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February 02, 2004
DANG! Panthers 'ran out of lives' in last-second loss
By Richard Craver | JOURNAL REPORTER
HOUSTON
The Carolina Panthers finally ran out of last-minute lives as they lost yesterday to the New England Patriots, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.
Panthers fans took some solace in witnessing one of the most exciting Super Bowl finishes ever.
They tried to will the team to victory, waving their hands for the final Patriot field-goal attempt to go wide right.
For Kelly Proehl, the wife of Panthers wide receiver Ricky Proehl, lightning struck twice at the Super Bowl.
Ricky Proehl scored a game-tying touchdown for the second time in three Super Bowls, only to have Adam Vinatieri again steal a dramatic victory with a last-second field goal.
In Super Bowl XXXVI, Ricky Proehl, who was then a member of the St. Louis Rams, caught a touchdown pass to tie the game with New England at 17-17. But Vinatieri kicked a winning field goal to beat the Rams, 20-17.
"It's like deja vu," Kelly Proehl said. "Having gone through it the first time, it doesn't make the second time any easier. The Panthers had no reason to hang their heads over what has been an incredible season. No one ever thought we would get this far. Not even this loss can take that away from us."
Austin Proehl, the couple's oldest son, had pulled his dad's replica jersey over his face, then peeked out to see his father's touchdown.
Two other Panthers fans, Jim Holt and Bill Glenn, said they were drained and still shaky after the Panthers defeat.
"This was just like all the games, all year. Just really excruciatingly tight," said Bill Glenn, who lives in Blowing Gap. "We ran out of lives finally."
Holt, who lives in Winston-Salem, said that the game was completely opposite of how he thought it would be - a defensive struggle.
"This game took us by surprise, but with the way our defense was on the field so much, they were just flat worn out at the end," Holt said.
"Regardless of the defeat, it was well worth the expense of the trip because I just saw one of the best games in Super Bowl history," Holt said.
Jeff Sheffield of Winston-Salem found the nosebleed seat of section 748, row R, no deterrent to cheering the Panthers.
"When I first saw my ticket assignment, I was concerned that I was so high up I could touch the ceiling," Sheffield said. "Well, as you can see," pressing his fingers against the roof with little effort, "I can, but these aren't that bad of seats.
"Being in the Super Bowl atmosphere is the payoff for signing up for four PSL seats back in 1993 at $2,400 a seat," he said. "Plus, it's easy to cheer for this team because they've got a class owner and since Coach (John) Fox has been around, they represent everything that is good about pro sports."
Virginia and Babe Carter's reward for a whirlwind 14-hour trip to Houston - at a cost of $2,765 each - were just two rows lower in section 720, row P.
Virginia Carter said she represents a growing breed of women Panthers fans, those who care more than their boyfriends or husbands for the team.
"More women are becoming more intense about the NFL, and it doesn't hurt with the Panthers making the Super Bowl," Virginia Carter said. "Some friends of ours told their husbands, 'Hey, we're going whether you're tagging along or not,' and by gosh, they're here."
Debbie Sanders and Veronica Sides, both of Winston-Salem, were basking in the glow of the game, especially considering their tickets and expenses were paid by their employer, GMAC Insurance, as part of a wager between the company's Winston-Salem and St. Louis offices.
When the Panthers beat the Rams in double overtime, the Super Bowl package became the property of the Winston-Salem office. Their managers selected Sanders and Sides for the Super Bowl trip.
"We were both called up to the human-resources office, which usually is not a good thing," Sanders said. "They said they had heard a rumor that we were Panthers fans, and when we confirmed it, they shocked us with the trip," she said.
Not only was it Sanders' first Super Bowl game, but it was also her first NFL game, her first ride in a limousine and her first trip on an airplane.
"This is a real dream come true," Sides said. "We hope the Panthers will be back in the Super Bowl time after time, but we can always say we went to the first one. Nobody can take that away from us."
• Richard Craver can be reached at 727-7376 or at rcraver@wsjournal.com