The comments of longtime PSL holder Todd Pedersen have ignited quite a debate among Panther fans. Pedersen, in this column I wrote for Friday's newspaper, routinely sells his Panther tickets and makes no apologies for doing so. They often end up in the hands of fans of the other team. He said it's his way of recouping some of his investment in the PSLs and boycotting the inferior product the Panthers have put on the field since 2010 (they are 10-30 in that time frame, the NFL's worst record).
Well, that column started a firestorm. Presented here, without names attached except for one prominent Panther fan most people would know in the final comment, are some excerpts from the comments that the story has gotten and emails I've received:
-- Todd Pedersen -- RIGHT ON!!!!!! My wife and I are PSL holders from the team's inception, and his comments express my sentiments perfectly.
-- He's no FAN. He's a sell-out, bandwagon rider, and proud of it. Pathetic.
-- When the Packers didn't win for decades, they still had loyal fans. Just sell your tickets and quit dogging on your team in public. You're an embarrassment to yourself and the city.
-- I am a displaced Panther Fan, I get DirecTV so I can watch the games from Eglin AFB, FL. My whole family is driving up (11 hrs) for the long Veteran's Day weekend so we can go to the Panther Game and support our team....and this is the guy you choose to profile?
-- I absolutely agree with Mr. Pedersen. I grew up a N.Y. Giants football fan. Knowing how difficult it was to get Giants tickets, I purchased six PSLs. Unfortunately, I still have them. For the last three years I have sold the whole season.
-- When I read the first few paragraphs, I was ready to fry this guy! But having read the article all the way through, I (also a Clemson SC/Year 1 Vet and having only missed about 7 games since Day 1) can't blame him. Understand his frustration completely. And he offered up his name.
-- I sold about half of my tickets this year mainly for economic reasons. All but one game I sold to friends at face value who I know are Panther fans. I did sell my Cowboys tickets online and not sure who bought them, but expect it was a Cowboys fan as they are the only ones stupid enough to pay $300 for (2) $41 tickets. That $218 profit helped me to be able to go to the games that I did.
--You don't QUIT as a fan because of losing; his family doesn't quit on him, when he doesn't sell his wares consistently! I challenge the guy to sit with me at a game next year so that I can show him what he lacks!....... LOYALTY. -- Greg "Catman" Good
We're moving!
9 years ago
Posts
16 comments:
The Panthers are a business. I don't go to Panther games for the same reason I don't go to McDonalds. The football stinks and so do the hamburgers
if you have a PSL or 2 i would think that you are not only a panthers fan, but a fan of football in general. why would you drop thousands for psls and sell the whole season away. you would at least want to see different teams come to town and enjoy football in general.
I sold my PSL's after last year. I'd just had enough. Once the Panthers gutted the team in 2010 completely disregarding those of us that had forked over THOUSANDS of dollars for PSL's I was done with financially supporting the Richardson family. I am still a very loyal Panther fan but choose to do it from 2 hours away in the comfort of my own home. I fully understand Mr Pederson's point and his right to do what ever he wants with the tickets he has purchaed.
It could be worse. Some may remember. The 2001 panthers deteriorated even further to a record 1–15, winning only their opener. By the end of the season, the Panthers had become so woeful that only about 16,000 fans showed up to see them play in their finale against the New England Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
Move the Panthers to Vegas for all I care.
I think this guy's PSLs should be taken from him. It your seats can be taken away for bad behavior in the stadium, than the same stands outside of the stadium. I understand some people need to recoup their money when times are difficult, but to be proud of it?? This is no badge of honor. It's disloyalty, disrespectful, and in my opinion shameful. I think Richardson should change from tickets to a PSL owner badge. So that when your "ticket" comes in for scanning, you have a badge instead of a paper ticket. I'm thinking about the Masters as an example. You lose that badge, you lose your seats for the year. That way this jack wagon can't sell to different away fans and we keep our fans in the seats. I know some will say, if they make this change, I'll just sell my PSLs, to that I say good riddance!! Plus the plastic badges would be innovative and a more "Green" way to operate.
