Sweet Carolin-a, bad times never seemed so bad

The Carolina Panthers lost to the Dallas Cowboys Monday 21-7, which caused the Panthers to start the season 0-3 for the first time since 1998.

I have been a fan of the Carolina Panthers since the beginning of their existence in 1995 (Panthers ownder and founder Jerry Richardson first brought up the idea to bid for Charlotte to win the rights to an NFL franchise on July 16, 1987, the day I was born). Every eight-year-old needs a favorite team since that is the age when sports fans first become sports fans. The Panthers were brand new along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, so I picked the Panthers as my team.

It's tough to root for the Panthers because of the organization's inconsistency. The Panthers will have a fantastic season one year, which gets the fans excited about the following year, and the next season they will fall flat on their faces.

In 1995 the team opened their existence with a 7-9 record. This was the best record in NFL history by an expansion team. Kerry Collins led the Panthers the following year to a 12-4 record, the playoffs and eventually lost to Brett Favre and the Packers in the NFC Championship game.

The Panthers did not have another winning season until 2003 when they went to the Super Bowl and lost to the Patriots. As a Panther fan I was invigorated to root for the team I had betrayed during the losing years.

However the Panthers would follow up the Super Bowl season with a 7-9 record. The 2005 Panthers returned to the playoffs, but lost to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship. The Panthers failed to make the playoffs in 2006 and 2007.

In the very competitive NFC South Division in 2008 the Panthers managed to pull away from Tampa Bay and Atlanta with a 12-4 record. I was ready to celebrate another Super Bowl appearance, but Jake Delhomme threw five interceptions to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Panthers have not won a game since then as they sit at 0-3. I was excited again. I went to my first ever Panthers game in 1997 in San Francisco, and I bought tickets to attend my second game this season on Nov. 1 in Arizona. I should have known this would be a bad year. I should be buying my tickets for next year when the Panthers are good again.