Are you for Carolina or against the Patriots

As Super Bowl XXXVIII approaches, students at this small New England school are getting ready to watch the New England Patriots face off against the Carolina Panthers. While most are opting to route for the home team, there is a small minority who are honorably cheering for the underdog Panthers.

"I have to route for Carolina -- my roommate is a diehard Pats fan," freshman Ben Chynsky said.

This is the overwhelming sentiment one finds when trying to sniff out the Carolina faithful on campus. While few are technically Carolina fans, many are cheering against the Patriots. Case in point is freshman Mickey Ferri, who hails from Connecticut and considers himself a Packer Backer.

"I'm cheering against them because everyone likes them," Ferri said.

Other temporary Panther fans have grown out of a lack of interest in either team.

"I'll go for Carolina because they are the underdog, and when you don't have a favorite team, you want the underdog to win," junior Brandon Taylor said.

That is not to say there are no true Panther fans to be found on campus. Freshman Brad Kelly has lived in Charlotte, NC -- home of Ericsson Stadium where the Panthers play -- for two years.

"I am originally from Canada," Kelly said. "but I like underdogs, and it was the first American city I lived in that had a pro-football team."

Not all North Carolinians share Kelly's enthusiasm. Senior Chapel Hill native Brooke Frankel showed more of a reaction over UNC's narrow 68-66 victory over N.C. State last Wednesday, than for Steve Smith's 69-yard touchdown catch in the double overtime victory over the Rams to send them to the NFC title game.

"I never watched the Panthers before, and I was never around anyone who watched pro sports at home," Frankel said. "But here, everyone watches the Patriots, so I have been watching them, too. I will be cheering for them on Sunday."

When asked why no one at home watched pro-sports, Frankel replied, "there are enough college sports to keep us occupied."

The Super Bowl apathy plaguing Chapel Hill does not seem to be squandering the enthusiasm down in Charlotte, however.

"I live in the same neighborhood as the owner and people have been decorating and putting signs on the street," Kelly said. "The city is going crazy."

Unfortunately for Kelly, he will find no camaraderie with his fellow Sunday viewers.

"There are no Carolina fans at Tufts," Kelly said. "But it doesn't really matter...I'm going to party either way."

Taylor expressed a similar sentiment.

"I'm going to celebrate regardless," Taylor said, "but I won't go into Boston if they win. I'll probably go to sleep."