It's been a saddening year for Panther Nation. After a magical season and a trip to the Super Bowl, the Panthers fumbled the opportunity in Super Bowl 50 and fell flat on their face in 2016. It was a year of injury, heartache, and missed opportunities. As the Panthers descended from atop the mountain at an unprecedented rate, the Falcons were rising up at astonishing speed. It made it worse. Trounced twice by arguably the fanbase's most hated team, our misery was compounded by Atlanta's success.

Panther Nation was being terrorized, and the Super Bowl was the Al-Queda attack of all football games. The two most hated teams by Panther Nation faced off in Super Bowl 51. To make matters worse, the Falcons came out throwing haymakers, jumping out to a 18 point lead in the first half. They added 7 more in the third, and then the most epic of all collapses occurred. The New England Patriots mounted the largest Super Bowl comeback in history. It's the first time, and likely the last time, I'll say it--the Pats winning was glorious. 

It's been one of the few good Mondays in the last year since the Panthers fell from the mountaintop. They say misery loves company, and I'm thinking they're right. It's nice knowing that Atlanta fans are feeling like Panther fans were just one year ago. We know that feeling intimately. We can empathize for sure, but that suggests that we care about Falcons fans feelings! So we can finally put the 2016 season in the books, knowing that the world isn't ending because Atlanta is still choking! 

By the Professor, aka Tony Dunn
Follow @Cat_Chronicles for the latest Panthers news and opinions from the fan perspective.