" The calendar says summer ends Sept. 21. The calendar lies. Summer ends Friday, when the Carolina Panthers report to training camp. I go every year. I volunteer. I even have a nickname: He Who Goes to Spartanburg in July and August by Choice. This year many of you apparently will join me. For the first time, at least at the beginning of camp, I can't get into the Spartanburg hotel in which I usually stay. Perhaps Spartanburg is hosting a large convention or concert. Perhaps a new Krispy Kreme has opened. Perhaps fans figure that this is the season, finally, that Carolina contends. I got a call from a friend who is a fan of Oakland and he's convinced the Raiders will be unstoppable. I haven't heard him so optimistic since 2011. The beauty of the NFL is that the power structure changes annually. Who saw San Francisco emerging last season? The Panthers won two games in 2010 and six in 2011. If they improve by four victories again they're probably in the playoffs. I'm not saying they'll win 10 games. I have no idea. Anybody who makes a prediction before camp is merely guessing. You see things in Spartanburg. The last time Carolina made the playoffs was 2008 and if you were a camp regular you weren't surprised. Veterans and newcomers came together seamlessly. Players knew when they hit I-85 to return to Charlotte that they had something." Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/21/3396768/sorensen-summer-might-as-well.html
