Panthermania Hits Charlotte Businesses

Carolina Panther fans, who haven’t been scared off by forecasts of low temperatures and snow for Sunday’s NFC championship game at Green Bay, can purchase round-trip air fare, a hotel room in Milwaukee, a bus ride to Lambeau Field and ticket to the game for $879 per person.

Charlotte-based Broach Sports Tours offered 170 of the $879 packages, and by the close of business Tuesday had room for only 30.

A movie theater in Charlotte provided free popcorn for its customers Monday to celebrate Sunday’s victory over the Dallas Cowboys, and a sign outside the Morningside Mini-Storage business on Wilkinson Boulevard said: “[Coach Dom] Capers for president.”

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The Packers have Brett Favre and Reggie White, but they believe their true edge on the Panthers is the weather.

“It was 65 degrees,” for the Panthers’ game against the Cowboys, Packer center Frank Winters said, “and they were sitting on heated benches.”

Favre is 18-0 at home when the temperature at kickoff is 35 or below, and the Panthers haven’t played in any cold weather this season. The long-range forecast for Sunday’s NFC championship at Lambeau Field calls for a temperature of 10 degrees at kickoff with a wind-chill below zero and a 30% chance of snow.

Carolina will arrive in Green Bay on Friday night but will not journey to Lambeau Field on Saturday to practice. Capers said his team will run through its plays at the team hotel, something it has done all season.

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The Panthers will send Norberto Garrido onto the field to stop White, the Packers’ premier pass rusher.

Garrido, a rookie tackle from USC, said he already has been studying film of White.

“He’s got three moves he likes,” Garrido said, and I know this, he’s going to come at me hard.”

Greg Skrepenak, the Panthers’ right guard, blocked White while playing with the Raiders, and he has had some advice for Garrido.

“You can’t get into a situation where you over-respect him or he’s going to have his way with you. You don’t go in thinking, ‘Wow, I’m blocking Reggie White.’ ”

No, you go in praying you can block Reggie White.

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Difficult to believe, but the Packers might be overlooking the Panthers. Players and fans wanted to take on the Cowboys.

“Our fans really wanted Dallas to come up here and slip and slide around the field,” Green Bay Coach Mike Holmgren said. “I don’t want them to be disappointed that we’re not playing Dallas. Carolina is a fine, fine football team.”