The polarizing superstar with the great stats and the catchy dance is the first link that stands out. There were also the colorful cornerbacks and the team that became so exciting that everyone from fans to musicians gravitated to them and their sidelines. The parallels between this year’s Carolina Panthers and the 1998 Atlanta Falcons are pretty hard to deny even if you wanted to.
That captivating feeling Cam Newton has that makes the oldest member of your family want to look silly dabbing is no different than the hilarity caused by people trying to mock Jamal Anderson‘s “dirty bird.” Josh Norman and Ray Buchanan were both of their defense’s skilled loudmouths for teams that were able to manage a stronghold on the mainstream and urban markets. The similarities even go all the way down to their Super Bowl Sunday matchups being against aged Hall of Fame Denver Broncos quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and John Elway) looking to end their careers on the ultimate high note.
Pretty cool when you think about it, unless you are a Panthers fan who remembers Falcons cornerback Buchanan talking his way into a media week feud with Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe. Or even worse, there was the arrest of Falcons safety Eugene Robinson the night before the big game for the solicitation of an undercover cop he believed to be a prostitute.
Not only did it show how quickly things could change, but also how one little thing could switch the momentum before the coin flips to start the game. Fortunately for Panthers fans, their team seems like the type that has the ability to stay focused in the face of enormous fame. Except for one Week 16 night, coincidentally, against this season’s Falcons.
Rivalries aside, you can bet that even the people down in Atlanta will be rooting for no relapses. You can tell that from their native rappers like Future and Young Jeezy flanking Cam’s sidelines, but we will see how everything shakes out in two weeks.
