The International Tailgate

 

Hard to fathom that it has been five years since two lost Canadian golfers showed up at our tailgate lot with tickets in hand looking for some beer and conversation. Peter and Rob have consummated the rather preeminent feat of establishing the first bona fide Panther fan society across the far ends of Canada. From the maritime bays and estuaries of Nova Scotia to the towering peaks and frontier lands of British Columbia. From the great lakes of Ontario to the Mississippi delta of America's deep south. They have united a brotherhood of friends who always make the rather daunting commitment of coming down to the Carolina's and enjoying our mild climate for some golf and our humble parties in the parking lot on game day. I am honored to call them my friends and look forward every season to their arrival from the Great White North.

Next year we are talking about taking the next step of conducting an allied invasion of some exotic locale with the combined forces of the International Band of Pantherfanz. Arizona seems to be ripe for conquest should the NFL schedulers be kind enough to place it on the calendar at a convenient time next season. And now that the NFL has followed the lead of the Pantherfanz and is going to be branching out the regular season games around the world we can all begin that letter writing campaign to the Richardson's and the NFL to have the Panthers international game played in Toronto or Vancouver or perhaps even Montreal.

I raise my virtual Molson to another 5 years of international goodwill. Perhaps we can now find some Iraqi Panther fans and use our powers of diplomacy to solve that little middle eastern crisis once and for all. Anything is possible in the parking lot.