It Could Always Be Worse

You could be a Carolina fan.


In what can only be regarded as bad luck the Panthers have had a series of unfortunate events fall upon them in their short history. From the murder conviction of receiver Rae Carruth to the recent death of linebacker coach Sam Mills the Panthers have been cursed by misfortune and this off-season is no different writes Len Pasquarelli at ESPN.com.
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2057051)

"[W]ith a steroid controversy swirling around three players, the death of linebackers coach Sam Mills last month after a two-year battle with intestinal cancer, and last week's revelation by weakside linebacker Mark Fields that he will miss the 2005 season as he confronts Hodgkin's disease for the second time in two years."

Considering they have only existed for ten years the Panthers have accumulated enough black marks to make the Raiders jealous. Additionally no other club has been ravaged in the way that Carolina has been by cancer. They have lost a valued member of the clubhouse in Sam Mills, and Pro Bowl linebacker Mark Fields has said he will be forced to sit out another season because of his battle with Hodgkin's disease.

While the Bucs have been fortunate to have escaped the Panthers fortune, I can only hope for the best for Mark Fields and his family. I will root for him to beat up on the Bucs if that means he has finally beaten cancer.