Immediately after the Carolina Panthers trounced Arizona 49-15 in the NFC championship game, I texted Robesonian sports editor Rodd Baxley to let him know that I’d give my two cents on the coming Super Bowl 50.
As a Robesonian alumnus, I have the perspective of being both a lifelong fan of the AFC Champion Denver Broncos but also someone who has watched the Panthers through both the good times and a few rough patches. At first glance, it was the perfect way to end the season: Two great teams, two top-level defenses and two passionate fanbases.
Or at least that’s the column I wanted to write. But after the past week, that’s not the one that feels right.
It no longer seems fitting to use phrasing like “a matchup worthy of the golden Super Bowl” or to say “Super Bowl 50 is everything that football should be.”
If anything, I’ve been amused by just how awful Panthers fans truly are.
Instead of keeping the festivities as sweet as the tea that Bojangles drove across the country, the Panthers’ fanbase has transitioned from being the lovable underdogs to the annoying overachievers. “Y’all” have somehow turned the Broncos into an enemy, despite a major lack of anything between the teams. Southern hospitality has gone out the window in favor of bragging and boasting.
C’mon Carolina. You’re better than this.
Between the teams, there’s no solid precedent for animosity.
The Panthers and Broncos have only played four times since Carolina joined the league in 1995. (Broncos are 3-1, natch.) The only real connection was former coach John Fox, who was spectacular during the lone Super Bowls he lost with each franchise.
Beyond that, what can really be said about the matchup between the teams, It happens every four-ish years? We’re reaching for straws.
My only meaningful memories of the Panthers as a child were when my aunt, then living in Myrtle Beach, S.C., would send me a t-shirt around the holidays.
It later served as a bizarre peace offering for my future self. I’ve always had an immense dislike for the Raiders, Chiefs and Patriots. But the Panthers? They’re cool.
Throughout the playoffs, I knew that Panthers’ fans largely would be cheering for the Broncos (when the other options are Brady and Roethlisberger, you automatically become the good guy) and I personally hoped the Panthers would keep pounding their way into the Super Bowl.
Careful what you wish for.
Make no mistake, The Panthers have been absolutely dominating this season, putting up massive wins against some of the NFL’s top franchises. It’s hard to find a way to diminish a team that has run through the Seahawks and Packers, even if beating Tampa Bay and Tennessee should only count as half points.
Carolina never seemed to get its due nationally but Cam Newton seized the moment to become the Superman that fans always hoped he’d be. It’s an inspirational story and, were I on your side, I’d be reacting the same way.
Hell, I reacted the same way two years ago.
Those 2013 Broncos were a sight to see. Peyton Manning and his offensive corps set countless league records and had no issues getting through San Diego and New England to become Super Bowl favorites.
As the Super Bowl approached, I went far beyond what any fan should. I talked smack all week, I wrote Broncos-themed parodies of modern songs that I performed for my friends at halftime of the Super Bowl. I even dyed my hair blue and painted my face, completing the evolution of a fan.
You remember what happened next. 43-8.
The Broncos didn’t just lose. They got embarrassed.
What I’ll always remember was the interaction I had with a Food Lion employee in Fayetteville that day, who caught me in full attire on a drink run during the third quarter. He didn’t try to humor me or lighten the mood. He instead gave me the same empathy normally reserved for a loved one passing away.
All through the playoffs, opposing fans have been quick to remind Broncos’ supporters of that loss. As if we need reminding.
That loss is why the Broncos are back in the Super Bowl, built instead on a strong defensive base that’s allowed fewer yards than anyone else in the league. The Broncos are a team relying on grit and scrappiness, rather than the picture-perfect offense of two years ago. The wins this season haven’t been pretty, but they’ve gotten the team to the same place.
Come Sunday, Cam Newton can dance all he wants and all of the Panthers’ fans can continue to grandstand and pretend that this is the chosen team, the next great dynasty in football. Love it. Savor it. Enjoy every moment, Carolina.
The Broncos know better.
