The Year of the Cat Hardcover - 1997

From the publisher

1996 was truly a Cinderella season for the Carolina Panthers. They went 12-4, shattered several previous expansion team records, won all their home games in their gleaming new stadium before huge, roaring crowds, and, in just their second year of existence, beat the San Francisco 49ers twice and knocked the previous year's Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys out of the playoffs. The Panthers' unprecedented run was finally derailed by the Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game, but not before the Panthers had already established themselves as one of the NFL's elite.

In Year of the Cat, Scott Fowler and Charles Chandler examine what set this team apart from prior expansion clubs. They go behind the scenes to show how General Manager Bill Polian and Head Coach Dom Capers were able to build a defense that kept the team in every game, and an offense that matured along with top draft pick Kerry Collins. By adding several key free agents along the way, the Panthers were able to assemble a team of players who were not only good enough to win, but also knew how to win. And win they did. Year of the Cat explores this incredible season and provide a year's worth of thrills and memories to keep Panthers' fans going until next year's big dance.