I got an email from a passionate Washington Redskins fan I wanted to share with you. He lives in Charlotte and believes that any Panther fan 23 or over can't be trusted. This doesn't have anything to do with the result of Sunday's game -- although he did go to that one and was obviously unhappy with the result. It's more of an overall theory. I'll let him explain -- his letter is in italics below.
I'm going to let him remain anonymous for this, although I can tell you it's a real person I'm familiar with, as I don't want the extreme edge of the Panther base to decide to harass him or something. Everyone, after all, is entitled to an opinion.
Feel free to comment on this rather provocative theory below, but keep it CLEAN. I don't want to have to hide and disable the comments, but will if I must.
From A Passionate Redskins Fan in Charlotte... To the readers of the "Scott Says" blog:
"I have a theory that I have expressed to several people, but no one has yet given me a reason why my theory is incorrect or otherwise poked any holes in it. Here it is: I don’t trust drinking-age Panther fans. The Panthers started in 1995. That’s 16 years ago. That means that one of two realities is true for anyone over or about 23 years old (who would have been 8 years old when the Panthers started) who is a Panthers fan:
1 -- They were the fan of another team and then just abandoned them when the Panthers came along. Imagine: You’re 40, the Panthers come along, and you ditch your favorite team. Blasphemy. That really shows a lack of trustworthiness, loyalty, character.
OR...
2 -- The person didn’t have a favorite team. That might even be worse. A 30-year-old who doesn’t like a football team? How can you trust them to commit to a person or a cause if they are an adult and don’t have a favorite football team?
At a minimum, they are wishy-washy. At most, they are something much, much worse. Seems to me that those are the only 2 possibilities for adult Panther fans. As such, I don’t trust either.
Obviously, it is perfectly acceptable for a person under the age of about 22 to be a Panthers fan because that’s been the local team since they were young.
So what do yall think about that theory? And keep it clean!
We're moving!
9 years ago
Posts
189 comments:
born in 1990 been a panthers fan my whole life and kinda weirdly agree with him
Scott, I have to say that this has to be the most ridiculous letter I have ever read. I am 25 y/o and a die hard panther fan. I didn't start watching football until I was 17 and could have cared less up to that point. Even if a person had a favorite team before the Panthers came along it has been enough years for someone's allegiance to change. I know many people who loved football prior to the Panthers coming to the Carolinas and they have told me that they never had a favorite team because they have no tie to another team until the Panthers came to town. Everyone has a team they loath, but not everyone has a team the love. I'll trust a Panther fan who started rooting for his home team once he had one to root for over a "fan" of a team that he has no real tie with.
Total idiot. Plain and simple. And an uneducated one as well.
Take me for example. I'm 33 years old. I moved to Charlotte 10 years ago from Indiana. I never really had a "favorite team" other than a college team. I watched the Colts cause they were local, and a lot of people liked the Bears. And I watched. But I didn't own jerseys, go to many games or anything. Just watched for the love of football on TV.
Once I moved to Charlotte... I said, this will be my home for years to come, time to embrace it. Therefore, with the Panthers being the home team, I went with them. And I've been a loyal Panthers fan... through the playoffs, Super Bowl and crappy seasons that followed. Still hang my flag outside every Sunday, no matter the record.
So I's over 22. I didn't give up on any team. I made Charlotte my home and made the Panthers my team. Plain and simple.
Wow. Honestly, it is really hard to respond to such a letter. I am 26 and have been a fan since the Panthers were playing at Clemson. I didn't have a favorite NFL team before that as I was too consumed with the Hornets, Braves, and Tarheels. I don't go to all of the games but I watch them religiously and follow the team VERY closely (most likely closer than the author of this letter follows the Redskins). I agree that there are plenty of fair-weather Panther fans out there but to generalize like that is dumb. This guy was obviously pissed about losing and has serious issues. Just my two cents....
Scott -
I would say this is somewhat accurate, but there are too many variables involved in being a football fan to pin it down to just these two theories.
But as a 23 year old, I can say I am a diehard, had you provided his name, I am sure I would have poked the bear on twitter or harassed him a little. All I know is that I am a part of a coming generation of fans, us that somewhat remember what it was like before the Panthers, but not much. The first game I ever went to was at Bank of America Stadium. We are PSL owners now, and I don't miss a beat.
If you would like to argue this point with me. You can find me in Section 522 Row 6 Seat 1 & 2 or Row 7 Seat 1 & 2.. Best come during half time or I will push you back down the stairs for blocking my view of my beloved Panthers.
Redskin fans turn into sociologists when their team loses.
Its just another teams rhetoric and a stupi theory. Sure it's true in some cases, I know really awesome die hard fans though, many are better fans than some redskins fans, who are way over 23. I just turned 22 though and I cant remember a time when I the panthers didn't exist. When I became interested in the nfl it was when the Panthers played dallas in the playoffs the first time
I'm 32 and grew up a Redskins fan. However, I'm a North Carolina boy all the way and started pulling for both teams when the Panthers arrived. The final nail in my Redskins coffin was Daniel Snyder. He made it easier and easier to forget about the Skins. But, having grown up watching them I'll still pull for them unless it hurts the Panthers playoff situation.
Silly. I didn't have a favorite NFL team before the Panthers because I had no connection to any NFL team. Because of that I was a bigger college FB fan.
To me the opposite is true, just picking a team you have no connection to just because they win/won in the past leaves more room for fickle fans.
This is ridiculous! So by his theory, the Panthers should have ZERO fans over the age of 23? So the Panthers should have gone "fanless" for 16-20 years? Sounds like someones just a little upset that old Skins fans have become Panther fans. I'd be more interested in why there are so many people that attend Panther games that want to sit for 3-1/2 hours on their Blackberry's then complain when someone next to them actually stands and cheers!!!
36 Yrs Old - Grew up in Western NC, went to college in Raleigh, so I've been here all my life. Grew up a Redskins fan, b/c we didn't have a team in the Carolinas. Ridiculous statement to say that when a team did come to town that I wouldn't immediately make them my team. I couldn't wait for a team to come to Charlotte, and bought PSL's the first year and still have them.
In your emailer's example - Who should you pull for if you grew up pulling for the Baltimore Colts? Their email suggests that you pull for the team, not the city - so I can only assume if you've lived in Baltimore for 30+ yrs, you should remain "loyal" to the Colts in Indianapolis.
Go Panthers!!!
I am 33 and while I did "root" for the Redskins growing up, I can't say they were my favorite team. Maybe it was because those are the games that were on TV here during that time. I believe you should show loyalty to the region in which you live. I find that better than just rooting for the "winning" team all the time. Take baseball for example, I am a die hard Cardinals fan, have been for years, if Charlotte gets a team, I will pull for them and they will be a favorite team of mine and will get my full support. That does not say the Cardinals still won't be my favorite team.
29 years old, my dad played for carolina, watched him tear up with amazement and disbelief when we got the panthers. Original PSL holders, rowdiest fan in catman's section, been on the jumbotron twice, and i ache during the offseason. Everyone's got a different story, don't just make generalizations and marginalize people because YOUR history makes you feel superior. People born in charlotte since its boom in the early 80's have a lot of pride in the growth of charlotte and the panthers play prominently into that. BTW the redskins were probably not the hardest team to drop loyalties to for a genuine expansion hometeam, something not many redskins fans got to be part of.
I am 33 years old and a PANTHER fan. I grew up a Redskins fan and was never able to see any of their games in person until they played an exhibition vs the Falcons at Kenan Stadium. This game was a part of the push to bring an NFL team to the Carolinas. They even had a rendering of BofA Stadium in the program from that game that showed red seats. From the day they announced that we would get our own franchise I became a fan. Why would I want to cheer for a team that is multiple hours away that reps a City that I don't have any connection with?
44 years old have lived in the area for 42 of them and was a Saints fan (I know-it was hard)because that is where my relatives lived.
Once we got the Panthers, I have been a die-hard fan through the good times and bad.
This Redskins fan is an idiot.
Go Panthers!!!!!!!!!!
I'm 40 and grew up a Dolphins fan but when they screwed Marino over (IMO) at the end of his career that was the beginning of the end of my support for them. I had always followed the Panthers and they had become my 2nd favorite team so once Miami crapped on the greatest player they will ever have I gradually became totally a Panthers fan. All the passion and knowledge of the game I have had since I was 6 years ago has transferred to the Panthers and the Dolphins can go straighttohell. I'm as passionate about the Panthers now as any rational lifelong fan of any other team.
Like Jordan, I've been a Panthers fan since day 1 - literally. My Dad took me to the Panther's very first game in Clemson,SC. I still have the hat.
I'm 24 now & i've been a Panthers fan ever since. I live in Myrtle Beach, SC where we are surrounded by Steelers fans, Pats fans, etc. & have had to go through losing seasons as a fan.
I could have whined & bad mouthed another Team & their Fans like this Redskins fan is doing while I watched my team win 2 games last year. Instead, I wore my Panthers jersey every Sunday & watched every game & loved every minute of being a Panthers fan.
I was a Falcon fan because I was young and dumb. With age and a Carolina team came wisdom
Scott,
I was, and still am a Bears fan. When the Panthers came along, I became a fan but did not abandon the Bears. I moved back to Chicago a few years ago, but remain a fan of both teams. The only time I don't cheer for the Panthers is when they play my Bears!
That being said, I have noticed over the years that there are a lot of Panther fans who just go to the games to be seen. Winning or not, the club level seats are half empty by the time halftime is over. It also seems as though the loudest screams from those seats are when their cocktails are late arriving.
Take a lesson from Bears fans. Win or lose, Bears fans pack the stadium til the end. If you are going to support your team, you have to do it "all in!". GO PANTHERS, unless they are playing the Bears!
Bob
I'm a 41 year old Panthers fanatic. I spent the early years of my life watching NFL football, but could never really attach myself to a team. Obviously, I watched a lot of Redskins games because they were on TV, but I couldn't feel apart of team whose fanbase was so far away. Any other attempt to be a "fan" of a team just seemed...contrived. The Panthers filled a void in my NFL experience. The team has allowed me to feel an earnest attachment to an NFL team and forge a new tradition with my own family. Personally, I've always shunned the idea of being a fan of a team just because they were televised in my area, or because of the colors they wear, or because they were popular or successful. The Panthers allowed me to feel apart of something. They are MY team. So....kick rocks stupid Deadskins fan.
ACTUALLY he's wrong. I moved here from Tampa when I was 8... in 1995, the first year of the Panthers, right when Tampa went from awful cream sicile to their new digs. They just got the "Devil Rays" so the city was in baseball fever. The lightning were on the up-and-up on their way to their eventual Stanley Cup, and the Magic still recently lost Shaq, which I was very upset about.
So you see, I'm the exact person this doesn't apply to. At all. Go Panthers!!
I am 42 years old and was born and raised in North Carolina. Grew up a Tarheel fan. I was also a Dallas Cowboy fan until 1995 when the Panthers had their first season. Yes I jumped shipped and if that makes me disloyal, wishy-washy or untrustworthy then so be it. The way I look at is I love football and I love my home state of North Carolina. So me becoming a Panther fan was a "NO BRAINER!!!!!" That's the way I see it.....
Todd Gardner
The whole premise of this guy's theory is based on the assumption that EVERYONE has a favorite NFL team from youth and if they don't then they can't be trusted.
So people who aren't NFL fans can't be trusted? What if they are ardent MLB fans? Or passionate MLS fans?
There's your gaping hole in the theory sir. I am newly 24, and have been an incredibly passionate Panthers fan from the time that I began liking football - which was several years AFTER the Panthers came into existence.
