[blockquote cite=”BV” type=”left”]While BBR isn’t a fan site, it’s a site that will always be in a fluid state of building with fan feedback in mind, and we do want to include fans in some new and different ways. This is an effort to do just that.”A View From Abroad” will hopefully turn into a weekly post from an international Panthers fan, of which there’s a surprising high number. The goal is to bring the fan base closer through shared experiences.First up is Trent Hawthorne, a Charlotte native living in London. And if you’re a Panthers fan abroad and want to be involved in this series, shoot us a tweet or email.[/blockquote]Opening weekend in the NFL has a holiday-like feel to it, but I can’t help but think it carries extra significance for those of us here in London.It’s felt like fall for weeks, yet we haven’t had real football on TV. You’re as likely to find a bar showing college football as you are a quality Mexican restaurant (they don’t exist, trust me).With no Labor Day or College GameDay, the NFL is all we’ve got to cling to some sense of home as summer comes to an end. So apologies to the kitchen at Rileys Sports Bar on Haymarket for our over enthusiasm.

The bar caters to expats, and it’s one of only a handful of places where you can be sure they will show American football. Unfortunately, they underestimated the wave of wing and nacho orders by so much, the kitchen stopped taking orders altogether just to gather themselves.“British bars can’t handle NFL Sundays,” said a fan at our table, which was full of Americans wearing jerseys and gear of just about every team.But while Rileys wasn’t ready for Week 1, Derek Anderson sure was. The poised Panthers quarterback was a fingertip-catch shy of going up 24-0 in his first start since 2010. It’s Cam Newton’s offense, but Anderson showed he’s capable of running it.Newton’s durability has left Anderson as mostly an afterthought, but the veteran showed his weight in gold on Sunday. He looked the part of a starter, while Bucs quarterback Josh McCown’s poor decisions made him look like a guy who should be a backup.The problem, of course, was that Olsen couldn’t make the fingertip grab on one of Anderson’s only errors on the day. A missed field goal and a quick Tampa Bay drive later, it was a two-possession game that neither side look liked they expected.For Panthers fans, the unfamiliar, incredibly satisfying feeling of dominating a season opener quickly transitioned to the all-too-familiar sinking feeling that maybe we hadn’t yet fully cultivated a culture of winning. We would find some way — some ludicrous, inexplicable way — to lose this one. You know the feeling. I still can’t talk about last year’s Bills heartbreaker.Then, after another quick Bucs score and a stalled Panthers possession, the texts and SnapChats from North Carolina started blowing up my phone.Example: “You have to be ___ kidding me! I hate this so much.”My typical response: “No. Please no.”On opening weekend, my festive mood suddenly turned into a potential nightmare where I might have to share my despair through WhatsApp.Fortunately, it helps when you have the best defensive player in the NFL. While it’s Newton’s offense, it’s Luke Kuechly’s defense, and the linebacker willed his gassed unit to the finish.I say willed because that’s what I believe he did. After he forced a late fourth-quarter fumble, FOX cameras caught Kuechly gathering his teammates to let them know they’d probably have to get through one more drive.In my mind, his message was, “Nothing’s over until it’s over.” And whether they were in Charlotte or London, anxiety-ridden supporters of the “Cardiac Cats” valued that message.May the forced turnover be with you, Luke.

Trent Hawthorne is a Charlotte native currently living, working and Keeping Pounding in London. His natural anxiety makes him a perfect match for the Cardiac Cats. He is currently craving a real deli sandwich from the Common Market.