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'i? *<*- T~ / ?-I Bryan Mims/The Gamecock Debbie London of Cherryville, N.C., displays her Panther pride before a pep rally Friday at the site of the future NFL stadium in Charlotte, N.C. i ij|l: Clemson \i|k : Jmg sfndeni fooibaii ll|||k | Mm lottery change In |)k y ticket plck-np schedule Any student who registered for the lottery can pick up a Clemson ticket beginning Monday, Nov. 1 through Wednesday, Nov. 3 in Room \?p||ga 203 Russell House 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Any student who is eligible and did not register for the lottery can pick up a Clemson ticket beginning Wednesday, Nov. 3 through Friday, Nov. 5 in Room 203 Russell House 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. as long as tickets are available. Students must be a full time USC campus student and paid the activity fee. |g||j|? Students can validate a student ticket Students must present a valid ID n d it rKr^M ?a i r*ln ?-\ /> n r\ r? f i n v* /4 ' riiMQuv ttuu wnc;ii puling up a lickci anu when entering the stadium on ngulfs By BRYAN MIMS Staff Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? During an ordinary election year, the mayoral race is the number one topic by the end of October, but it was eclipsed this past week when news broke that the city would land the NFL's 29th franchise. To celebrate, some 50,000 Carolinians packed into Charlotte to flaunt their Panther pride. "It's been nuts here since the announcement was made," said Joanie Sedberry, who wore a Carolina Panthers sweatshirt as she watched a parade proceed down Tryon Street. "The city has not been the same." "You should have been here Wednesday when the first shirts went on sale," Joy Avin added. "It was a madhouse." Shortly after 4:30 p.m., music from the John C. Smith University marching band reverberated throughout Charlotte's polished, high-rise bank buildings as onlookers shouted, clapped and snapped photographs. Following the band, Mayor Richard Vinroot and Mecklenburg County commissioner Park Helms waved to the crowd. A few beaming Vinroot supporters gave him a thumbs-up and said, "We got it, mayor, we got it!" Up and down Tryon Street, vendors enticed passersby with Panther paraphernalia. Roger Sheaves, store manager for the Sports Authority in Charlotte, sold 47 caps for $25 in two hours. "They're all gone," he said. "We're selling them fast because nobody has them. They're embroidered, and it takes a long time to get an embroidered hat." As he watched the crowds thicken along Tryon Street, Sheaves said, "It's fantastic. I mean, for the city of Charlotte business-wise, you wouldn't be able to put a price on how much this does." When Sheaves moved to Charlotte 10 years ago, he said he never imagined an NFL team would locate in a city he then considered "a big-city farm town." But today, with its skyline rising over the Piedmont, Charlotte is the epitome of a progressive Southern iir . r ' * m , ' _ " pWf * w 4 -- ,-5-1' ' TaTIHo * r\ i % m , tr* **??. w w w Uktsi ' Hi: Sit** ill $ *!LXX[ .^ik:!* ? t With Visa? places, nearl; Vi? Chart Jerry Richardson, the businessmar Panthers to Charlotte, N.C., signs a city. And in three years, network t< television cameras will show off s the Queen City to the rest of t America when the Panthers play in I their brand new stadium. S Friday's parade ended at the stadium site. Crowds assembled in j front of a stage where politicians c from both Carolinas and Jerry h Richardson, the Spartanburg busi- v nessman who lured the NFL fran- c chise to Charlotte, made brief jj speeches. tj "It's a wonderful day for the a Carolinas, and it's a wonderful day for all of us." the mayor shouted, p "About a year ago, we were here, t and I held a football up here and c said, 'You can forget it if you're in v St. Louis, you can forget it if ^ you're in Baltimore, you can forget it if you're in Jacksonville, forget it if you're in Memphis, but it's coming to Charlotte!' And it's coming * to Charlotte." ^ f Indeed, the NFL's coming to Charlotte. But remember, the s Panthers play their maiden season a in 1995 at Frank Howard Stadium v in Clemson. So, N.C. Gov. Jim a Hunt grasped the microphone and posed a challenge to South ? Carolina. 1 "North Carolina will have more ]' fans in the stands than South Carolina," he said. "How 'bout '< that!" I S.C. Lt. Gov. Nick Theodore 1 replied, "Governor Hunt, I'll tell > you this. We'll accept the challenge. We're proud to be a part of t this great NFL organization. But I ' :mm 9 **** ' ^ ?9i o v? t -?? v"" **"9 w m*?s? A* X W *,.?*?* igtied h,ut your pi * 1 ? ' ' %s1?% I ' 11* VISA I I&HMHHMMMBMBmmmmi wmmmmm you'll be accepted at more than II y three times more than Americar And that's not a misprint. >a. It's Everywhere You Want To Be? otte ii & Bryan Mims/The Gamecock i instru mental in bringing the utographs Friday. agether, working together ? tu^^ tates ? we're delighted to hav^ he first season at Clemson Jniversity at Frank Howard Itadium." Three nights earlier in Chicago, erry Richardson, majority owner if the Panthers, promised that when le returned to the Carolinas, he vould thank everyone who purhased permanent seat licenses in he Panthers stadium. He fulfilled hat promise Friday. Then, he made nother. "This is my pledge to you.j^ ficlwdson said. "Our goal is to pi^1 ogei:her an organization and a oaching staff so that one day ve're going to be standing here in his same area celebrating our first tuper Bowl." Following Richardson's remarks, wo models in Carolina Panthers ini forms were hoisted on a platorm above the stage as Fireworks treaked the overcast sky with red ind orange. One model donned a vhite jersey trimmed in blue, black in.d silver. The other wore a brigl"^ >lue jersey trimmed in black, silvt^P nrid white. A miniature Panther ogo adorned the sleeves of hoth erseys. t c ol i _: A 44T jesse uore 01 ^narioue saiu, * jsed to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, jut now I'm a Carolina Panthers :an. And I predict that Carolina will xdn a bowl within six years." A little farfetched? Six years hat's what many said about ai^ ^TFL team in the Carolinas. '4 ' ' ' ' v . ' ". / r?rvo. v *o r irxt ?|tr -sj? s * ^ Jit ft* m + (Mm***? m w - """*? ' I z ^^ ppl < 3 million 1 Express. - . < C Visa U.S.A. Inc. 1993 ?