Okay, I'm one that abandoned my orignal team when we got the Panthers. Been a Cowboys fan for YEARS, all the way back to Dandy Don Staubach.
Jerry Jones made it EASY to abandon them, so I have NO REGRETS! Can't stand the 'Boys now, one of my LEAST favorite teams. And I don't care WHAT he says - that's MY opinion.
I am a Panthers fan from NC and now live in Washington, DC. I a still a PSL owner. And I was at the Deadskins game. The flight back to Washington was FUN!
It's not black or white. You have the choice to choose your team, your political party, the make of car you drive and paper or plastic.
On that note I'll say this: any Panthers fans who are in the DC area you are more than welcome to join the 50+ others to watch the games. Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/dcpanthersfans/
We have a future, the Redskins have Dan Snyder. Enough said.
...That was supposed to day Dandy Don AND Staubach. Can't type today.
I'm 47 yoa...I can see his point, if you think about it...but, I don't agree with it. It's not being wishy-washy about choosing which team you pull for. I for years was a Dallas Cowboys fan, never been to a game, just enjoyed football as a fan of the game..until the Carolina Panthers were established in 1995, I gave it alot of thought, and decided then, if Mr. Richardson wanted to bring " The NFL To The Carolinas" then I wanted to support his efforts. Since Dallas Cowboys were "Americas Team" then one fan dropping them for a hometown team wasn't going to hurt them. I didn't live in Dallas Texas...I lived in North Carolina about hour hour north up I85 In Thomasville, NC and I was going to be a loyal fan to our new Carolina Panthers team....Purchased PSL's and love every minute of being a Carolina Panthers Fan....NO REGRETS ON MY DECISION TO CHANGE & NEVER WILL. So, since the writer that lives in Charlotte, hates the idea of Carolina Panthers Fans, pulling for their home team, over the Washington Redskins or any other team.... how Panthers fans ditched the Redskins...so be it...this is America, and everyone has the right to change his or her mind. Long live Panthers Fans !! GO PANTHERS !!!!
Panther fans are the worst in the NFL.
I'm 34, grew up in NC, and bleed the burgundy and gold. Go Skins!!
Panthers had a win Sun and the stadium is empty in the 4th qtr. What the heck kind of fan is that?
Scott,
I'm 31 and a devoted Panther fan! Being a fan of the Panthers comes from a love and loyalty of the Carolina's from which I'm from. I think this letter writer needs not comment on the validity of one's passion for the team based on age.
The real focus is to the bandwagoners of which many are over the age of 23. They have loyalties to other teams and proudly wear their jersey's in BOA stadium when their favorite team is in town but then don black and blue when they aren't because that's the "cool" thing to do. These are truly the fans that you shouldn't trust.
Charlotte is a transient city and as other articles have recently made mention to, BOA stadium is not all black and blue unless we are undefeated even with Cam Newton playing! The true fan base needs to step up and start pushing haters and bandwagoners out so we can make this a truly Panther town!
the age needs to be closer to 27 to be REALLY meaningful. People don't make life decisions at age 8. A lot of kids don't even play football until middle school age.
additionally, wasn't the team announced in 1992? any charlotteans getting into football around that time wouldn't place a permanent allegiance to an out of town team.
not to mention, by his theory, this town would be littered with new orleans hornets fans and nobody would be allowed to be bobcats fans.
I would question ANYBODY that favors an out of town team over the home team without it being a situation such as charlotte born redskins fans (over 30) and transplants.
Not sure i agree with his theory. I grew up an LA RAM fan under the Roman Gabriel and fearsome foursome era.When they moved to STL and changed their colors and entire front office,was i supposed to still follow them as my favorite team? I know nothing about STL other than they have a big brewery there and a famous arch.If you grew up a balt colt fan,are you supposed to still be an indy colt fan? Same goes for boston.If you were a boston braves fan in the 50's,do you become an atlanta braves fan or a boston redsox fan? Brooklyn dodger fan and still LA dodger fan,or did you become a NY met fan to replace brooklyn?
OR, you grew up disliking the Redskins, beacuae they were always the ONLY game televised, and when there was a truly "local" team to pull for you naturally became a fan!
Where in it written that you only had to be a fan of one team. Before the NFL expanded to Charlotte people around here where forced to watch the Deadskins every Sunday so you ended up either loving or hating them. I hated them so I became a Cowboy fan. Since I'm born and raised in Charlotte getting the Panther gave me a chance to pull for the HOMETEAM which is something people do when they move or is from the Carolinas!!
Where in it written that you only had to be a fan of one team. Before the NFL expanded to Charlotte people around here where forced to watch the Deadskins every Sunday so you ended up either loving or hating them. I hated them so I became a Cowboy fan. Since I'm born and raised in Charlotte getting the Panther gave me a chance to pull for the HOMETEAM which is something people do when they move or is from the Carolinas!!
Yes when I moved here I was a giants fan. Bought psls solely so that I could watch them if they ever played in charlotte. But quickly began to become attached to everything carolina. Watching the team through my sons eyes who was a one year old on my lap during the first season has made me love the team as MY TEAM. He is now a ball boy for the panthers and we are PANTHers fans through and through. We will NEVER change our loyalty again.
J
I'm 28 yr old as a loyal Panthers fan I have pulled for them since 1995 and can tell you every player and coach that has ever played for them. But yes I grew up in a Cowboys household which was the only thang I knew until the Panthers come along. I do have loyalty to the Cowboys still but that has been tainted over the yrs due to Jerry Jones! But I still follow them and love them but Carolina is more beloved to me and yes I have only been to maybe a handful of games but thats due to the fact I'm in the military and I dont exactly get that kind of opportunity like most! Plus my cousin a great of the Panthers Brad Hoover excited my fanship and loyalty toward the organization even more. So to the Deadskins fan and any other fan that loves to talk trash and sing there really terrible theme song fact is Panthers BEAT yall! Just like the Boyz did a few wks ago! So instead of being butt hurt bout it and move on! Props Go out to Cam I admit I was not sure how he would be when Carolina drafted him and with no offseason I really didnt know what to expect but he has grabbed me as a fan. But I must say this to him yes I know you had issues in College but who dont, but Plz keep your nose clean now you have a rare honor and privilege dont waste it!
I am a man I'm 40. I lived in NJ until I was 20 and was a big Giants fan. Have lived in Charlotte since 1990 and have been a fan of the Panthers since their beginning (Behind the Giants) After following the team so closely for the first few years they quickly became my #1 team by a wide margin. Go Panthers.
This guy is running a life long moron-a-thon.... first of all, it is a sports team, get a grip, there are more important things in life. What happens to the 22 yr old whose parents still like their old team? Kids align with parents for sports teams all the time. If you ditched another team to support the Panthers b/c you live here, that is great. Supporting the team is a way to support the community and economy of this town. It just makes sense....
I'm a 57 year old diehard Panthers fan. I grew up a Colts fan but the night Irsay sneaked the team away in the middle of the night is the night I no longer had a favorite team. I can still see the Mayflower trucks moving through the snow. So when the Panthers were conceived it was like a newborn son coming into the family. I love the Panthers through thick and thin. My 25 year old son and I have a great time watching the game every week.
I am in my mid 40s and I am proudly a Panthers fan. I went pretty much teamless since 1984 when Bob Irsay ripped the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night. I moved to NC, the home of my ancestors in the 80s and was never more glad when JR created a football team here.
The poster is wrong and misguided. And as everyone knows: "Redskins are Deadskins!"
i have been living here since 1989
originally from italy
loved the city , stayed saw the franchise happening got excited
about "our' team and been a panther fan since and no i did not liked dallas or the skins before
41 year old panther fan who fits into the latter category. Watched UNC/ACC football as a kid and didnt give a crap about the NFL. The NFL growing up was nowhere near as big as it is today. There wasn't an NFL network, No fantasy football, no 3 hours of pre-game programing, No cable in my house until 1985! However, you had North and South Carolina teams playing ACC football every Saturday. Road trips to watch games were to Chapel Hill, Columbia and Raleigh in my family. If you do well enough in HS, you actually get to attend one of these universities. Once there, you are a living, breathing part of that school and can attend all of the home football and basketball games for almost nothing. You are walking the campus, attending class and partying with the players after big wins. Now, do you possibly understand how I didn't have a favorite NFL team growing up? I would love for the Washington Redskin fan to explain what I am at "worst" if I am wishy washy at best. My guess is that the "anonymous" Redskin fan would keep his mouth shut in and around original Charlotte. (Not south Charlotte or University) Maybe not, since he is obviously toolshed material.
The email author says that he can't trust adults who don't have a favorite football team. I would argue that it is more difficult to trust an adult who allows his overzealous sports loyalties to cloud his common sense. There's more to life than football. What a moron.
I am 30 and a die hard panthers fan. I grew up a fan of the Browns because that is my Dad's favorite team. I lived in Charlotte until about 3 years ago. I now live just outside of D.C. and watch every panthers game every Sunday. Thank the NFL and DirectTV for Sunday ticket. I would go mad if I had to watch the Skins and the Ravens play every week since that's all the local stations play here.
This guy is just mad his team got beat by the mighty Panthers. I can say I am 32 years old and have been a die hard Panthers fan since I moved to Charlotte in 2001 and have only missed a couple of home games since then. Before that I watched a little football, but was not as passionate as I am now...I was playing sports on my own in HS and college and was in other parts of NC that weren't as gung ho about the NFL.
Up until Mr. Richardson was awarded the panthers franchise if you were a NC Native you had no home team to cheer for. That is why so many could easily drop their favorite team! Contrary to the writers "theory" shows a true trustworthiness, loyalty, character. As well as something he failed to mention Pride! Pride to say as a NFL fan now have a home team to cheer for. Pride to have a home team to hate when things are bad. Pride to no longer have to hold on to another towns team just because it was one of the choices available. This is why at 24 years of age in 1995 I dropped my beloved Eagles and has since and now at 40 will always be a lifelong Panthers fan full of trustworthiness, loyalty, character and Pride!
Wow Scott, that letter reads like it was written by a middle schooler. It was poorly reasoned and very irrational. No depth or nuance to allow for more than two possibilities for a complex human behavior. People want an attachment and want to belong. Living in a city with a team gives one a sense of belonging and loyalty. Not to mention the financial investment for PSLs and tickets. You are going to be loyal to a team you send your money to. Please only print mature ramblings from opposing fans in the future.
I am a 40 year old Panther Fan. Yes! I am one of the Old Redskin fan that switched to The Panthers back in 1995. Let me be clear on one thing! I quit watching the redskins when Joe Gibbs left and Daniel Snider bought the the team. Back in 1994 before the Panthers came to Charlotte Joe Gibbs was the biggest supporter in Charlotte for the city to land a franchise.Joe Gibbs lives in Charlotte or at least did then. Rumors were Joe would be coach or GM. Joe was still under contract with the Skins. Image how much more upset this Redskin fan could have been!
Let me guess, this guy is fat, toothless, smells bad, and his wife can't stand him.
- Austin
I understand his point, but he's being very black-and-white about the situation. Why are 30 year-olds not allowed to transition from disliking to liking football? Is he saying that the only people who should like football are the ones who grew up with a family that did, and then inherited that passion? That's a very closed-minded stance that would cause the growth of the entire NFL fan base to drastically drop off. Liking an NFL team isn't an inclusive club that you can only be born into or accepted into at a young age. It's a person's right to root for a team they want to root for. I count anyone who sports a black and blue jersey as a friend and fan of the Panthers. Being stuck up about who a fan is and how they became one isn't something anyone should do, because you are turning against your own team's fan.
