Bob Dole: “when Jerry Richardson founded the Carolina Panthers 9 years ago, he said his goal was to be in a Super Bowl within 10…”

“when Jerry Richardson founded the Carolina Panthers 9 years ago, he said his goal was to be in a Super Bowl within 10 years. After upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles recently, this dream has become a reality. But the dream is not over, of course. There is one more hurdle the Panthers must clear. Today I salute Jerry, Coach John Fox, and the Panthers players for giving North Carolinians a season with a fairy tale ending. When Coach Fox arrived in 2002, the Carolina Panthers were 1 and 15. This turnaround has been nothing short of miraculous, and it is not just the fact that the Panthers have made it to the Super Bowl but how they got to Houston. The Panthers are called the ``Cardiac Cats'' because 10 of their victories have been achieved by 6 points or less, and they have won 4 of their 5 overtime games this season. All over the State, ``Go Panthers'' signs adorn buses, mailboxes, and cars, and those black and blue jerseys have become the fashion craze of the day. Even Coach Fox had to comment on the groundswell of fan support after about 10,000 of them--10,000, Mr. President--showed up on a blustery day as the team left for Houston. ``It makes you proud,'' he said. Charlotte Observer columnist Danny Romine Powell wrote recently: A team has transformed a city into Mount Olympus. We're eating ambrosia with the gods. How true, indeed.…”