nd round pick? It would change so much for Carolina, but it's just not realistic. Carolina's paying a painful price for that miss in the draft.

Defensively, the Panthers played a lot better against Dallas. It's hard to remember that they only gave up 13 points (the other 8 came from Newman's late interception return). But when you're vulnerable against the run, you'll get gashed play after play and game after game. 212 yards rushing from the Cowboys is UGLY. As the old NFL saying goes, "you have to earn the right to defend the pass." That means until you stop the run, you'll get it again and again.

Right now Carolina just doesn't have answers at defensive tackle. I also think they miss Chris Harris at safety much more than they let on. If you're not strong up the middle, you're done.

Could all of this have been avoided? Sure, if Carolina would have traded away Julius Peppers and gotten cheaper, effective players and draft picks in return. That's hindsight right now, but the way Peppers is playing with no impact on games, keeping him at more than a million dollars a game looks like an awful bargain.

Special teams are awful with miserable work covering kicks. That's usually a scheme/effort thing in the NFL, so maybe there's hope.

But if the Panthers want that "small ball" option with low-scoring games, you MUST win special teams and right now the 0-3 Panthers are losing that battle, too.

Bobby Sisk

NewsChannel 36 Anchor

Since last year's Living Here, I've moved. I'm now a proud resident of one of Charlotte's most vibrant and eclectic neighborhoods.

Drive down Central Avenue from Seventh Street, and within two minutes you're in the Plaza Midwood business district. Visiting family members think the storefronts look like the remnants of a small town. Just in this strip, you'll find the rocking new night spot Soul, Nova's Bakery with some of the best treats in town and a personal favorite of mine, Fifteen Ten Antiques.

Another favorite is John's Country Kitchen, a family-owned diner that reminds me of the one my grandparents owned.

What draws people to this neighborhood is something rare in Charlotte - and I love this part - you don't always need a car. I can walk to get coffee or dinner. I often grab my backpack and ride my bike over to Harris Teeter for groceries. That's the company's original store on the corner of Central and The Plaza, by the way. And recently when I needed to get downtown, I hopped on the bus and stopped in center city six minutes later.

If you've explored the east side at all, you know Central Avenue offers some of the best international cuisine anywhere. From Mexican to Japanese to Vietnamese, there is something for every taste. Housing choices are as diverse as the restaurants that line the main corridors. The pricier Midwood ranges from condos and small bungalows to renovated and new homes that often sell for $500,000 and up. Get closer to the historic Charlotte Country Club and you'll find areas that go as high as $1 million. Farther east, neighborhoods like Eastway Park and Sheffield Park are seeing resurgence as first-time home buyers realize their value.

It's always a gamble when you move. Will you like the neighbors? I can say triumphantly, yes. That's been one of the most pleasant surprises since moving a year ago.

Hot Picks

Van Landingham Estate: Built in 1913 by cotton broker Ralph Van Landingham, the home still boasts some of its original furniture. The grounds are amazing and a great place to hold a special event. In a city where many complain of history being torn down, this is shining example of preservation. 2010 The Plaza. www.vanlandinghamestate.com.

Dish: No one gets closer to my grandmother's cooking than Dish. Located on Thomas Avenue just off of Central, this is a neighborhood joint through and through. My personal favorites include the squash casserole, biscuits and deviled eggs. 1220 Thomas Ave. www.eatatdish.com.

Common House: Opened this year by a group of friends, this restaurant and bar has really caught on with the locals. With options ranging from a fish of the day to meatloaf, dinner at Common House is anything but common. My usual fried green tomato BLT sets me back a whole $6. 1101 Central Ave. www.charlottecommonhouse.com.

Nova Bakery: Friendly staff and fresh-baked breads and sweets make this place a neighborhood staple. But the Novakovic family's baking empire doesn't stop here. You can also find Nova's breads in local grocery stores and some of the most popular restaurants. 1511 Central Ave. www.novasbakery.com.

Why You'd Want to Live Here: Plaza Midwood is an active neighborhood with a sense of community that's hard to beat.

Watch Bobby Sisk on NewsChannel 36 at 4 and 5:30 p.m.

For your complete guide to the Charlotte Region and the best places to live, eat, work, shop and play. Take a look at the Charlotte Observer's Living Here site -- www.livinghere.com.