Carolina Panthers Falcons
Carolina Pathers
In 1987, former Baltimore Colts player Jerry Richardson met with a group of potential backers to discuss the possibility of bringing an NFL expansion team to the Carolina region. Richardson Sports decided upon a spot in the uptown section of Charlotte to build a privately financed stadium seating more than 70,000 fans.
In 1992, the NFL released the list of five areas open to a potential NFL team. The list includes Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Florida; and the Carolinas, represented by Charlotte. The race began again in 1993 for the Panthers. In June of that year, Richardson Sports announced that they would finance the stadium through the sale of Permanent Seat Licenses, club seats, and luxury boxes. In a stunning show of fan support, all seats were sold out by the end of the first day.
The Panthers became the second expansion team to win their first game, winning the annual completely meaningless exhibition Hall of Fame Game against the fellow expansion Jacksonville Jaguars 20–14 on July 29, 1995 . The game was widely known as the "Battle of the Big Cats," because of the similar nicknames of the franchises. The home games that first season were played at Clemson University.
The Panthers first regular season game was against the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. The Panthers scored on their first three possessions to take a 13–0 lead before the Falcons rallied to win 23–20. The Panthers first home game (in Clemson) was a 31–10 loss to the St. Louis Rams. The Panthers won their first game against the New York Jets 26–15 on October 15, 1995. Later that year, the Panthers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers, 13–7, the first time an expansion team had beaten the reigning champs.
The second year proved even better than the first, as the players found a groove and rattled off a seven-game winning streak to end the season and took the top spot in the NFC West. They beat the Dallas Cowboys 26–17 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 30–13 in the NFC Championship. Their fellow second-year expansion team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, played in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots but lost 20–6; the NFL nearly had an all-expansion Super Bowl.
About the Author
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