There aren't any rules about choosing a favorite team. It's a personal choice.
Scott, perhaps this Redskins "fan" should come with theories as to why his own team has only two playoff victories from 1993 to the present. Moreover, theorizing why the Redskins owner sued unemployed members of his own fan base during the 2009 could help too. Don't throw stones when you live in a house made entirely of Redskins stained glass.
I am 61 and when I was young I too liked the Redskins. It could be that I hated Dallas worse and they were enemies. After a few years marriage, children and work took my interest away from football entirely. Shortly before the Panthers came into exist I started watching again because I love football. No need to be a die hard fan for anyone. Football itself was worth watching. Then the Panthers, they are home and they are ours....instant fan. As you grow up to young grasshopper you will learn... life itself changes and yes other things will change in your life as well.
I've been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since the days of the Tom Landry coached teams. I am still a Cowboys fan to this very day. BUT I've lived in Charlotte all of my life and my #1 team since its' inception is the Panthers. I pull and cheer for the Cowboys to beat each team they play EXCEPT the Panthers. When the Panthers and Cowboys play each other, I pull for the Panthers. This is home. This also goes for pro basketball. I pull for the New Orleans Hornets EXCEPT when they play the Charlotte Bobcats.
Blah,Blah,Blah....I am 33 years old and to this day remember attending the Jets-Eagles game at NC State when I was in the sixth grade...For those that dont remember that is when the push to bring the NFl to the carolinas began. As a kid, I remember being so excited about having a team in NC...I did follow the Eagles for a while as a kid b/c it was the first team I watched in person but as soon as the PANTHERS came to be...That was it! Panther fan for life...
I agree!!! Explains why panther fans will ditch their team at the first sign of adversity!
I completely disagree! I was an Eagles fan before the Panthers came to town, and it was primarily because of Jerome Brown and Reggie White. Once the Panthers came to town, I became a Panthers fan. I choose to be a fan of the team which represents the city I live, and was born and raised in. They bring so much to the community and city economically and from a charitable standpoint. I run in to this with people all the time, and it is absolutely disheartening to see individuals who live in Charlotte, support a team that isn't located near them...and most have never went to the stadium of the team they are supposedly such a HUGE "supporter" of, to watch the team play; what really bothers me, are those fans who may be Dallas, Washington, Pittsburgh..or whoever, who week in and week out, hope the Panthers lose. Quite honestly, I wish they would pack their sh*t up and move back or to wherever their "team" is located. Remove the Panthers from Charlotte, and watch the impact on the economy and community. People should support the team who pumps money in to the economy and does so much good for the community.
This is a moronic letter. I was 19 when we got the franchise, and 22 when I attended the Panthers-Cowboys playoff game at Ericsson in Jan 1997. I was a marginal fan the first 2 years, going to college in Florida and happy we had a team, but that game turned me into a die-hard. It's still the most amazing sporting event I've ever been to, just a magical atmosphere.
I played football in HS but didn't ever really watch football on Sundays before the Panthers, yes we all liked Theismann and the Redskins like the clown who wrote this (I also liked LT and the Giants;) but I never had a "team" until my early 20s. If this idiot doesn't trust me at age 37 because I actually had enough of a life when I was a kid to spend my weekends doing things besides being glued to a TV set, well I don't need the trust of a moron like that. (that clean enough Scott?)
I'm not sure what is more short-sighted, the fact that this guy writes the paper of the opposing team to complain about its fans or that he thinks he is able to sum everyone up into two categories. Let me offer another. I am 35 years old and I spent my childhood rooting for the the Dolphins from a very young age. The reason I liked the Dolphins, was that as I kid I liked their colors and I really enjoyed watching Dan Marino play. I followed them for years all the way through my teens. By then, Shula was gone, Marino was gone, Duper and Clayton were gone and nearly everything I liked about them had changed. After graduating high school I joined the service and spent 8 years in that endeavor, including multiple years at an Academy and 3 different boot-camp style training scenarios. As you can imagine, I didn't have a whole lot of time to watch or keep up with the NFL. My final tour brought me to the Carolinas, where I instantly fell in love with everything about Charlotte and this NFL team. I have been a fan ever since (for about 12 years), because now I have the time and the roots to do so. So the writer of this letter ought to consider himself lucky that he has always had a team to pull for and fortunate enough to have the TIME to have done so...but his oversimplification of everyone's situation is ignorant. In the end, I don't really care if he trusts me or not. I am as loyal to my time as he is to his and I dare him to get his flawed logic on here to argue that fact with me.
I have to disagree. I'm currently 34 and I've loved football since I can remember. I started playing Pop-Warner ball at 8 and didn't stop, some years playing on two teams, until I graduated from high school and realized that colleges didn't need too many 5'9" linemen. :)
However, I didn't have a favorite NFL team until I was 19 and my home town of Baltimore got a franchise. The Colts were dead to me (I'm old enough to remember their move in 1983) and I couldn't bring my self to root for the Redskins. Once the Ravens arrived, I felt bad for Cleveland, but they were now MY team and have been ever since, even after moving to Charlotte in 2006.
I had almost the same experience for NCAA football. I didn't root for a team until 2001. I went to a small college that didn't have a football program so I had no real connection to a college team. But in '00 I moved to Blacksburg, VA and fell in love with a well run program that has a really fun fan base.
So in both cases I was well past 8 years old and went from loving the sport to loving a team.
If the Redskins fan is a local native and he doesn't know how to change allegiance to his home team then he is a sad person to accuse others of doing so. I can understand Charlotte implants rooting for Redskins but not local Charlotteans. Come on people...get with it. The Panthers are here to stay and they will be a dominate team in the NFL very soon. Redskin fans will just have to eat crow.
It makes more sense to me to be loyal for the local when you have one. So when there was no football team in the Carolinas, people here used to be Redskins fans because they were the team that is always on TV. In reality, they have to ties to the DC area and they're not even close.
Media made Redskins fans in this area, even though the Falcons were more logical choice as they're closer and people here are Braves fans already.
In conclusion, this guy is a lil sad and I would love to tell him that it's ok to cry.
Can someone tell me why does this bother him so much he had to write a letter?
I was born in 1966, in Sibley Hospital, Washington DC. The same hospital my father was born in. My father grew up in the Washington DC area, he even played in the Redskins Band! My first two memories of American football where, 1) watching the grainy images of two teams smashing in to each other (i was hooked immediately), and 2) Being taken to a Washington Redskins vs. the New York Giants (we lived in NYC at the time). My mother was also a Washington Redskins fan. I remember the Gibbs era well. I still have visions of that awful night when Joe Theismann's career came to a crushing end. I even remember seeing seeing Sonny Jurgensen at the Cracked Claw when i was at lunch with my Aunt and mother (can't believe i was too scared to ask for his autograph). My bachelor party consisted of me being "kidnapped" and "forced" to sit and watch the Washington Redskins verses the Philadelphia Eagles (what can i say, not into the strippers and such). So, i guess you could say i grew up a Washington Redskins fan.
Then, in 1993, when the NFL announced the expansion of two more teams. One in Charlotte, the other in Jacksonville. Maybe it was a young man looking to strike out and establish his own identity, i am not sure... but i knew i wanted to follow my own team. Growing up with the NFC burned into my psyche it had to be which ever of the two wound up in the NFC. This was my chance to follow a team from the inception. No one was going to accuse me of being a fair weather or band wagon fan. When they announced the team name - The Carolina Panthers - i loved it immediately. No timid looking Lion or Bengal Tiger (*jk*), this was a fierce Midnight Black Cat on a beautiful field of (Carolina) Blue.
It was torture waiting for the 1995 season to begin. I sat through and watched the entire Hall of Fame game where the Panthers beat their expansion rivals. I was riveted when Dom Capers went for the touchdown instead of the field goal in the first game that ever mattered in Panthers history. To say that my "conversion" broke my father's heart is like saying sunrise is just someone turning on a light bulb, but that did not stop him from taking me to see the Panthers when they came to Washington DC on Christmas Eve in 1995. I made sure i had the only paraphernalia i could get my hands on at the time - a simple Panthers Pennant and sweatshirt (which was covered by my jacket because those metal bleachers were COLD!). What a game... i was blessed to be in (practically - only 4 or 5 rows back) the front seat for every Panther's score that day. I still have my ticket stub.
I have been a Carolina Panthers fan since that day Jerry "Big Cat" Richardson made that announcement, through all of the seasons (I keep a spreadsheet for my own personal use). through thick and thin, and i am looking forward to my first 'Pilgrimage' this Christmas Eve to see the Panthers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I was a member of the Army National Guard for 22 years, i have been married (almost) 19 years, I was with an employer for over 14 years until they essentially left me, and i have been a fan of the Carolina Panthers for exactly 18 years (as of today) To say that i show "...a lack of trustworthiness, loyalty, character" is to say that you do now know me at all.
Long story short: I hope to God the guy doesn't have to use his brain much in his job because he would definitely have a hungry family.
Let's me get this straight "Sparky":
At the age of 10, I become a San Diego Chargers fan in the late 60s because of John Hadl, Lance Alworth and their explosive offense.
And, according to you Einstein, the decision that this 10 year old made WITHIN A VERY LIMITED OPTION FIELD has to be kept until my dying breath or I'm , what's the term you used?...well, who cares what term you used, bonehead.
On contrary, I think people like YOU are the nuts: you get a highly viable NFL team in your backyard and you want to continue to play "Sonny Jurgensen" and "John Riggins.
Why can't you pull for both you dimwit? The Panthers played the Chargers the first game of the season a couple years ago and won on a last second throw.
It was all good. Panthers first, Chargers second, Steelers third.
Rationality---it can be yours too if you try...Sonny.
Here is the HOLE in your "theory", in all walks of life from family, friends, music, food, etc, we can love more than "one" thing, so WHY? do we have to be narrowminded and can only like/love one sports team? personally I grew up in Va. a diehard Redskins fan and then I became a PSL owner, I love them BOTH!!!
I grew up a Redskins fan but as I got older I came to realize their name is racist. Go Panthers!
26 years old ive been a panthers fans since i was 10, or since i knew what football was. you are and idiot and do not deserve to live in charlotte. it was my 18th birthday when the panthers played the patriots in the superbowl, it was a dream come true and aslo one of the worst nights of my life. the redskins suck and have always sucked ever since i started watching football which is about 16 years. i will say that some panthers fans are conflicted, but not this one. hopefully i will have a better birthday someday.
Scott - I am 31 years old from NE Ohio who was born into a die-hard Browns family. We moved to Charlotte the same week in 1993 that the NFL award the city an NFL franchise. At the conclusion of 1995 season (Carolina's first), Art Modell moved my beloved Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. At that point I cut all ties with the Browns and became a Panthers fan.
You big dummy we are suppose to pull for our home team. We are loyal Carolinians and always will be. Thanks to the NFL for giving us a identity and not have to follow some far off team. Go Panthers.......Yes we CAM change teams.....
But, what if you were a Baltimore Colts fan and the team abandoned you?
Go Panthers
Born in 1959 and a Panther fan and PSL owner. Prior to the Panther's I was a FOOTBALL fan. Can you not enjoy a sport without having a favorite team?
Both Anons @ 12:32 PM nailed it. Yes it is possible to switch allegiances to teams without being showing "a lack of trustworthiness, loyalty, character", or whatever nonsense the letter-writer was spouting off (perhaps he would like to hang you for treason?). And much like me, the 2nd anon proves one can go from loving the sport as a child, to loving both the sport and a team as an adult.
