"The Queen City is the popular nickname for Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina. But another nickname seems more appropriate as Bears defensive end Julius Peppers prepares for a homecoming Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

During the Revolutionary War, British commander Charles Cornwallis occupied the city but was driven out by hostile residents, prompting him to write that Charlotte was a ''hornet's nest of rebellion.''

Contemporary residents debate whether the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end bolted town voluntarily or involuntarily, a point that's not entirely clear because Peppers insists the Panthers were going to ''do away with anybody who was making any significant amount of money'' and focusing on young players, even though he admittedly was ready to venture elsewhere.

But this much is indisputable: Peppers and his new team -- the 3-1 Bears -- have designs to push the Panthers to 0-5.

''There are going to be some people upset because they feel betrayed,'' said Frank Garcia, a former Panthers offensive lineman who co-hosts a radio program in Charlotte. ''But they forget that there's a business that takes place. "