THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 12, 1997 TAG: 9701120064
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Paul South
LENGTH: 74 lines
I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd wager the farm that a great many of us will crowd around the TV this afternoon to watch the continuing saga of the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers, for those of you still suffering from a turkey-induced Christmas coma, are a win away from going to the Super Bowl. And today, in storied Lambeau Field, they face the Green Bay Packers.
There are compelling reasons to pull for Green Bay today. For kids who grew up in the '50s and '60s, the Packers were pro football. With players like Nitschke, Hornung, Starr and Adderly and a coach named Lombardi, Packer history reads like a who's who of the game. If you feel a twinge of nostalgia, root, root, root for Green Bay.
And there are reasons to be more than a bit jealous of the Panthers. Pity cities like New Orleans, Tampa and Atlanta. The only way those cities get close to a Super Bowl is to host it.
In New Orleans, locals once branded the local team ``The 'Aints.'' During a particularly bad season, Saints supporters took to wearing paper bags on their heads to conceal their identity.
A great many talented players have made stops in New Orleans, particularly former quarterback Archie Manning. Archie took such a beating from opposing defenses that Blue Cross stock went through the roof the Monday after a Saints' game. This poor guy was the poster boy for pain.
As for Atlanta, Falcon fans think sacks are something you find in a grocery store. It may tell you something about Falcon football history to know that two of their former coaches were named Marion and June. Aunts, not coaches, are supposed to be named June.
Tampa? Forget the Buccaneers.
Panther fans have never had to wear grocery sacks as part of their game day ensemble. There's never been a quarterback controversy in Carolina. And probably most noteworthy, unlike America's (Most Wanted) Team, the Dallas Cowboys, Panther players don't make a habit of appearing in the police blotter portion of the sports page.
Other fans may hate the Panthers for that. Carolina, detractors say, hasn't paid dues or made bond or played its way to a horrendous record.
But from Charlotte to Ocracoke, folks are jumping on the Panther bandwagon. At the KFC locations at Whalebone Junction and Kill Devil Hills, the marquees read: ``Let's Go Panthers.''
Jamie Boyd, general manager of the two restaurants, is now a Panthers booster.
``I've converted,'' Boyd said. ``I used to be a Miami fan. But they've been so sorry lately that I've started pulling for the Panthers. I started pulling for them after they beat the Cowboys last Sunday. I thought, `They're in Carolina. They're our team.' It's incredible.''
Boyd said the Panther parade has been good for business.
``We sell a lot of mega meals and buckets, and lots of wings before Panther games. Usually, I sell about eight mega meals a day, but on game day, I sell 10 or 12.''
Boyd also sees customers sporting Panther paraphernalia.
``A lot of people are coming in wearing Panther hats and jackets,'' he said.
How does the local restaurateur see today's game?
``Shoot, Carolina's gonna win. I think it'll be close, but the Panthers will win by a touchdown, I think 30-22. The thing is, it's going to be cold up there. They're going to have to fight for their lives.''
But win, lose or draw, Boyd, like many of us, is on the Panther bandwagon. It's a matter of state pride.
``We live in North Carolina,'' he said. ``They're our team.''
Our team.
That has a nice ring to it. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Associated Press
A fan in a Packer Wacker hat led Friday's pep rally in Charlotte.
For dedication, though, he was outclassed by the fan who sat on ice
four hours to win tickets to today's game.