Of course, I'm not really plugged into what's happening in the Rockies so I might be missing something.

Something tells me I'm not, however, and the whole world believes “our” beloved Panthers are going to go into Levi's Stadium and have the Lombardi Trophy handed to them before the coin toss.

As everyone who likes me or dislikes knows, I don't like the Panthers. There was a fleeting few months in my life where I was going to adopt them as my second team but when I turned on the television the first season they played there was not a Redskins game to be found and thus began my bitter hatred for the team which plays in the Rock Hill, South Carolina, suburb of Charlotte.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen what they've been doing when they've been whining nobody's seen what they've been doing but I've seen what they've been doing and believe they will most likely win.

That doesn't mean I have to like them. That doesn't mean I have to froth over Cam Newton like a dog froths over a juicy T-bone left on the table.

First off, Cam has a history of wearing Capri pants and as I've written before, men are never allowed to wear Capri pants. So there's that and those $900 monstrosities he wore the day the team left for California, well, they were essentially Capri pants and men shouldn't wear Capri pants even if they're planning a clam-digging trip. Go buy a Brooks Brothers suit for crying out loud if you want to make a fashion statement.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're going to win but that doesn't mean I have to like it and that doesn't mean I have to put up with the whining coming from the Rock Hill suburb of Charlotte that they don't get no respect.

Who's not respecting them? They get more respect than the Broncos defense which, at least on this side of the Continental Divide, no one's talking about. Vegas lines favor them, they've been lauded for their offense and defense so what else do you want?

Fans in North Carolina don't want to talk about it because they're caught up in some haze of fervor. That haze of fervor won't allow them to believe there is a distinct possibility the best defense in the NFL may make them humble.

No one in North Carolina is talking about the Denver defense because they don't want the premature taste of victory taken from their mouths before the coin toss. They're holding on to a very possible dream the Panthers will finally bring a Lombardi Trophy to Rock Hill but don't want to face it's going to take work to get it.

If you think the Broncos are just going to roll over and play dead like a dog trying to get that juicy steak, then maybe you need to reevaluate your football IQ.

Yes, I'll be the one to say it, if you watched the last few regular season games the Panthers played, they struggled, actually struggled against subpar teams, so yeah, maybe they deserve a little dab of disrespect and, as the saying goes, if you want respect, earn it, win the Super Bowl.

I'll also be the one to say, yes, it is a very arrogant, cocky team, and it's not the dabbing, the excessive celebrations, it's the ego of the fans, it's the ego of Cam and it's this feeling of entitlement they have, the incessant whining no one respects them when everyone has seen what they have done, a near-perfect season. What more could you ask for?

This team has not reinvented football as some of the experts say.

They've done nothing different than NFC or AFC champions of the past. The Panthers didn't invent fun. Every boy who dreams of playing in the NFL and makes it is having fun. Some just don't show they're having fun in the way people like J.J. Watt show they're having fun. Some don't like the glitz and the tedious rituals.

But you have to remember it's also a job, it takes work and dedication, sweat, injury and even a few tears so don't think Carolina has reinvented anything. There's always been the scrambling quarterback — think Fran Tarkenton — there's always been the flash — think Joe Namath in the fur coat — there's always been the celebrating — think the Fun Bunch and Posse of the Redskins days.

Take it for what it is, a team which even I must concede has done very well and stands a very good chance of bringing home our state's very first Lombardi trophy.

If you can get past the devastating Denver D which flattened Tom Brady, don't come crying you were never respected.

But from all I've seen and heard no one's saying anything about your opponent so why should I even bother making a prediction? — Lance Martin