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 airfare, 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 only 30 left to sell.

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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 degrees 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.

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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 Panther right guard, blocked White while playing with the Raiders and he has 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.’ ”

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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.”