Here is a theory, shut up. Nobody cares what you think. Your Redskins are a disgrace. Once a storied and much admired NFL franchise, not so much today. Take your theory and move on, your thoughts and feelings don't matter to anybody but perhaps your wife or kids, if applicable. Can't trust a Panthers fan? So what.
Moved here from LA. Was a Rams fan as a kid, but after they bolted from LA and i moved to Carolina's in 91 with no allegiance to a team. I decided to follow the Panthers when they started up. Good or bad i live in Charlotte now and thats my team.
The theory may apply to a few...but the majority would not fit. I started my NFL experience in southern Illinois in my elementary school days & loved the Cardinals (baseball & football). I moved to southern Miss. and the Cardinals moved to AZ... they lost me & I always thought they should change their mascot.
I lived 90 miles from New Orleans, & liked the Saint (Aints at that time) but could not become a true FAN.
Moved to Columbia, SC a couple of years before the Panthers came to being. When I came to the grand openning of the statdium, I felt I had found a "home" team. 2 more moves (Brevard, NC, then Concord, NC)put me in the Panthers back yard & have been a fan ever since. Just like I have been a baseball Cardinal fan through thick & thin. -Southern Miss
He is using this only to justify why, living in the middle of Panthers country, he's still a Redskins fan. Pretty lame. Screwed up logic really. He needs to get a life and stop trying to get approval for his BS. No one's disproved it because it's not worth spending the energy on.
Your writer does not address teams who have left their fans. I lived in Houston & bled Oiler blue. When I moved to NC in 1984, I still rooted for the Oilers. When owner Bud Adams screwed the Houston community that made him his millions and removed the Oilers from Houston, I had no team. I am 64 yrs old, a PSL holder, a rabid Panther fan and can be trusted.
As a diehard Panthers fan who is slightly over the 'trustworthy' age, I know this much....
The majority of Panther fans are the worst in the NFL. The actual game is a backdrop to a social event. In most cities its the other way around, or at the very least equals.
Whether that be because they're not 'trustworthy' or whether it be because football is still new to area, or perhaps its because no one cares to fight the inevitable presence of the other team that is always occupies around 30-50% of the stadium....I don't know.
BUT I believe this will change as the 'trustworthy' fans grow in numbers and grow up! I see no reason why the Panthers cannot turn into one the greatest fanbases in the NFL over time
Scott is running out of material so he's posting the rantings of some butt-hurt redskins fan that's mad they lost to a 1-3 team.
Haters gonna hate I guess.
GO PANTHERS!
So according to this guy, every panthers, jaguars, titans, and texans fans cant be trusted because all of the their fans over the age of 23 wanted to take advantage of their city's dream of one day having a NFL franchise in their town. I didnt know their was a set of rules deciding which team a person can root for. Sound to me like another sore loser redskins fan because their little franchise has been one of the laughing stocks of the nfl for the past 20 years.
Me personally, I feel theories are only made for what we are all doing now, having a clean discussion. I am 36 years old and grew up a Cowboys fan, but became a Panthers fan at the very beginning. There are many reasons for this. I wanted to support my community and fell in love with the enthusiasm that city had for our Panthers and wanted to be a part of it. I also at the time started to despise Jerry Jones for some of his descison making skills, and his bigger than the game personality. Lastly, I have personal ties to the Panthers. Jerry Richardson's brother before he passed away was, and always will be my uncle Grover and the Richardson family is one of the best families you will ever be lucky enough to meet! So, the bigger question is, why wouldn't you pull for the Panthers??
I will have to agree with the Redskins fan's comment. Some of those who say he is naive and uneducated are the very so-called "bandwagon" Panthers fans, and we all know there are TONS of them. I'm 31, been a Panthers fan since day 1, and yes, I do get critical of their play but support them to the very end no matter what. Even during the 1-15 or 2-14 season, I was at EVERY game cheering them on. I wonder how many Panthers attendees there are that are now just beginning to follow them because they can put up numbers? I'm willing to bet a TON.
What bothers me the most about those game-attending fans who say they are most loyal to the Panthers is the very fact MOST of them can't even bother to support the team until the last second buzzer sounds. Case in point this past weekend win over the Redskins. We haven't had a win in a LONG time and is only our 2nd win this season and like our 3rd in 14 games, yet by the end of the 3rd quarter, 1/2 the stadium was emptied out. I guess beating traffic or going to the bar was more important right?
I go to these games regularly, and fans have NO PROBLEM spending 6 hours tailgating and drinking it up, yet when it comes to game time, they can't even bother to stand up to cheer their team on or watch it through to the end. I see the REAL fans screaming and deploring people around them to cheer the team on, and their efforts go futile. It's really sad!
Why don't those "so-called" fans just give up their tickets to someone who ACTUALLY care for the team and will cheer, scream, and rally behind them...there are REAL fans that I know would personally sacrifice to attend a game, yet, mostly I see people who take going to games for granted and have so many more important things to do that going to the game seems to be a chore.
Just stay at home or attend the Kentucky Derby while the REAL fans celebrate, cheer, cry, and continue to support the Panthers through thick and thin. That's how championships are won!
If only JR can figure out how not to sell PSLs to these overly rich fools who know NOTHING about football, yet they want to say they do and get these seats to REAL fans, we could have one of the best environments in the NFL. But we know JR loves money, so that will never happen!
I'm 46 years old. Liked a few teams, but always hated the redskins! I mostly grew up watching ncaa football, because we only had 3 tv chanels so the redskins were on. When the then pitiful Giants drafted L.T. I became a fan, and followed them until the NFL strike. At that time i quit following the NFL. I always said i would not watch again unless we got a team in NC. I hope the NBA players think about that, Before they bankrupt the Bobcats! GO PANTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember that day in 1993 when Tags announced that Charlotte and Jacksonville were granted Nfl rights!!!!! The very next day I went to the old Sports Authority on independence and bought 2 Panther sweaters....and the rest is history!!!!!Go Panters (in my 2 yr old son voice)
BY THE WAY. IT FELT GOOD TO BEAT YOUR REDSKIN BUTTS SUNDAY!!!!!!
I agree with the theory, but only as it pertains to Die Hard Fans. I grew up in the D.C. area when the Redskins were winning multiple super bowls. Watching the Skins play on Sunday was a part of life. I felt sick on Mondays after a Skins loss. Now living in Charlotte as an adult, the Redskins are the only team I route for. I could care less if the Panthers win or lose. I know other adults that have moved to Charlotte from other cities and became big time Panther fans. All I can assume is that they do not have the same deep personal connection to their childhood football team that I have. I applaud the adult Panther fans you see at the games and around town for supporting their local team. But I also feel a little sorry for them, that they don't have that childhood connection to a team they grew up with. If you are an adult and the Panthers are your favorite team, you just cannot call yourself a Die Hard Fan. You just haven't lived enough highs and lows with your team. You will see Die Hard Panther fans until the younger generation grows up. The kids that are from this region and have only routed for the Panthers, in time they will become the Die Hard fan base of the Panthers. Go Skins!
Is he posting his same gripe in the New York paper...you know New York Giants (1933) and The Jets (1960) I guess their fans could be accused of being wishy washy, and blasphemy too. How about Miami Dolphins (1967) and Jaguars (1995), yep according to this guy's theory, I guess these folks show a lack of trustworthiness and loyalty as well. Look, he needs to take a good hard look at the history of the NFL and if he feels this way about Panther Fans, then he needs to feel this way about almost every fan in the league. By the way, I am 42, a long time Bronco fan and have not abandoned them for the Panthers....but I cheer for the Panthers too. So I guess I'm untrustworthy for my ability to have TWO favorite teams.
uh , why do we care again about some random Deadskin fan's opinion/theory? we have enough internal fights and disagreements within our own fan base.
im 38, i watched football in general till the panthers came to be. When we got our OWN team hell yes they became my favorite. I rep' my city! i don't understand the problem.
what he needs to figure out is how all those Dallas fans are running around in the nation's capitol.
Not that I care at all about this fan's letter, but I lived in Pennsylvania back in 1995 and didn't even like the NFL. As soon as the Panthers drafted Kerry Collins, I've been a Panthers fan ever since and have never faltered to cheer them on every single year. There are those wishy washy fans which will jump on the Cam bandwagon now that we have some life, but I'm 28 years old and won't be changing my mind on who my favorite team is.
I am 48, have been an NFl for over 40 of those years. I grew up pulling for Roman Gabriel and the LOS ANGLES Rams. In the early 70's Gabriel was traded to the Eagles, I stayed loyal to the Rams. In 1996 the Ownerette of the Rams decided to take them away from their fan base. Even though I had never been to LA , I felt this was the highest form of disloyality, and felt the Rams were a different organization in St. Louis, so Since I had to switch teams anyway, pulling for the team from Charlotte, that I could watch every week on TV made sense. I have watched every Panther games since their inception, most from home, some from the stands, and for two years I volunteered as an usher to get into the stadium. I am very loyal. Often NFL teams are not loyal to their fan base. There are many reasons to lose faith, one is the one I mentioned, not many Raven fans in Cleveland, not many Colts fans in Baltimore. Change in ownership is another reason. The Washington team won under Jack Kent Cooke, they are a joke under the Naoplonic Snyder. Maturity is another reason, as we age and understand things aren't right we move away from them, pulling for a team with a racist nickname is distasteful to many. Your friend is obviously okay with a team bearing a racist nickname, that sports the ugliest uniforms in the NFL and has the worst owner. I wish him luck, his team is mired in mediocrity for as long as Danny Boy is owns them.
So, in theory, the same should be said for the Jaguars, Ravens and Texans too, right? How about all the teams that expanded before them? Are all Bucs, Seahawks, Falcons, Saints and Dolphin fans over 40 not to be trusted?
Scott, tell this guy, that first of all this is not a theory, is an opinion. And I can see that he was COMPLETLY driven by the outcome of the game. Although I respect his "opinion", it makes no real sense and I'll tell you why.
1.) The two points made by him, are not the only two possible triggers for people 23+ to become Panthers fan. For instance, a 3rd options is (already mentioned), I moved to Charlotte 7 years ago from a city/state with no NFL team. Although I use to cheer for a team, it was never "My Team". I just loved football too much and enjoyed watching the game. When I moved to Charlotte, I "personally" met, embraced and fell in love with "MY HOMETOWN TEAM" and I love "MY PANTHERS", and I personally can say the same thing about the Bobcats.
2.) The two points expressed in his "opinion" does not add, nor takes away any credibility from current Panthers Fan that actually fall in the two categories he stated. I'll give you an example: when you were a kid, you more likely lived with your parents, at your home, which was actually "your parents house", not yours. You loved that house and have a lot of memories in it, but it is not yours. One day, you grew up and decided to move out. Then you got your own place, one that you choose (was not a default/given), one you are paying with your own effort and sacrifice, one that you truly own. This new home, is more than a house, is your house. That is the same for all these Panthers fans that were obligated to just settled with whatever they were given, until the day they finally got their own team.
I was an Ottawa Rough Rider Fan before moving here in 1996... 58 years old! Why can't I be a Panther Fan now.. didn't have a NFL team before that.
