The National Football League’s play this season sucks so much that the once disappointment of the NFL, The Carolina Panthers, are making the best of their dominance on both sides of the football, and strength of schedule, to push for an undefeated season.
A once unimpressive franchise led by quarterback Jake Delhomme, whose peak performances came and went quickly, and a fan base constructed of college football fans and others who said, “Hey, maybe we should jump off the bandwagons of teams who we have no connection to in the United States and cheer on this new home team because their colors look like the Tar Heels,” have finally reached the peak of regular season glory.
The Panthers were once glorious in ‘03 until they lost their first chance at a Super Bowl to the young and soon to be legendary scumbag cheaters, the three time champion New England Patriots.
Since that first chance of becoming a NFL staple, the Panthers have been the youngest child in the NFC family constantly being berated and disappointed by the always tough conference. After the Super Bowl, the Panthers made the playoffs four times in a decade and only made it out of the divisional round once in ‘05 when they made it to the NFC Championship. Unfortunately, they were utterly destroyed, in a totally not exaggerated ideal, to the Seattle Seahawks by twenty points.
Oh, and yeah, Quarterback Jimmy Clausen happened. Clausen was one of the biggest busts in Panther history. Remember Clausen? Probably only if you are a true Panther fan who actually watched that 2-15 season, or one of those Irish people from South Bend, Indiana.
But Carolina can now rejoice and forget about all that sad stuff because in ‘11 a messiah quarterback by the name of Cameron Newton came to Charlotte with a rifle of an arm, the athletic versatility to make jaw-dropping plays out of the pocket, and a smile I can only believe compares to Christ himself.
Cammy Cam’s first two seasons showed us a glimpse of what he would become, and that is saying something since he won Offensive Rookie of the Year and scored the most rushing touchdowns by a QB in a season. He became the obvious future of the Panthers, but until ’13 Cam remained in the shadow of Matt Ryan and Drew Brees.
Now, Cam has won the NFC South in the last three years and will easily become the MVP of the NFL. Yeah, that is right, Panthers fans: it is time to brag. Finally, you can actually put yourself into the conversation of other franchises. Why now and not when you have won the South before? It is because the Panthers are not just undefeated and utterly incredible in every facet, but they actually make fans stomach the NFL this year.
A league filled with degenerates who cannot seem to hold themselves back from getting in trouble with the law, because apparently it is hard to be occupied with just millions of dollars for getting CTE, have received 31 arrests in 2015 alone.
Panther’s ex-linebacker, Greg Hardy, accounts for one of those arrests, as he had attempted to murder his ex-girlfriend. After Hardy’s case was made, the Panthers owner, Jerry Richardson, cut Hardy almost immediately and gave a tremendously heartfelt speech of why domestic violence should not be forgiven. Not in the case of Cowboys Owner, Jerry Jones, a.k.a. the spawn of Satan, who picked Hardy up when he was put on the market.
The season starts with the Panthers showing heart by making the obvious choice of not supporting a criminal and have only Jared Allen as the one-team member with a serious criminal charge, a ’06 DUI.
This beginning to the season may not really affect the Panther’s game, but it shows what executive power needs to be administered by unselfish owners to clean up the NFL of its players who put a bad name on the league. Also, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should probably do something relevant to help out as well, but I guess that is asking too much of himself as he suffocates under his millions of dollars doing jack squat.
The Panthers have also proved time and time again that they are underdogs as a franchise without a championship, but they sure as hell are not underdogs this season.
From constantly being doubted by analysts until the defeat of the Packers, not being favored against the now armpit of the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys, on Thanksgiving, and then demolishing “America’s Team” have caused football fans to believe.
Sure, they have arguably the best defense in the league led by linebacker Luke Kuechly and easily the best cornerback in the league in Josh Norman, but Cam Newton has been the main piece of the puzzle to bringing real championship hope to this city.
Charlotte is not the most exciting city to play NFL football, or for the life of a young millionaire, but Cam Newton could not be making more of his privilege that so many “professionals” take for granted. Cam Newton constantly gives back to the Charlotte community whether it is donating a weight room to Harding High School, or bringing an ice cream truck to the house of a young boy dying of cancer, Cam is one of the few players that I can say practices selflessness.
Too bad there are still those conservative fans who have an aneurysm and think he is a thug cause Cam dances in the end zone for you know, being successful.
This trait of selflessness has disappeared in the majority of player’s minds, but the Panthers seem to be doing well with one simple thing: being role models. Seems like a challenge these days to behave, but the mature Panthers players have made the most of their dismal league and now they look like Super Bowl contenders with the highest scoring and most enlightening team in the league of disappointment.
