On Sunday, Feb. 7 at 7 o'clock, I sat down on my couch with my snacks; I was fully prepared to not move from this position for another few hours. And no, I was not watching the Superbowl just for the Beyonce/Bruno Mars/Coldplay halftime show. I was preparing for the emotional roller coaster I was about to go on with the Carolina Panther playing against the Denver Broncos. Everyone knows the outcome of this game, and as someone who lives in North Carolina, it was bittersweet to watch the Broncos win. It was bittersweet because I got to witness Peyton Manning leave the field for the final time as a winner, but that meant the Carolina Panthers would have to lose. I turned off the TV once it was over, feeling just like every other person in North Carolina watching the game: empty. But as I tried to grieve this loss, I thought to myself, "maybe this is good for the Panthers in the long-run".

Now, before all of the Panthers' fans stop reading, let me explain: The Carolina Panthers have been rebuilding their team ever since they last appeared in the Superbowl in 2003. It was not up until about three years ago where the Panthers started to become a threat. This year was explosive for the Panthers finishing the end of the year at 15-1, only losing in the Superbowl and to the Atlanta Falcons earlier in the season. Losing the Superbowl has left players such as Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly hungry to for a Superbowl win. Carolina Panthers' fans can expect to see Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly "keep pounding" in the next season.

Panthers fans can expect to see the same team they saw this past football season. Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly are still young in their football careers, which gives them more time to get that long awaited Superbowl win. This was Peyton Manning's last chance to get a Superbowl win, so Panthers fans should not be discouraged by any means. The Panthers have both a strong offense and a strong defense. According to ESPN, the receiving core has only fumbled three times this entire season and Greg Olsen-the main receiver-has 1104 receiving yards just this season. That is just one man. Then you have Cam Newton who has 3837 passing yards with 35 touchdowns and Jonathan Stewart who has 989 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. If you look at those statistics alone, that is scary enough for any team to look at. In terms of a defensive standpoint, NFL teams have to worry about Luke Kuechly who has 76 solo tackles and forty-two assisted tackles to make a total of 118 tackles this season. Then you have Thomas Davis who has almost the same exact statistics except he has only 75 solo tackles and thirty assisted tackles. If the Panthers keep pounding and use their hunger for the Superbowl to intensify their hard work, they will remain as a major threat to other NFC teams.

Losing the Superbowl is a good thing for the Panthers because now they are hungry for redemption and to show the nation that this was not just a lucky streak. They will once again strive for the near perfect season. Even though the football season has just ended, I cannot wait to see what the Panthers learn from this loss and what they do with it. I predict that the Panthers take this loss, learn from it, and mold the team to become even better. As a football fan, I can not wait to see the Carolina Panthers keep pounding when they take the field next season.