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In 1995, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars,
the Carolina Panthers entered the NFL as the first expansion
teams in almost 20 years. That season, the Panthers set many
records for expansion franchises, most notably being most
regular season victories (7).
In
1996, the second year of their existence, the Panthers found
themselves in the NFC title game, playing the Green Bay Packers
but losing. That season, the Panthers became the youngest
franchise to ever win a division title, beating out the San
Fransisco 49ers to take the NFC West.
During
the next few years, the Panthers made nearly as much news
off the field as on, much of it negative. In 1999, wide receiver
Rae Carruth was convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend.
The following year, running back Fred Lane was shot to death
by his wife during a domestic dispute.
In
2001, the Panthers set a rather dubious record by becoming
the first NFL team to lose 15 straight games in one season.
The Panthers picked up an encouraging win against the Minnesota
Vikings to start the season, but fell flat the rest of the
season.
In
2003, two years removed from a 1-15 season, the team returned
to the NFC championship, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles
to earn a trip to Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas. The
team fell in that game to the AFC champion New England Patriots,
32-29, following a field goal with :04 remaining by Patriot
kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Early
in the 2004 campaign, the Panthers sustained a number of injuries
to key players. During the first half of the season, their
record was a dismal 1-7. But, the team rallied to win 6 of
its last 8 games. However, the turnaround was not enough to
carry the Panthers into the post season. A loss to the Atlanta
Falcons in week 15 and a loss to the New Orleans Saints in
the final game of the season combined to keep the defending
NFC Champion Carolina Panthers out of the playoffs.
Founded: 1995
Home stadium: Bank of America Stadium (2003–,
was Ericsson Stadium 1996–2003)
Previous stadium: Memorial Stadium, Clemson,
South Carolina (1995)
Uniform colors: Black, Carolina blue, Silver,
and White
Helmet design: Silver helmet, a black snarling
panther outlined in blue
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Arizona
Cardinals 
