Morality play: how the Panthers got their roar

"There are a lot of fans out there that are becoming increasingly disenfranchised with the superstar status of a lot of professional athletes," says Dr. Bernthal. "The Panthers don't have that, so that adds to the affinity the community has for the team. No-name teams are good for building fan affection these days."

But to long-time fans who recall the Panthers' second-year run to the NFC championship, tragedies and trials have united a core of "character players," says Otis Scott, a DJ and a fan from the start.

"They're all in the trenches together and things players do affects other players. It was that way with Rae Carruth. And now you can see that with what happened to Sam Mills," who was diagnosed with cancer last fall, says Mr. Scott.

These days, the focus is on mental toughness - and, under Coach John Fox, discipline. One player who missed a court appearance was released from the team; another was benched for fighting with a teammate; others have been summoned to stern conferences in team owner Jerry Richardson's living room.

Some say Mr. Fox broke the team down, psychologically, before building it up. But he's quick to apologize to players: When a reporter misunderstood Fox as saying that Mushin "Moose" Muhammad lost a game with a wrong pattern, Fox apologized not just to Mr. Muhammad, but to the team.

It's a coaching approach with an astounding effect: Last year, the Panthers broke an NFL record by going from 31st in defense to second. That's "made us all Carolina Panthers," says Mr. Mitchell. "For us, this is how we get from a second-tier city to a first-tier city," says Mitchell. "It's because of sports that we're on TV, that we're selling merchandise in Japan - you just can't put a price tag on it."

That pride is rubbing off on a state perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Michael Jordan. Since the Dallas game, says Bernthal, the scene of "national reporters salivating over the Panthers" has brought in over $3 million in tourism.

"As North Carolinians, we don't think of this stuff, but you can imagine someone in Chicago saying, 'Hey, they've got something going on down in Carolina,' " says Mike Vanderslice, a college student studying Shakespeare at Raleigh's East Village pub.

Indeed, for many, the Patriots-Panthers game may go down as an NFL classic. Not long ago, every Super Bowl seemed to be a blow-out - but an emphasis on defense has made the games tighter, some say. "If you're a real football fan, you're going to like this game," says Mr. Vanderslice.

Win or lose, the Panthers have stretched not just city pride, but city bedtimes. "We're still a Bible Belt city," says Mitchell, "but on game nights, we stay up 'til one o'clock."

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