6 short stories from Wednesday in San Jose

 

1.) Back in the Bay

 

It’s an obvious storyline.

10 months after experiencing the biggest heartbreak of their professional lives, the Carolina Panthers have returned to the scene of Super Bowl 50.

Well, not exactly.

They’re staying at a different hotel and they won’t step foot in Levi’s Stadium during their stay in the Bay Area this week. But they’re practicing at San Jose State, which is what they did ahead of their loss to the Broncos.

So as his team gets ready for its weekend trip to Seattle, can coach Ron Rivera help but not think about went wrong back in February?

“It’s practice,” he quipped. “It’s not as dramatic as you want to make it out to be. It’s practice.”

Let’s pause a moment for:

Anyway, if Rivera isn’t thinking about the past, he’s mentally stronger than most. Because as much as guys want to move on, it’s probably tough to completely block out thoughts of what could’ve been.

“We’d be lying if we said driving past the stadium or being back here doesn’t make you go, ‘Man, we blew that shot,’ tight end Greg Olsen said. “But that’s life.”

And … one more pause, please: