My Town, My Team, My Carolina Panthers

The Panthers lost that meeting, in case you were curious as to why I was so intent on staying in my seat for the entire game.

But I still wore my team's colors with undaunted pride, and got heckled and booed a few times because of it, the funniest ones coming from kids who were no taller than my waist.

It's just totally weird to be booed by a four- or five-year old who tells you your team sucks and even gets the name of your team right! 

I was literally a man of blue in a sea of green—not the place to be, although I will admit Eagles fans were surprisingly docile that night!

To this day I still say the best Super Bowl I have ever seen is XXXVIII. That was our year—the year of the Cardiac Cats, the year when every time any Panthers fan clicked to the game, it was an on-the-edge-of-your-seat experience!

They were all games that went into OT, only to be decided by a last second "did that just happen?!" touchdown, or an "I can't watch this" field goal! That was the year that the Panthers said "why not?" to all the naysayers while showing them how they did it.

I have never been as excited and hopeful as I am this year, and as I watch this Panthers team I am seeing a lot of things I like, some things that need to be addressed, old faces in familiar places, and already I see flashes of the 2003 Cardiac Cats.

Anyone who is a Panthers fan is in for an exciting season because this team has jelled very well together. I think once Carolina finds it's niche—it's groove on offense and defense and pairs it with the return of Steve Smith; we as fans are in for a very special season, an especially memorable one.

Go Panthers! Keep Pounding!

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