Any grown man who judges people's character based on their sports afflictions can't be taken seriously at least not in the real world. I do believe playing sports can build character and virtue but building character by pulling for sports teams. Really? I am 44 years old born in Charlotte and in the second category. Growing up I pulled for my dad’s team (Pittsburgh) but I really just liked watching any good football pro or college. Ever since the Panthers were formed I have been die-hard all the way; there is no other team for me. Last point, I can’t stand stereotypical blanket statements either; shows a lack of thinking things through. (excuse any grammar mistakes)
Before you start spouting off your racist rhetoric, why don't you do some homework on the term Redskin, and more importantly how it came to be the nickname of the professional football team. People like you that only regurgitate the headlines you like to read probably would never indulge yourself enough to learn the truth, or at the very least learn more of the story than what your headlines tell you. But I will help you out with a link so you don't hurt yourself in a little education. http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002961.html
I am a 49 year old who grew up near the DC area. I was/am a diehard Redskin fan. I moved to Charlotte in 99 and Redskins stayed my favorite team for several years. After living here a few years, loving the area and following the Panthers. (just because it is easy with the local media coverage) I decided to switch my loyalty to the Panthers. Hey, they are the home team! Since then I have purchased PSL's, and attend every game. I will continue to cheer the Redskins on but not when playing against the Panthers. I do not feel that I am a trader. The coaching and ownership of the Redskins have changed (I am not a Dan Snyder fan) and I am staying loyal to my new Home Team.
I do agree with his argument in some instances, but not in mine. I was a Skins fan my whole life until October 1993 when the franchise was awarded to Carolina.I was amazed at how easy it was to drop the Skins, but I am also a native of Charlotte, so civic loyalty trumped team loyalty. Since then I have missed NOT ONE MINUTE of any home game (including preseason), so my loyalty can not be questioned.Go Panthers!!!
Scott, disown this guy. He is offline completely.
I am 54, grew up in Upstate NY and was a Cowboy fan because of my dad being from Texas. I went through all the good and bad days of the Boys. I have been here in Charlotte since 1985. Being a FOOTBALL fan I was one of many that said "Your Welcome Your Welcome" to Jerry when he thanked the new Panther fans upon getting the team. I have invested in this team and I can actually go see my team play all the time. So did I abandon my team, you can say yes I did. I still follow the Cowboys some but it is not the same because of having a home team to go see, plus Jerry Jones. He made it easy for me to lose interest. I can still remember that playoff game and seeing the PANTHER fans wearing Prison Suits Mimicing the Cowboy players who were in trouble. one eighth of the team I bet.
So I don't see how this guy can say he can't trust a person who was one of those two. If I was this guy and had an owner like Daniel Synder I'd think about jumping ship till a new owner comes along. CB
As a 33 year old die hard Panther fan, I can only respond by saying unless you grew up in an area that does not have a local team, you cannot understand the concept of not having a dog in the fight. I was 16 when the Panthers arrived, and have not missed a game yet. I look forward to the day when 2nd and 3rd generation fans make up the majority of ticket holding patrons at Bank of America, but just because we're still young doesn't make those of us who love the Panthers any less passionate about our team than he is of his team.
You said "You’re 40, the Panthers come along, and you ditch your favorite team. Blasphemy. That really shows a lack of trustworthiness, loyalty, character" and "A 30-year-old who doesn’t like a football team? How can you trust them to commit to a person or a cause if they are an adult and don’t have a favorite football team?"
You've got serious issues and a distorted view of humanity if you judge someone's trustworthiness by whether they changed allegiances to an NFL team or if they did not have a favorite team.
So, by your theory, any enlisted member of the U.S. military who has risked his life, or even more, been injured in the line of fire to defend our country and fight for freedom, but who does not have a favorite NFL team or who has changed favorite NFL teams is not trustworthy?
It sounds to me more like you are seeking to either insult Panther fans through fautly logic, or you are trying to externally validate yourself as trustworthy because you have sat in a stadium seat or in front of a TV all of you life pulling for the same NFL team. That makes you entertained at worst, dedicated at best. It in no way implies that you are trustworthy.
On a personal note, I was a Cowboy fan until they fired Tom Landry. When the Panthers came along,I found a new home.
Frankly, no one is asking you to trust Panther fans, and I don't really care if you do or not. Wrong-headed opinions abound in society, and yours is just another in the crowd.
i am 55 now and moved to greensboro in 1988 from nyc. i was a die hard giants fan thru bad times and 2 super bowls. every game was on tv. so it was easy to follow them. in nc, we had no internet until the mid 90s. the only giant games were MNF, thurs ,sun nite, etc. sa i basically lot contact with the giants but was able to see every panther game and became a fan from the start. if they play each oher, i root for the panthers. in fact, i am tired of espn only talking about nfc and afc east and steelers.
Was a Redskin fan until the Panthers were born. Loved going to RFK Stadium and the traditions and wanted to create my own. Have seen PSL seatmates children grow up over the years. Hopefully, as time goes by and the Panthers mature, the traditions will also be here in Charlotte.
OMG I must be an idiot someone please explain what this person is trying to say. What is the point?
What an idiot. Disgruntled Redskings fan crying because his team stinks. I'll tell you what is untrustworthy, is a guy who won't cheer for the team that represents his city and State. How is that any different than showing nationalistic and patriotic pride in the USA in the Olympics, World Cup or any international competition? The first name of the team is CAROLINA. Don't like living here? Move to Washington DC. Give me Carolina any day. Go Panthers!
37 Year old Panthers Fan
His age is off. I'm 25 now, but I was 7 years old, in 1st grade (in Charlotte), when it was announced that Carolina has received a team. I was instantly a fan; our art class even had Panther logos to color in.
I was especially set as a fan because in 1994 my family moved to Greenville, S.C., just up the road from Clemson (home of Carolina for the first season). My Dad and a friend got a PSLs, splitting games. That season, we went to most of the games. I was still primarily a Charlotte Hornets fan, but when Ericsson Stadium was finished, we drove up for games.
The Carolinas were immensely removed from any good sports teams before that (Hornets were good by 1992). We were SUCH fans that we weren't going to simply GIVE IT UP to some team six hours north -- we were saving our sweet football flower.
That Redskins fan needs to quit being bitter about a team being held back by an awful owner.
This is ridiculous. I am 26 years old and a loyal Panthers fan. I have always loved football and had a lot of family that lived in Atlanta so, when I was a kid, I cheered for the Falcons. I was never a die hard Falcons fan but I loved football and wanted to cheer for a team that had a little bit of meaning to me. The second it was announced that Charlotte would be getting a football team, I instantly became a die hard Panthers fan. To say that you can't trust a fan because we haven't had a team as long as you, that's just ridiculous. I have always been a huge fan of football and in 1995 was lucky enough to have a home team to cheer for. Go Panthers!
It's called having self pride and civic pride. I'm 42 and was a Dolphins fan growing up. However, I have more pride about where I'm from and where I was born and raised than I do about a team that I decided to like when I was a little boy. How stupid would the Carolinas look if we had a team that nobody supported for the first 15 years of its existence? Sadly, fans like the author of the letter do not even realize they would be lumped in to that same group. This "widdle boy" argument that local fans of other teams have has become old and stale, and simply has no sting at all anymore. It's just a way that these prideless folks spin the argument to try to make themselves feel better about themselves. It’s also sad that these people will never know just how embarrassing they truly are.
I semi-agree with the email but not100% by any means. There are more variables then what he mentioned. That being said, I have lived here for over 10 years from Buffalo, and I am still a die-hard Bills fan. I don't really care for the Panthers, but I would rather them win and be good. I understand the poeple that moved here or grew up here now being attached to the Panthers and that is totally acceptable. The real attachment as far as I am concerned is being raised in a city with an NFL team where people live and die with that team. That is why I still feel the strong connection to the Bills.
I am a die hard Panthers fan. Recently embraced the alter ego Carolina Pride check it out on facebook at age 28. Anyway... if you are a commited and die hard fan what do your origins matter. Yes Panthers fans are young and still developing but that does not give anyone cause to call us wishy washy or uncommitted. No matter where we get our start its what we bring to each and every game that counts and that will grow with time. I personally do not care what another teams fan base says about us in regards to our character. Only thing that matters is that we show up every week and do our part for our team on the field no matter the out come. Hows that for wish washy.
I am a die hard Panthers fan. Recently embraced the alter ego Carolina Pride check it out on facebook at age 28. Anyway... if you are a commited and die hard fan what do your origins matter. Yes Panthers fans are young and still developing but that does not give anyone cause to call us wishy washy or uncommitted. No matter where we get our start its what we bring to each and every game that counts and that will grow with time. I personally do not care what another teams fan base says about us in regards to our character. Only thing that matters is that we show up every week and do our part for our team on the field no matter the out come. Hows that for wish washy.
He says he can't trust Panther fans over 23....oh and he trusts Snyder and the consistent issues the Skins' have year over year. I too was a Redskins fan that was easily converted to a Cats fans once they came into the league. Does this guy think that anyone prior to 1995 would keep allegiance to whomever they liked prior to that....bogus. This is our city, our team, so like many other we embrace through the good and the bad at least us real fans do. We are happy with what we see after years of heartbreak. It's our time. It seems like this guy is still upset about the thrashing we gave them and to daily circumstances that will cause them not to compete for the remainder of at least this year.
I like the theory and think it has legs. The part about having been a fan of someother team first, etc. I get off the OP's bus where he says he doesn't trust any Panthers fans over 23. I don't buy that.
That said, here's my story. Grew up outside Philly, was a Rams fan at age 9 or so because I liked their helmets and thought "Roman Gabriel" was a cool name. Went to an Eagles-Rams about 1969 or so.
When George Allen left the Rams and went to the Redskins I went with him. Cheered for the Skins against the Fins in the 73 Super Bowl.
When I came to NC to go to college I cheered for the Eagles. It helped that they went to the 81 Super Bowl. And remained an Eagles fan until the advent of the Panthers.
Bought into the PSL thing, drove from Raleigh to Clemson four times, cheered for the Cats against the Cowboys (duh) in the first ever home playoff game in Charlotte. At the time I was still pulling for the Eagles whenever they weren't playing the Panthers.
Move forward to the 1993 NFC Championship game, Panthers v. Eagles in Philadelphia. Who are you going to cheer for, all my friends asked. Whoever is behind, I said before the game began. And then they kicked off.
My memory is dim, but I believe Carolina kicked off, and as the Philly return man headed up the field I cheered when he was gang tackled by Panthers. From that moment on I knew I was no longer a Philly fan but a full fledged Panthers fan.
So it is possible to grow and change loyalties. I don't think the original post was bunk in the slightest. But he does need to learn to trust folks.
I like the theory and think it has legs. The part about having been a fan of someother team first, etc. I get off the OP's bus where he says he doesn't trust any Panthers fans over 23. I don't buy that.
That said, here's my story. Grew up outside Philly, was a Rams fan at age 9 or so because I liked their helmets and thought "Roman Gabriel" was a cool name. Went to an Eagles-Rams about 1969 or so.
When George Allen left the Rams and went to the Redskins I went with him. Cheered for the Skins against the Fins in the 73 Super Bowl.
When I came to NC to go to college I cheered for the Eagles. It helped that they went to the 81 Super Bowl. And remained an Eagles fan until the advent of the Panthers.
Bought into the PSL thing, drove from Raleigh to Clemson four times, cheered for the Cats against the Cowboys (duh) in the first ever home playoff game in Charlotte. At the time I was still pulling for the Eagles whenever they weren't playing the Panthers.
Move forward to the 1993 NFC Championship game, Panthers v. Eagles in Philadelphia. Who are you going to cheer for, all my friends asked. Whoever is behind, I said before the game began. And then they kicked off.
My memory is dim, but I believe Carolina kicked off, and as the Philly return man headed up the field I cheered when he was gang tackled by Panthers. From that moment on I knew I was no longer a Philly fan but a full fledged Panthers fan.
So it is possible to grow and change loyalties. I don't think the original post was bunk in the slightest. But he does need to learn to trust folks.
