CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The English-to-Spanish translation of touchdown happens to be . . . touchdown. But that's just on paper. Over the air, in the sports bars, in the barrio and inside a 17-by-17 radio booth at the Carolina Panthers' stadium, the Spanish word for touchdown is a rock song.
While no one was looking, the Panthers have become South America's team. There are families in Argentina who know Cam Newton only as "El Dinosaurio" or Josh Norman only as "El Bandolero." In Puerto Rico, there's a certain Rivera family huddled up by a radio every NFL Sunday.