Good Intentions.

The Panthers are back in the playoffs. You know it. I know it. Everybody in the Carolinas knows it.

So when tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. New Year’s Day, we all sat eagerly by our computers in an effort to snag a pair or two for the game in Charlotte. The problem was that only 7,000 seats were allotted to the public in a stadium that holds nearly 74,000 people.

With so many fans trying to get hold of the limited number of tickets, it’s a wonder that anyone got through to buy them. While the lucky ones started 2009 off with a smile and playoff seats, the less-fortunate rolled over and went back to bed or back to work crossing their fingers for another chance. Others kept trying.

One of these others was my cousin, Chandler, and I want you to take a moment to look at this situation from his shoes.

Imagine you’re a 15-year-old kid who loves the Panthers more than DeAngelo Williams loves the end zone. You know every player’s name, and you call the plays better than the offensive coordinator.

You’re not sick with anything, and you haven’t lost anyone, but you’re dealing with an issue that gets overlooked in today’s times. Your parents are getting divorced, and you’re caught in the middle. While your home life is in turmoil, your love for sports is your only escape.

Now let that sink in for a minute.

As the Panthers turned heads throughout the season, Chandler saved money in hopes that they would make the playoffs and host a game in Charlotte. When they beat the Saints on Dec. 28, he called me and told me that he had saved $350. He wanted to take his brother, a friend, and me to the game.

Now, $350 is a lot of money, but to a 15-year-old, it’s a pot of gold. I was honored that he would think of me.

When the time came to buy the tickets, I rolled out of bed and gave it a shot in case he couldn’t get them. Like the majority of people who tried, I couldn’t get any, so I stopped after 30 minutes.

But Chandler didn’t give up. He used one hand to refresh the website and the other to call the ticket office. After an hour and a half of trying, he got through.

The tickets were sold out.

Instead of sulking, Chandler’s determination and skills with Google lead him to a third-party ticket website. He clicked the link and saw four tickets available for $350. It was perfect.

Using his father’s credit card, he submitted the order and waited. When the confirmation came through, it showed the bill. $1,400 had been charged to the card. The tickets weren’t four for $350, but $350 each.

Step into his shoes one more time and imagine the roller-coaster of emotions he felt in thinking that he wouldn’t be able to find tickets to the excitement of finding them, only to be crushed by the realization of a simple mistake.

He called me that afternoon to tell me his story, and my heart broke for him. In an attempt to do something completely unselfish, Chandler fell victim to the selfish gain of a faceless scalper. He would have to sell the tickets at face-value in an effort to gain some money back.

While he was slightly shaken-up, he was more disappointed that he couldn’t take the rest of us to the game. In the week after Christmas when everyone is over the idea of giving for a while, Chandler became the epitome of how we should live everyday: for others.

His example of giving simple love in the face of the obstacle of issues at home made me realize that the little problems that can bring you down in life aren’t really worth worrying about. Most of what bothers you today probably won’t be a big deal less than a month from now.

No one knows what will happen for sure, but I have a feeling that if the Panthers play with even a quarter of the heart that Chandler showed last week that most of us in the Carolinas will be happy Sunday morning.

Wherever Chandler watches the game Saturday night, the Panthers will play the Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium in front of 74,000 people. We know this. Whatever happens, life goes on.

But as we focus on the game, and as Chandler makes his four-quarter escape, think about taking his spirit into 2009. Make it last all year, because 2010 and next football season’s ticket sales are right around the corner.

DS.