I went to the skins/panthers game on sunday and there were far more skins fans than panther fans. And I'm pretty sure it's like that every home game. It will be 10 to 15 maybe 20 years before you see a full house of panther fans. Just hang in there loyal P fans, someday you will have a stadium that rocks like RFK used to.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..............hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha........... That was hilarious. The guy has some issues. Being I've lived in the city for 30 and I'm 39, I grew up watching the skins because they were broadcast here in this region. I loved the skins but it was more like a long distance relationship. It's great in theory but when you meet a new girl that is in town who is new, in your hometown and you can see all the time, ususally that long distance relationship fizzles out. I'm thankful WE Charlotteons have a team and whether you are 10 or 100, they are the hometown team. I will be a Panther fan first til the day I die
@OCTOBER 26, 2011 2:36 PM - You're blind and deaf. Yes, there were Redskins fans that cheered when the team came on the field but the Panthers fans roared much louder.
Those weren't blue jerseys heading for the exit after that Gamble INT. This is most full I have seen the stadium during the 4th quarter in years.
Keep telling yourself that. We have Cam, you have Snyder. Live with that.
I am 23 lived here for 22 years. die hard panthers fan. Sat at the game next to some old time redskins fans and absolutely loved it when we woooped there extremely lame and untalented team. did feel a little bad but oh well thats what you get for coming to the game in opposing fans colors. Panthers are on the rise!
Neither blind nor deaf. Burgundy and Gold was everywhere. I've been to many games at BofA, Cowboys, Steelers, Packers, Falcons, etc, always out number Panther fans. It's to be expected for only having a team for a little over a decade. But, there is nothing like going to a game with a long time loyal fan base where seeing the other teams fans is a strange site and unexpected. Almost like a college game. Hang in there, you guys will have that some day in the future.
What a waste of space. Scott I thought you were leaving to be a missionary.
The funny part of this person's "theory" is that he believes people should be more loyal to a professional sports franchise as opposed to the city/community he/she grew up in. That line of thinking is simply absurd.
I'm 40 yrs old and was 23 when the Panthers started playing. I grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan. Mainly because my older brother was a Redskins fan and I wanted to pull for whichever team he hated the most. I made this decision when I was about 6.
I was in Founders Hall the day they announced Carolina would get the franchise and JR looked to that Channel 9 camera and told us all, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!". Of course I was going to be a Panthers fan. This is my hometown. Everyone here simply pulled for other teams since we didn't have one of our own. It also didn't hurt dropping the Cowboys when Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry the way he did and also fired Jimmy Johnson simply due to Jerry's inflated ego.
I do find it hilarious that a Redskins fan that lives in Charlotte is up here crying about loyalty. If he likes the Redskins so much, by all means move to DC or Northern Va. I mean if he/she really wants to support his team, shouldn't he/she be going to all of the Skins games? You simply can't trust any fan of a team that lives in another franchise's city. That's blasphemy! ;-)
This just proves what an IDIOT fanbase the Deadskins have.
typical panther fans, resorting to 3rd grade comments because you have nothing better to offer. Until you can showcase Lombardi trophies in your stadium, your just another expansion team that helps fill up other teams schedules.
I'm 36, so when the Panthers came into existence I would have been around 21. Well, before then I was a casual NFL fan, just like to this day I am still a casual MLB fan. If we ever were to get a team in NC I would become a die-hard MLB fan because of our team. I get it, if you have been a fan of the Cowgirls or Deadskins for 16 plus years while living in Charlotte/NC area, then that makes sense, but if you continue to live in the area and pull for another team, that makes no sense? I'm willing to bet that 50% of Cowboy fans that live and have lived in the Charlotte area have never even been to Dallas, much less to a game in Dallas!
Go Cats!
I am 35 years old. I grew up in Central Virginia where everyone was a Redskin fan, yet none of them ever went to games. I never liked pulling for the Redskins. I honestly think they have the worst owner in the NFL. I did love Joe Gibbs and how classy he was. I ended up pulling for Kansas City because Barry Word was a family friend. I went to college and then moved to Charlotte. I was still a KC fan, but not die-hard, as I didn't ever attend games and become invested in them and spent money on them for entertainment. When I moved here, I went to a couple games in 99 and 2000 and 2001. I started pulling for them, because this was now my home and I was now spending my money on them for entertainment. A group of young professionals started tailgating together, and before we knew it, it was the thing to do. We were Panther fans. I have missed only 4 games since the 2001 season, and we even travel to other cities for fun and to see them play on the road, one road game a year to a different city. We all own PSLs now that we can afford them. We have all worked our way up in the corporate world, but come Sunday, you see us drinking and raising hell pulling for OUR CAROLINA PANTHERS!
So to this "so-called Redskin" fan, I call you out, and ask you...how you can be a true trust-worthy fan if you don't understand how one becomes a fan. You used a really broad brush to paint that blanket statement with, and it was a pathetic painting! I really thought about if you were worth the response to be honest. I am still torn if you are worth it, and my guess is probably not. However, defending OUR PANTHERS and OUR CITY and OUR STATE is. I actually feel sorry for you that you are a Redskin fan, because your team is headed nowhere, and it has been that way since I can recall. The Hogs, the Fun Bunch, Gibbs, Riggins, etc. are not coming back in that door as long as Snyder is your owner. And if they do, they will be old and grey and there for a reunion, not to strap it on. So enjoy your 1980s, which was when most of us were trying to figure out why our voice was changing over night and trying to learn how to shave! Great job on being a loyal fan of a "remember when" organization!
Grew up rooting for the Steelers since I lived there during the 70's. I've lived in NC for 35(Charlotte for 22) years. Now a Panthers fan. Pretty simple. I pull for the local team.
#1 - the reason they had a favortie team is BC they didnt have a home team - if you think loyalty to a sports francise says anything about character you need help buddy. All it says is you like a product (thats all it is) enough to somehow have ut define you - how sad.
#2 - see above. What. A. Loser.
I'm 49 and I can explain why I switched from being a Steeler fan to a Panther's fan. Ever since I was a kid I wanted us to have our own team in the Carolinas. Even though i pulled for the Steelers, I didn't ever feel a part of them because I wasn't up there in Steel country. Mr. Richardson made a child dream of mine come true when he was given the Panther's franchise. So yes, maybe to you I have only been a Panther's fan for only 16 years, but to me I have been a Panther's fan all my life. So don't be so quick to judge why we pull for our Panthers!!!
This is a pointless argument. Football fandom is not a religion, you dope, it's a secondary passion. We all need to relax, football has gotten out of hand. I'm 25, have always loved the Panthers. Before they came, I could care less about FB, I was 10! Isn't his argument true for any NFL team? Not all of them started at the same time. What a load of junk.
skins stink and always had,
i moved to charlotte 5 years ago from jersey i was never a new york team fan i was always a 49ers fan from the mid 80's well after steve young left and some stuff happened in life i stopped being a hard core football fan, then i moved here had a son and started watching football again and i decided to go with my local team and i really liked how they played and i will still stick behind them back in my mind i still like the 49ers also but my first team are the panthers i have a willaims jersey and a shockey jersey on order
so now my family supports the panthers my wife has a beason jersey my son wears a peppers jersey and i sport my authentic willaims jersey
So it was 60,000 8 year olds who purchased PSL's to build the stadium (aka have the Panthers awarded to Jerry Richardson) So anyone who has a niece, nephew or cousin & loves them before having their own children can't be trusted as parents? You can't love your own kids more than your brother or sisters kids since you loved them first? Everyone over the age of 8 has life figured out? Cheering for a team because your dad does or you like the helmet at 9 years old means you should never grow up & form your own opinions? Funny how bad you want everyone in your own city to know about your stupid theory after the Panthers ROLLED the Redskins.Get a life & send your theory's to Daniel Snyder on why the Redskins have been a joke around the NFL for over a decade!
Why would you even give this guy the satisfaction of seeing his words in print in your column? His reasoning doesn't even make any sense. You have way too much time on your hands Scott!
My hometown is Charlotte. I liked the Raiders as a kid; what did I know? My dream was to have an NFL team in the Carolinas and to have the Panthers right down the street is a dream come true!!
I was a Redskins fan before the Panthers came to town and, yes, I ditched them around 1999. I'm from the Charlotte area, one of the few and proud that are left here, and I love this city more than I loved the Redskins. It was hard and it took around 4-5 years before it happened. When Daniel Snyder started treating the 'Skins like Steinbrenner did the Yankees, I was all too happy that I had switched allegiances.
57 Years old. North Carolina native. Lived in Charlotte for 38 years. Still not a Panthers fan. I picked my favorite team (Packers) when I was 7 years old and have been a diehard since. Made the trip to Lambeau a couple of times. Been through many years of horrible teams and have had several years of great teams. Point is, I'll never be a fan of The Panthers or any other team other than the Packers. My blood is green and gold!
P.S. I live 10 miles from BofA stadium!
I have a better theory for you, fans over the age of 23 are the REAL Panther fans!
What's wrong with giving up your loyalties to your "original" team (that you likely picked because you knew someone from that area or your Dad was a fan) for an expansion franchise from your home area?
And then there are those like me, a 33 year old die-hard Panthers fan (that hasn't lived in the US since 2003 but has still never missed a Panthers game on TV), that didn't care at all about the NFL before the Panthers existed. Why? Because the closest team geographically were from Atlanta (who stunk at the time, btw).
Regardless, it doesn't really matter. Who cares what a Redskins fan thinks, anyway?
GO PANTHERS!
He sounds like a closeminded idiot. Like a lot of people I'm not originally from Charlotte before I moved here several years ago. I grew up a 49ers fan from the days of Joe Montana, even before "The Catch". I actually grew frustrated with that franchise, who until this year have been mostly obsolete for the last decade. I spent most of my years living in an area, that was ironically Redskin territory (Richmond, VA to be exact). No way on earth could I switch to that team, so low and behold I moved to Charlotte and I finally lived somewhere that had a "home team" to cheer for. It took me a little while but they grew on me. I now have my Panthers jersey, my newborn wears Panthers onsies and I go to several games a year. So what's so bad about that? There should be a sense of community pride around this team. I have no problem admitting I'm now one of "those" Panthers fans.
I am 56 years old and grew up a Redskin fan, even bought season tickets for a few years. However, when a team came to my native state, then they became MY TEAM. I could then listen to all the local talk shows get news from the local news reporters. It really felt like MY Team. Now if this idiot really wants to talk about loyalty, then I would like to ask him where is his loyalty. How about loyalty to his own state not to even mention his own city. Do the Redskins visit Schools, Hospitals, feed the hungry or donate supplies to schools here in North carolina. NO on all accounts. How about showing a little loyalty to your own state and pulling for the local NFL Team. Now if he wants to continue being a Deadskin Fan fine, but do not try and make Panther Fan feel bad for choosing a local team. They are showing more loyalty than he ever could.
Total Garbage is my comment. I'm 26 years old and have been a Panthers fan since day 1. I didn't have a football team. I only watched football to watch Dan Marino play as a kid.I have a thing for expansion teams and underdogs. There was just something about Carolina that made me want to be a fan when they joined the league. It was a hunch I can't explain. No matter how low the lows have been, the highs have been better and being a Panthers fan has been the best decision of my life. Tell this guy to stick it.
I like living in Charlotte. I'm glad there is an NFL team here. I go to games occasionally. But Charlotte and the Panthers have a long way to go before they become a true NFL town. There are just too many transplants here that support other NFL teams. You can see them every sunday walking to the stadium. So many fans for the opposing team are out in full display. Not sure Panther fans will ever dominate the scene here on game day. Just not going to happen. Live with it.
46 year old, SC native. Grew up as a devoted Raiders fan. Dropped them cold turkey to pull for the team that holds training camp in my hometown and represents the area that I love.
