Carolina Panthers fans should brace for a parade through downtown Charlotte in February, Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalilannounced in a full-page ad taken out in Wednesday's Charlotte Observer.
In the ad, which was printed without the knowledge of the Panthers organization, Kalil says the fans' continued support will be rewarded with a "One hundred-percent, sterling silver victory. The Lombardi Trophy."
"Every team says it every year, whether it's publicly or not," Kalil said. "They say they're going to win the Super Bowl.
"We've said it in the past in meeting rooms and behind closed doors. This year's different. There's a sense of urgency, a winning attitude that I haven't seen before. And it's in the way we prepare. It's in the way we approach each work day, and I think fans will see it in the way that we play."
The Panthers, by the way, were 6-10 last season.
Kalil never has been one to shy away from bold predictions through the media. During the tail end of the 2011 lockout, Kalil hinted that the Panthers were primed to be featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" series, going so far as to post a "Hard Knocks" banner image on Twitter. Panthers fans hope his current prediction will be more accurate.
