Good morning from Charlotte

Greetings from Charlotte, a place where the front desk, wake-up-call lady calls you “honey.”

I thought that was a nice touch. Interestingly, I never did get a wake-up call, but why worry about such a triviality in such a nice place? The taxi driver, who said he’s lived in Charlotte for 20 years, also got lost on the 10-mile hotel-to-stadium journey. No worries. He was also unusually pleasant. (By the way, he thinks the 49ers will win).

One more thing, I realize some of you Giants fans might be playing hurt this morning after some we’re-going-to-the-World-Series celebrating. I’ll try to limit the multi-syllable words.


OK … the game. I’ll be posting pregame notes here leading up until kickoff and will start a live blog about 9:30 a.m. PT.

• Niners inactives: QB Troy Smith, WR Kyle Williams, S Chris Maragos, LB Keaton Kristick, T Barry Sims, C Eric Heitmann, T Alex Boone, WR Jason Hill.

• CB Nate Clements (ankle), who was questionable, will suit up. So will TE Delanie Walker (ankle), who is progressing well from a high ankle sprain he suffered three weeks ago.

 • Panthers inactives: QB Tony Pike, WR Armanti Edwards, RB Tyrell Sutton, CB C.J. Wilson, LB Jamar Williams, DT Andre Neblett, T Jeff Otah, WR Devin Thomas.

• The 49ers will be leaving for London after the game. They are expected
to arrive around 8 a.m. Monday, London time, and Mike Singletary will
have a press conference around 12:30 p.m. The team is staying at The
Grove, a resort in Hertfordshire, about 30 minutes outside London. The Grove looks like a comfortable place to spend a few days. The only drawback is no Marriott points.

• The weather is perfect in Charlotte today. High of 78. Clear skies. Thunderstorms are expected Monday.

• The Niners, who didn’t have a turnover last week, haven’t gone back-to-back games without a turnover since 2002.

• The 49ers are 12-2 when have don’t have a turnover
since 2003.

• The Niners are 22-8 when they have fewer than two turnovers since 2006. They are 6-34 when they commit at least two turnovers.

• The 49ers are three-point favorites today. They were also road
favorites this season against Seattle and Kansas City. They lost those
games by a combined score of 62-16.

• It’s a homecoming for linebacker Manny Lawson, who is
from Goldsboro, N.C., about 220 miles from Charlotte. Lawson went to North
Carolina State.

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