It's a "home town" thing! You must support the team that reps your area!
I toss his theory back at him...who would trust a guy that doesn't even support his home town team? Probably pulls for other countries during the Olympics!
In some situations this shmendrik could be right, in some, wrong. I am 20 years old and I have known no other love. My father though, before 1995 he was a Redskins fan as many were, but you know what? Him and my Grandfather bought 3 PSL's on the very first day with no hesitation at all, to this day, any game that I go to, my Dad is there to go with me.
wow. I am 25 years old and am the biggest panthers fan I know. Its actually been embarrassing at times: see last year.
this theory is utterly ridiculous and retarded (no offense to the mentally challenged). However this theory shows the tendency for americans to generalize and form very strong beliefs based on fact-less biased thinking patterns. I grew up in Charlotte played popwarner, middle school, highschool (BIG I 2003-2005, and some college football.) Being born in 1986, I was about a huge football fan and about the age of 9 when I heard we would be getting our own team. Even at that young age it made sense for me to root for them. I am from Charlotte, and so I would say that anyone from Charlotte rooting for another team is untrustworthy, what other attatchment to a team can you have? The early success of the team also made it easy to love my team early as a young bull. I would say your theory is a little more relevant to those maybe 35 and older....
So let me get this staright. It's better to be loyal to a team because the NFL chose to regularly show that team in your local media market - whether you wanted to watch that team or not; than it is to pull for the local team, which is actually part of your community.... Because if you switch teams, it means your wishie washie; and has nothing to do with your ability to re-evaluate the situation when more options are presented, right?
This fan never even says why he pulls for the Redskins, and uses completely indefensible positions.
Here's something, Scott: has the Ressakins fan stopped sleeping with farm animals yet? If not, then it means he did sleep with farm animals, and really should stop. If he has, then it means he used to sleep with farm animals, but stopped. Get my point?
I was 11, when Panthers played their first season in Clemson. Which makes me 27. i have several friends and family all my age 25-30 who are die-hard fans of the Panthers. i remember going to my first NFL game at 11 and being excited about our new local team. i would simply argue that Panther fans 30 and below fall into this theort which i strangley agree with. But 23? Come on. Kids, especially boys, are stil impressionable at the age of 13 at the very least!
I started liking the Panthers as soon as they came into the league. I was only like 9 at the time so I don't really remember following football too much before then. So I don't think the over 23 thing can always apply, but I can see where he's coming from.
Born in '82. Moved here in 1992 from Syracuse,NY. Been a fan since they announced the team in '93. I remember standing in line outside a music store in Huntersville waiting for a "lottery" ticket to purchase tickets for the games. My family and family friends would be: on their phones, computers from home, and in line at various locations, waiting for tickets to go on sale. I wear my jersey every Sunday, regardless if I go to the game or not. I yell at the TV or in the stands, if I can afford the game that day. My friends are all around the same age, and are the most "fanatic" of fans you'll ever see. Sounds like a older Deadskins fan needs to get over losing one on the field, and the loss of watching "their" team on the local channels. Get over it. Go Panthers!!!
Kinda agree. I'm 38, grew up a Redskins fan since '79, but born right here in Charlotte. You have to understand, as most around my age and older can tell you is that the Redskins really were on TV in this area every Sunday more than any other. I don't hate the Panthers, but I'm not a Panther fan either. I will always be a Redskin fan no matter what. Now my kids who are born here are Panther fans, because this is the team they've grown up with.
I'm 65. We got our first tv in 1952. My dad watched the Redskins every Sunday. Don't remember the year I started watching, but Eddie LeBaron was the qb and Frank Scarpati was the backup qb for the first years I watched. But, they never felt like MY team. Washington was so very, very far away. It was THEIR team.
When we got our own team, the switch wasn't just easy, it was natural. Personally, I don't understand how you can have your own team here and cheer for a team that's way, way, way away from here. But, Albert Einstein said the world would be a far worse place if everyone thought alike, so I'll accept people's decisions, even if I don't like them or understand them.
I'm 34. I grew up as a fan of the Washington team. Then, my home state got a team. I had also realized by that time that the Washington R(acially insensitive and irresponsible name)s were kind of disgusting. That is why I'm a Panthers fan. Also, I don't feel that a sports team is something that requires true dedication. Don't get me wrong, I never miss a Panthers game. Still, I realize it is only a game; there are much bigger things in my life to worry about. But hey, that's just me.
How about rooting for your home team. It's a privledge to have a NFL team in your town!
Probably a good idea he rename anonymous after that garbage.
I for one can poke a hole in his argument. I was born in Ohio and moved to NC at age 4. I was a Cleveland Browns fan, lived and died watching them get beat by Elway's Broncos in the playoffs. In 1999 there was no Browns team. They had moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, and so I was happy to adopt the Panthers as my team. I have really always considered myself a Carolinian since I've lived here since age 4.
Your friend must hang around with a lot of shallow people if no one has been able to argue with this absurd, immature "theory."
First of all, football allegiance is NOT the same as one's allegiance to God, country and family. It's not even close.
I would bet that most Panthers fans are fans because they live here, and watching the Panthers on TV or at BofA is something they do with their families each week.
It's a simple case of family allegiance trumping football allegiance, and family allegiance is far more meaningful.
In my case, I became a Cowboys fan early on in life because I was born in Texas. I was a fan before they were America's team and before they had cheerleaders.
To keep this short, I'm going to skip details, but about the only thing the current Cowboys have in common with the team I fell in love with as a youth is the name and home uniform.
I haven't lived in Texas since 1969. We've both changed a lot since then, and it was time to move on.
Now I'm a Panthers fan, and no born-yesterday punk with a "theory" can take that away from me.
One thing that hasn't changed, I still hate the Redskins.
I'm approaching my mid-40s and lived west of Charlotte when the Panthers were created. I was ecstatic. I grew up in northeast Alabama, watching the awful Falcons, and then in south Alabama, watching the equally dismal Saints. I never had an emotional attachment to either. Why bother when I already had Auburn? In Alabama, you have to choose either Bama or Auburn by about age 5. When college came around, I was forced to go somewhere other than Auburn. I made up my mind that rooting against my alma mater and for Auburn would be disloyal. Since Alabama didn't have pro team, this left me in a quandary. In 1992, my wife and I moved to North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, the NFL expanded. I finally had a football team. I'm one of a handful in Southwest Florida. on Sundays, I listen to radio broadcasts over the Internet and watch GameTracker on the computer. So no, it's not about loyalty or disloyalty; it's about emotionally attachment. People fall in and out of love with each other, why not football teams. George Seifert almost did it for me.
My first thoughts about this article is "why does this matter to him/her or anyone else and who cares?" But to answer the Kid's concerns and theory. (I don't automatically assume it is a male either as it may be a female)
Answer to number 1 is as follows.
"Loyalty is overrated" so obviously you are young and blind. When you get to be my age, 51, and have lived a good portion of your life you will find out that finding anyone or anything that is loyal to the end is merely a figment of your imagination. Does that mean that it applies to everyone? The answer is no but why is the divorce rate 50%? I'll let the kid figure that one out and get back to us on it. As a side note, dogs are more loyal than humans, think about it...
My answer to number 2 is as follows:
Some people do not like football because if they did everyone's TV would be tuned into the NFL when the games come on. My favorite team used to be the Redskins before Carolina came on board and I saw the light. The other reason I switched is because of stupid Redskins fans with dumb letters to the editor that made me move my enthusiasm to the Panthers.
Here is my advice to the letter writer who is obviously a sore loser or otherwise would have written this well before the game. Unless his last name is Einstein, he should stick to more important theories and use his knowledge and drive to better himself in life and prepare himself for disloyal selfish people in his life. This will help him to grow wiser and allow him to take situations in stride when they don't go his/her way. Good luck to whoever you are and Go Panthers!!
Cobrabitn
well i am 32 years old and his idea or theory has some merit I can tell him he is wrong! I didnt get into football til i got to highschool and started to play it. Guess what year that was? 1995. Same year as the Panthers! WOOHOO. I have been a fan ever since! So yeah you can be like you have to be young to be a fan or you can be like me a young Teen-age kid who didnt follow or fall in love with the game til I was playing it! So there goes that first hole in your theory!
Anyone who cheers for a team solely because (a) that's the local team; or (b) that's the team their parents liked doesn't know what they're talking about.
Sometimes it's good to be a fan of a team from Day One -- through all the highs AND the lows, no matter what the reason for wanting to do so is.
Go Panthers!
I'm 36. Grew up in Winston, and live now in Wilmington. I grew up a Steelers fan because that is who my older brother rooted for. But I always wanted a "local" team to root for. When Charlotte was granted a franchise, I was excited and rooted for both Steelers and Panthers. Through the years as the Panthers established themselves in the league I became more of a fan, and after Delhomme's Cardiac Cats produce game after game of excitement and as Steeler fans became more and more unbearable, my allegiance is totally with the Panthers. I don't see it as abandoning the Steelers, but more supporting a team that represents my community that had been lacking until 1995. Your emailer makes a decent point, but I have absolutely zero regrets about focusing all of my football fan attention to the Panthers and leaving the Steelers. My wife is a transplant from NY, and she is even a convert because she loves this state and the representation of our state and community.
Scott...
Growing up and graduating from High School in Charlotte in the 80s, I was a pretty big Redskin fan. A lot of that had to do with the fact that my big brother was a Redskin fan, but I eventually came into my own on my own with the Skins. However, I absolutely dropped the Skins like a hot potatoe in favor of the Panthers for one and only reason: Charlotte was my home and I was determined to pull for my hometown team. It seemed pretty simple to me. Even today, as a 40 year old who has lived the past 20 yrs in TN, most of that in Knoxville, i still consider Charlotte to be my "hometown," it's where I'm from (I read the Observer faithfully every day). And i choose to pull for the hometown team. Whats so untrustworthy about that? I happen to think its a pretty honorable thing.
I bet the village is missing this guy. I always thought the Cowboys had the dumbest fans in the world until I read his comments. Regardless of what teams you like, you should always support your home team first. The economic impact of a winning team makes a positive difference for a city. Scott, you should do a story on how much money is generated from a single Panther game. I'll get it started - If everyone who attends pays just $10 to park it generates over $700,000 of revenue for local business......your turn. What a sore loser this guy is. HAIL TO THE PANTHERS!
I grew up with the Redskins and Cowboys on TV every week I hope they both lose every week. Still pull for the Falcons when they are not playing the Panthers, but the Panthers are my home town team win or lose.
I find the opposite to be true!!
I was born in Charlotte in 1965 and waited for my own team. The folks that could not wait for their own team had to pick a team immediately, should have picked the Falcons that were 3.5 hours to the South. I went to Atlanta twice a year to watch them play the Redskins or Saints or Cowboys or Eagles.
I went to every Charlotte Hornets Football game (World Football League in 1974 and 1975) and then had to wait 20 years for my next home team game at Clemson.
The folks that I do not respect are the ones that choose a team that always wins, even though they are 8 hours away like the Redskins fans. They are the ones with character flaws that justify the label untrustworthy!.
Another thing that people have to remember is that many people in this area were Redskins fans before the Panthers arrived, even for multiple generations. Those loyalties don't always die easily. Also, many transplants are from other cities and carry their loyalties with them. A Steeler fan would die rather than switch teams just because he moved to Charlotte. That's how deep the loyalty goes. But that's when the fan moves from his hometown to a new city. I guess it's easier to conceive of a fan switching teams when he lives somewhere that never had a team and then one is dropped in his backyard. I know many transplants here that cheer for Philly, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, Green Bay and would just as soon have their hearts ripped out then switch to the Panthers. By the way, I was among those cheering for the Redskins, and have been for 40 years.
