Boom!  World champion Patriots shockingly fall to Panthers

It rocked a large part of the East Coast.  The ground visibly shook as fault lines ripped through North Carolina.  Millions of frightened people ran for safety.  No one seemed to know exactly what was happening.

Seismologists confirmed that the epicenter of Sunday's powerful tremor near the Atlantic Ocean was in downtown Charlotte, where the Carolina Panthers hosted the New England Patriots in the second week of the NFL season.  The shaking actually started as the final seconds ticked off the clock at Bank of America Stadium, sending the crowd of 73,528 into a panic.

"I'm not sure what started that strange earthquake, and I have no idea why you're bothering me with those questions because I'm preparing for a big game against Plano this weekend," said head coach Jeff Reents of the Wilmington Wildcats, high school football's juggernaut with 32 consecutive regular-season victories.

Some experts believe the incredible East Coast tremor might have been the result of a massive explosion deep underground.  A huge bomb was probably buried under Charlotte by terrorists, officials speculated.  "They want to strike us again while we're still busy trying to save New Orleans from the wrath of Hurricane Katrina," an FBI agent said.

Who can explain what caused the earth to shake so violently in North Carolina?  Better yet, who could have guessed that the winners of three of the last four Super Bowls would lose so early in the 2005 season, and to a Carolina team that looked extremely sluggish last week. The Panthers somehow beat the Patriots handily 27-17.

The mystery was explained Monday by a cap-collector from Illinois who insisted he knew the real cause behind the great quake.  He even claimed partial responsibility for the disruption because the tremor was created by his 9-year-old son, the man said.

"It wasn't a bomb, it was Boom," the father said proudly.  "He's not a tremor, he's a Trevor.  He made his first major impact in the Sunday Football Picks!"