"Transferring" Panther fans, Drake Maye leaves and audacious agents in the sports moments of the week

By Clark Gerber, WRAL Sports contributor

The internet is a big place. Unless you're 100% plugged in all the time (and let's be clear, that is NOT recommended), you're going to miss some stuff.

Let us do that work. You can be a well-adjusted human being and still catch all the best sports moments of the week, with a quick review ...

1. Panthers keep sinking lower

New rule: No more declaring that the 2023 Carolina Panthers have hit "rock bottom." Because it seems that every week, the team finds a way to dig an even deeper hole for itself.

The Panthers were embarrassed once again on Sunday, losing 28-6 to the division rival Saints.

Quarterback Bryce Young did not end his streak of sub-200 yard games. In fact, he was arguably the worst he's ever been, completing just 13 of 36 passes for a career low 36.1 completion percentage.

The "interim coach bump" that some NFL teams experience has not materialized for Carolina, who surrendered a blocked punt returned for a touchdown -- an area that's supposed to be Chris Tabor's specialty.

If that weren't enough, Sports Illustrated senior NFL reporter Albert Breer reports that Tabor and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown have been pushing a "tougher approach" with Bryce Young since Frank Reich's firing.

Meanwhile, Brown's wife sounded off in a since-deleted post on X, implying that the team's coaches are miserable at work because they know they'll be fired at the end of the season.

So much dysfunction, combined with a truly pathetic 1-12 start, has led at least one Panthers fan to jump ship entirely.

Daquan Mickens, a South Carolina resident, took inspiration from the college football transfer portal and says he is now officially looking for a new team.

With seemingly no path to relevance in the near future, it'd be hard to blame any other fans who decide to follow his lead.

2. Drake to the draft

If the Panthers hadn't already traded away this year's #1 pick, they might at least be able to look forward to drafting a future star that could turn the franchise's fortunes around.

Somebody like UNC quarterback, and Charlotte native Drake Maye, who officially declared his intentions to go pro this week.

Maye finishes his spectacular college career with 8,018 passing yards and 63 touchdowns, both top 5 in Tar Heels history. He also added 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground, showing that he certainly has the requisite athleticism to excel at the next level.

Most experts project Maye as a top 2 pick in April's NFL Draft, meaning he could be in line to join either the Chicago Bears (who own the Panthers pick and have a history of taking UNC quarterbacks in the first round) or the New England Patriots.

It seems that North Carolina will play the Duke’s Mayo Bowl with Conner Harrell as their starting QB. As we covered last week, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson has already committed to play at UNC for the 2024 season, so fans can probably expect a battle between Johnson and Harrell in fall camp.

3. Duke hires Diaz

Down the road in Durham, the Duke Blue Devils have found their next head football coach, hiring Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.

Diaz helped shape a Nittany Lions defense that was among the best in the country this season, allowing 3.91 yards per play and 223 total yards per game.

He also has experience as a head coach in the ACC, going 21-15 in three seasons at Miami, and is familiar with UNC head coach Mack Brown, having worked under him at Texas.

Fan opinion seems to be mixed on the hire, and actually drew some praise from NC State fans, who worried that Duke would poach their own DC, Tony Gibson, from Raleigh.

Diaz will have his work cut out for him, trying to replace a Duke team that has already lost key players like Riey Leonard, Jordan Waters and RJ Oben to the transfer portal.

4. Zion under fire

Former Duke star Zion Williamson was a hot topic of conversation in NBA circles this week, but for all the wrong reasons.

Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans got blasted by 44 points in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals on Thursday in Las Vegas.

Zion posted only 13 points and 2 rebounds in the loss, as many pointed out that he looked out of shape and lethargic on the big stage.

Chris Clark of the Times-Picayune (in New Orleans) seemed to confirm that narrative on Friday, saying that Williamson’s “poor work ethic has been a source of frustration” for the Pelicans. The team has also reportedly given Williamson advice about his conditioning and diet, but it’s fallen on deaf ears.

Zion's disappointing performance drew criticism, and profound disappointment from two of the game's biggest voices -- Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal.

It was O'Neal who provided the most tough love, saying of Williamson "I was just like him."

To Zion's credit, he bounced back with a 36-point effort on Monday night in a win over the Timberwolves, and gave a thoughtful response to Chuck and Shaq after the game.

It certainly seems like almost everybody wants to see Zion Williamson succeed in the NBA, the question is can he stay disciplined and healthy enough to reach his considerable potential?

Hopefully, this proves to be a turning point in Zion's career as he figures out what it takes to dominate consistently. Because when he's right, the 23-year old is one of the most exciting athletes we have in any sport. Period.

5. Svech on the shelf

It's been a rough stretch for the Carolina Hurricanes, who have lost four in a row on their current Canadian road swing and have fallen out of playoff position (for now).

The team suffered another significant blow on Tuesday as head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced that star forward Andrei Svechnikov will be out "at least a while" with an upper body injury, following an MRI.

The injury seems to stem from a cross-check in the Winnipeg game last Monday. A hit which, as color commentator Tripp Tracy pointed out at the time, was totally unnecessary.

A minor penalty was issued on the play, but no fine or suspension is forthcoming.

The Canes won't have much time to catch their breath as they look to turn things around. They start a stretch of 5 games in eight nights starting on Tuesday in Ottawa.

6. Show me the money!

This may be the best weekend for sports agents since "Jerry Maguire" hit theaters in 1996.

It started on Saturday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers said "You complete me!" to two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, signing him to a record-shattering 10-year, $700 million dollar free agent contract.

But the story doesn't end there, as Ohtani and his agent got very creative in the specific terms of the contract.

In short, Ohtani (who already makes $50 million per year in endorsements) will take only $2 million per season over the 10-year life of the deal. The remaining $680 million will be owed to him after it expires.

There's so much meat on the bone here, but for the sake of time, let's shorten the most interesting aspects of this deal into a few short bullet points:

• This is a huge help for the Dodgers as they try to compete in the short term. Paying the best player in baseball just $2 million per year (on a team that already has deep pockets) is a great way to try to build a 10-year dynasty.
• It may be technically legal, but this deal is absolutely against the spirit of the current CBA, and should absolutely be done away with as soon as possible. This may be the only contract of its kind in sports history.
• Just think about all the California income tax money that Ohtani is undoubtedly skirting around by structuring his deal this way.
• If you thought Bobby Bonilla Day was fun, just wait until Shohei Ohtani Day starts in 2034.

While Ohtani's agent has been able to operate with relative anonymity, the same can no longer be said for Sean Stellato, who represents New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito.

DeVito has quickly become a fan favorite in New York, leading the Giants to three straight wins, while leaning in to the Italian/ New Jersey stereotype that his name suggests.

With all this in mind, Stellato (who was spotted talking to DeVito on the sidelines before Monday Night Football) became an instant star because, well, just look at him.

As you'd expect, NFL fans had jokes on social media and they did not disappoint.

TAYLOR SWIFT WATCH

This week, we pay our respects to Taylor Swift's boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who pulled off one of the wildest plays in NFL history to beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday ... or so we thought.

In case you've been living under a rock, Kelce's genius downfield lateral to teammate Kadarius Toney was wiped away because Toney lined up offside to start the play. Video shows he never checked with the referee (as they teach you in Wide Receiver 101) before he drew the flag.

Unlike a certain Chiefs player, who threw a hissy fit about the flag that was (correctly) thrown, Travis kept it classy in a postgame exchange with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

He was later spotted leaving the stadium with Taylor, hand-in-hand. Well done by him.

Wish I could say the same for Toney, who may now be public enemy number one among the Swifties.

We'll see you next week.