Will we have a Ric Flair swerve in the NFL Playoffs?

This is the tale of two cities: Charlotte, North Carolina and San Francisco, California. A tale of two teams, and the motivational icon both teams are brushing up against for luck in the ongoing NFL Playoffs.

As ESPN reported on their blog on Friday, the NFC North Champion Charlotte Panthers have adopted legendary World Champion wrestler (and Charlotte's favorite son) Ric Flair's "wooooo!" as part of their in-game performance (after huddles, etc.) and have gone 12-2 since. Fitting. 

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But wait, according to San Francisco 49'ers lineman Anthony Davis, Natch had flown into Green Bay, Wisconsin on Saturday, to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, to give the 49'ers a pep talk before their Wild Card Round tilt with the Packers on Sunday afternoon. 

Of course, controversy #1 was Davis tweeting a photo of the pep talk, conducted at a team meeting, but referring to Green Bay as "this shit hole." To Davis, I would remind him that he is lucky enough to be able to play in the postseason at an historic venue. Not to mention, what happens if Davis winds up playing for Green Bay? Not that the fans there track history or remember shit. 

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While this has lead to coverage from the usual haunts like ESPN and TMZ, the coverage I thought was perhaps the most amusing was NFL.com's take on the brewing drama. (pictured at right - click to go to NFL.com article) Kudos to their writers for actually researching or knowing a little bit about wrestling coming into the article.

So, to recap: Ric Flair's iconic "Woooo!" adopted by Charlotte Panthers, only for Flair to visit the 49'ers and give them a pep talk before their playoff game. What the hell happens if the Niners gotta play the Panthers later in the playoffs? Is he gonna visit both locker rooms, or ???

See, me, I know where this is going. Flair, often referred to as "The Dirtiest Player in the Game," is simply lulling San Francisco into complacency. If the game arrives, it will be neck and neck the entire way, but as the game winds down, Flair and the ref will bump heads, allowing the Panthers to get into range and win it on a field goal. Or at least, how awesome a finish would that be?

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