This person completely ignores the fact that supporting your local football team is to support your local economy. This guy sounds like a sociopath in hiding.
I'm 26 been a Panthers fan my whole life. I'm a PSL holder of the Panthers in Section 523. I can actually agree with this guy in a way. I have seen fans where they will pull for the Panthers but when their first team comes in they change their allegences. That is one of the reasons why visiting fans get into our stadium. Losing has a little bit to do with it but it didn't start last year. I would say normally a Panthers fan 30 or over probably has 2 teams. But in closing I don't care if the Panthers are your first or fifth favorite team if you are in our stadium pull for our team.
This obviously struck a chord with people and I am loving all of the response.
I completely disagree with the letter.
I am 32. I was 15 when the Panthers started and I had no NFL team. My dad was a Cowboys fan, so my house never cheered for the skins even though they were always on TV here in Greensboro.
Looks like quite a few holes have been poked in this theory, but I must offer my observations as well: (1) 'Kids,' in general, prefer to cheer for a winner - the proverbial "My dad can kick your dad's butt;" (2) 'Kids' also tend to cheer for teams for which their parents cheer (shared experience); (3) the '23-year old' rule is arbitrarily imposed suggesting 'kids' under 8 cannot independently choose a team for which to cheer and that 'kids' over 8 can (fallacy of composition); (4) disloyalty is but one of many possible explanations why people change their favorite team.
Case in point: I have a friend that grew up in Philly and was a die-hard Eagles fan, but when he moved to Florida and couldn't see the Philly games AND the Eagles kept disappointing him by faltering on the brink of winning a championship, he changed his loyalty to a Florida team: not solely because the Eagles were losing but ALSO because he could not watch them (NFL ticket didn't exist then). To this day he is a Phillies and Flyers fan, but his NFL loyalty remains with a Florida team DESPITE the fact that he has lived in the Carolinas for over 10 years. I also have many friends that grew up in the Carolinas and are still die-hard Redskin fans, Cowboy Fans, Steeler Fans, etc.
I grew up as a Redskin fan in the Carolinas (Billy Kilmer, Sonny Jurgensen, Art Monk, etc.) because they were the only team broadcast here every week and my father loved them.
When Carolina was finally awarded a franchise, I immediately became a Panthers fan. Not because I was disloyal to the Resdkins, Cowboys, Steelers or any other team, but because I finally had a home team for which to cheer. My loyalty has never wavered despite bad seasons with Dom Capers, the disaster that was George Siefert and both the great and not-so-great John Fox era.
To quote a Nobel Laureate, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" (J.M. Keynes)
This is ridiculous. This guy really is uneducated or intentionally acting plain dumb.
First of all, I'm 37 years old and a passionate Panthers fan.I have been a football fan since middle school and watched it religously. Before the Panthers came to existance, I had several teams I "Liked". Such as the Bears, Steelers and Bills. But I'm from NC and I was never passionate about any of those teams, just like them. I'm a proud Tarheel and I LOVE my State, and where I'm from in the Mountains.
So, of course when the Panthers came along I "abandoned" those other teams. Why? Because they aren't my home STATE team. I'm no longer gonna have a favortie team from another State when my home State now has a team, Why would I? Its not good logic. Thats just crazy to think I would still give my loyalty to a team from another State just because they were around before my team. I give my loyalty to my State and my State team.
I'll cop to "abandoning" my favorite team. I live in California and was born a 49er fan. But when ownership changed and they decided not really care about football, I lost respect for the organization.
Then in 95 when the Panthers came along I hitched my wagon to them.
HOWEVER, I am a TRUE Panther fan! Anyone that wants to challenge that I tell them this... I live in a town where the games are never televised and I have to go somewhere to see the games! I am the only one in this town to sport any Panther gear... AND I supported my team and was faithful during their 1-15 and 2-14 years! SO I challenge ANYONE to say I'm not a true fan!
No matter how much you might like a team from another region, it's not your own. The Redskins were never the Carolinas' team. It was merely a good-enough-until-we-get-our-own team. Nothing more.
I grew up liking the Saints because my parents spent some time in New Orleans when they were younger. But they were never my team. Same with the Braves and any other non-NC team I might have followed.
So when we got the Panthers, just before my 15th birthday, "I" got the Panthers. Even now, after I've moved to New York, I still have the Panthers.
can we also talk about how anybody that ever transferred schools, changed jobs, broke up with a girlfriend, changed a dinner order after placing it, changed outfits after dressing, changed the channel during a show, etc. etc. etc. .....
....by the same merit "can't be trusted" it's sports, it's not blood in blood out.
I don't have time to read everyone else's comments, and this may have already been presented as a reason, but here goes...
I am a DIE HARD Panthers fan and I'm 25 years old. The Panthers were the first and only NFL team I have ever pulled for. I grew up with football going on in the background on my dad's TV and whatnot, but I never really got into the game until later down the road. When I was little, I saw the game as long and boring. That, of course, if far from the case now.
I now live in Los Angeles as of two months ago (moved from about an hour outside of Charlotte). I subscribed to DirecTV just so I could see the Panthers play every Sunday. I make weekly Panthers Youtube videos previewing and reviewing the games. When home visiting family over the Christmas holiday, I'm going to do my best to make it to the Bucs game on Christmas Eve (since I haven't been able to go to one this season). My apartment and closet is decked out with Panthers merchandise. My laptop background is a version of the Panthers logo.
Bottom line is, I support this team with all my heart and soul. Just because I'm over some magical number in the age category does not make me any less of a fan. GO PANTHERS!
I was born in 1952 and raised in NC. Sure, I grew up watching the Redskins and Falcons, because that's what the TV networks gave us. I was a lukewarm fan of both teams, but they were both two states away, and my true loyalty was to the Tarheels. Along with thousands of other Carolinians, it was a proud moment to see the NFL come to the Carolinas with the Panthers franchise. Our loyalty was given to the Panthers immmediately, and the tradition will only grow. It's easy to see how fans from the oldest franchises take great pride in their tradition going back many generations, but that's their loyalty and heritage. They can look down their nose at the fans of the newer franchises all they want, but we have our own team now, and we take great pride in it.
We no longer need to borrow a team to root for, thank you very much.
I would say he'd sing a different tune if the Redskins had been, what's the word.... oh, good, sometime in the last decade. I promise a Colts fan wouldn't write crap like this.
In fact, this is the type of fight the sports-fan friend you don't like starts in a bar when he's had a bad day and wants attention.
Precludes the notion that one could be a huge football fan but not have a team. This guy makes the assumption that everyone has to have a team he passionately follows - when in reality many who grew up in Charlotte in the '80s merely had preferences. Big difference.
I'm of the opinion that once you turn 18, whatever team you root for is the team you are stuck with. There are a few exceptions, though. If your favorite team moves out away (did anyone expect all of Cleveland to keep rooting for the Ravens?) or if a new team arrives in your area. I imagine the latter is the case for Panthers fans in the Carolinas.
I'm 26, and I've been a Panthers fan since I was 10. Prior to that, I was a Bengals fan. I've lived in New Jersey all my life, but I adopted mid-90s expansion teams as my favorites because that's when my interest in sports really emerged.
So because I was 10, not 8, and had a favorite team prior to the Panthers' existence, should I not be trusted? Sounds a little ridiculous.
This Redskins fan is either:
1) being an instigator
2) deluded
3) mad that Charlotte residents don't like his Redskins anymore because they got a team of their own
4) or mad that the Panthers thumped the Redkins this past week.
Probably all of the above. I respect someone who supports the local team and community more than someone who lives here and can't let go of some irrational, retarded connection with another city's team. If you love the Deadskins so much, then move to DC.
How bout this I was an Oiler Fan, even though i have always lived in NC, because of Bum Phillips,Earl Cambell,and the Carolina Blue uniforms and They moved to Tenn or were getting ready to move in '95 so it was an easy transition to being a Panthers fan. i'm 37.
I understand why he would use that argument (it's the only one he can come up with), but it's completely unfounded. I was in the Army until a couple of years before the Panthers were founded and loved football, but didn't really have a "favorite" team.
I had always yearned for a team which I could call my own and not have to share with a city or state in which I didn't live.
After having been stationed in New York and California, I had been following the 49ers and Giants more than anything, but even then never felt they were "my team". I was simply borrowing them from strangers living elsewhere.
When the Panthers were founded, I finally had "my team". I quickly lost interest in following any other NFL team and have been a die-hard Panthers fan ever since.
Personally, I don't trust someone who shuns his local team to follow a team hailing from a place where the person doesn't even live. It's kind of like turning your back on your family to spend time with a family across town with which you really have no ties. But, that's just how I look at it. It doesn't surprise me to see a Redskin fan think that way, though. :p
Dewayne Gore
Owner, Panthersfanz.com
From Dan
This was a great idea Scott. Love hearing the luv from true Panther fans. Yes- people are entitled to root for who they want. But I'm entitled to my mine opinion. And I always get irritated with these Charlotte Deadskin fans. Glad all the Panther fans are letting them have it here. Keep piling on Panther Nation. Go Panthers- the true and only Hometown Team.
THIS IS JUST A SORE LOSER!!!!!
THAT IS THE THEORY!?!?
Some really good responses from fans of all ages. In some places some people treat football as religion and I could see how you wouldn't want to be "disloyal" to your old team if you moved to NC but I don't agree with his theory.
The kid goes by the assumption that at a young age everyone has a football team they root for and that's simply not sure. There are other sports you can follow and other interests you can have that aren't sports related. For me, I didn't follow football till I was around 15 and that was when I first saw the Panthers. Ever since then I have been a diehard Panthers fan and diehard football fan in general. I'm 23 now and I will always root for my hometown Panthers team wherever life takes me. But if someone different chooses to root for another team, that isn't there hometown team, by all means. Love me some cold brews on Sundays and Panther football!
Go Panthers!
Grew up loving the Cowboys...but when your home state gets a team you have to switch. Never understood why anyone would remain 100 percent loyal to a team from somewhere else. True loyalty is hometown pride.
I am 59 - and born in Charlotte. I think the guy is probably right. How else do you explain last year's attendance.? Do Green Bay, Pittsburgh or Buffalo fans stay home when their team is not in a good place?
This letter is following the guidelines right out of the low IQ section of the Sore Loser Handbook.
If your team gets beat on the field...
a) Insult the other team's fans. For example, they don't fill the stadium, our fans were louder, or they leave early.
b) Talk about Super Bowls from long ago. However, one should avoid this tactic when talking to a Steelers fan.
Mr. Redskin, this letter really resembles a Dallas fan move. And, I thoroughly enjoyed watching quiet Redskin fans leave early last Sunday!
Not sure the Redskin fan's bright line test applies to everyone. When I was a little kid, I was a Cowboys fan if I thought about football at all...I liked their team colors, and I loved Roger Staubach. Then the 'Boys took an ugly turn character-wise and as I got more into college basketball and the Charlotte Hornets, I stopped watching the NFL. Moved away to Richmond a few years after Charlotte brought in the Panthers franchise then moved back as the Panthers were going on their Super Bowl run. The excitement was contagious and I started tuning in. Finally learned something about football and I've been a fan ever since...even during seasons like last year. And I still don't like the Cowboys .... TOO MUCH DRAMA!
This guy is right on. Same thing applies to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Columbus Blue Jackets, etc. By the way, what is with the super generic names. Panthers? Jaguars? They sound like high school teams. I guess the NFL ran out of creative names.
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