Thanks in part to two turnovers by the Carolina Panthers and their inability to put any points on the board in the second half, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Panthers yesterday to get one step closer to the Super Bowl. The 49ers won 23-10 and will travel to Seattle on Sunday to play for the NFC Championship. As if the Panthers’ poor showing wasn’t enough, one end-zone move by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick succeeded in making an already frustrated Carolina fan base completely ticked off.
Some Panthers fans are attributing the loss to the “Ric Flair Curse,” since the former wrestler switched his allegiance from the Panthers to the 49ers just days before. Whether you chalk up the loss to the lack of Ric Flair’s presence in the Panthers locker room or failing to score more than three points on two trips inside the 49ers five-yard line, the Charlotte-based team certainly didn’t bring their A-game yesterday.
Kaepernick is now 4-1 in his post-season career as a starter. Even though the young quarterback didn’t have one of his best passing games (he was 15-30 for less than 200 yards), Kaepernick let Panthers quarterback Cam Newton know who the real Superman was yesterday. On a touchdown Kaepernick ran in, he stole Newton’s signature Superman celebration move, which didn’t go over well with Panthers fans.
Check out Kaepernick’s Superman celebration, which is followed up with his traditional bicep-kiss, below.
Some football fans wasted no time in calling out Kaepernick on Twitter for his move:
Kaepernick imitating Newton's Superman yesterday… Could he be more of an ass? #kaepernick #nothumble #hatetheniners #GoHawks
— Ian Davidson (@IanDavidson23) January 13, 2014
Colin Kaepernick looks like such an idiot doing the Superman gesture after scoring… Only Cam & Johnny Football can do it.
— Andrew Schafer (@adSchafe1) January 12, 2014
Not everyone was put off by Kaepernick’s Superman celebration, including former New Orleans Saints wide receiver DontĂ© Stallworth.
Whoa he straight ish'ed on his TD celebration!!! WOW!!! Straight disrespect!! I LOVE IT!!!
— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) January 12, 2014
It’s worth noting that both quarterbacks were taken in the 2011 NFL Draft and were roommates at the NFL Scouting Combine. One quarterback is one game away from his second Super Bowl appearance while the other just finally led his team to a winning season. Like Kaepernick or not, there is little debate as to who the real Superman is on the field.
Image via YouTube