Posted my thoughts before on this subject and will post again. The Panthers are a middle tier team... always will be. Ownership runs the program as a business and he should. His business model is set for the Panthers to fail most of the time and win with luck or chance once in ten years. Never will you see ownership take a financial loss for the year by spending more for better on the field value. The decisions from ownership have proved this to me time and time again. I AM A LOYAL fan! I plan my day around games and don't make out of town trips, or schedule any conflicts that will prevent me from watching games to cheer my Panthers on!! I've done this from day one in 95'. However, and a few BIG however's. My investment monetarily...?? Sorry Big Cat... I only do to you what you do to me the fan.. I'm in it half-way when it comes to going and paying for games and concessions. I will NEVER pay full face for a ticket. Even if it means I tailgate and leave.You've raised prices without putting a better product into the consumers hands!! Also, I will walk into a game when I FEEL LIKE IT!! Tailgating has been the only good part of Sundays for the past 3 years!!! 3 years is a really long time to deal will watching something more boring than a NASCAR Sprint Championship Cup race..there is no value what so ever!! Finally, it IS a culture of losing. And I will say at no fault to the players. They know when they look around at what management has put beside them as far as talent is concerned. There has been 0 attempts to go after Big Name free agent talent. Reason for this are obvious: expensive, risky which are not part of the Panther Way. The only model used in 15 plus years wihin the Panther organization is draft and hope the men blossom to great players. All you need to do when checking if this model works or not for winning championships is look at other 2nd tier city teams..but they all do have one thing in common...Profits...
Diehard Panther fan living in Brasilia, Brazil. My dad has been a PSL owner since the beginning. I would give anything to see my team play at B of A every week. My family and I put on our Panther gear and watch every game, then my Dad and I talk on skype and try to fix every problem the Panthers have. The Panthers might not have the tradition of other teams YET but that is something we cant create overnight- it is something that comes with time, sacrifice and commitment. It is fans like you that stunt the growth of this Panther tradition. Please sell your seats to a TRUE fan, who will come to the games rain or shine, win or lose.
9:57-Congratulations! I don't understand why people think a team should win every single game? It's not like the Panthers are the Jaguars!!! We've been in every single game this year, except one and all you hear are "fans" talking about how they've had enough, blah blah blah. The experience we are having is nothing compared to what other TRUE FANS have gone through. Just look at the other teams out there that literally have ZERO chance of winning. As frustrating as it is, trust me the majority of us are frustrated, at least the Panthers have a chance week in and week out.
No, there is no debate, and reading this article makes me want to puke. I've been a PSL owner since day 1, and would still attend every game and support my team if we went 0-16 for 8 straight years. It's called loyalty. Tell Pederson to move back to Jersey or where ever he is from and cheer for the Giants, or move to San Fran and cheer for them since they are winning. Fans that only cheer and support teams that win are not fans,example...look at all the Cowboys fans, most have never even been to Texas. People like Pederson is why each home game I almost get into it with the other team fans acting like a bunch of idiots, and no it's not the beer. Pederson, do all the Panthers fans a favor and sell your PSL's to a Panther fan. We don't want fans like you in the stands, in fact don't even watch them on tv....you don't deserve to.
Honestly, some of our "fans" are the worst. I've lived in the MD/VA/DC area for most of my life (in Philly now at school), and I've never seen any fans that are more loyal than the Redskins. Year in and year out, they are awful, yet they show up to every game and cheer like they're actually winning. That was BEFORE RGIII. As soon as the Panthers slip up, it's done. No more packed stadium, absolutely embarrassing noise level compared to nearly every other team, just no heart. This is a growing team, with a growing staff, and a bright future. Don't run back once we get on a roll. I can't imagine that you would get rid of all your tickets simply because we've had a rough start... what type of fan does that? The season isn't over yet, and if we can pull off a W here, there is still [a dim] light for us. Come on, let's give our team something to play for (other than their lucrative contracts and lack of the concept that losing isn't okay lol).
D-Wil, if RIchardson adopted your plan the Kitty Kats would go broke real fast.
i hate fickle fans ..hey buddy go cheer for the jets or giants we dont need you cheering occasionally for the panthers..
The only way you enjoy the sweet victory, is if you have suffered the crushing loss. This is how loyalty is established. Loyalty is about being there when nobody else has your back. The dream in the middle of a 2 and 6 season that you may be able to finish out with a rally and make the playoffs is always there. Boast to all those friends who laugh at you for being a fan. This is what builds loyalty. As for me and my house we are fans. We watch every game. We scream at the TV. We cheer at the TV. We have our own custom Jerseys. We have our Sam Mills jerseys. We love the Panthers, We are mad at the Panthers. We DARE anyone to talk smack about them in earshot. We wish we had PSLs, We wish we had tickets. We would attend every game. We watch on TV in our home and drive to the nearest establishment that has them on the TV, when they are not playing on the TV in our home. We are FANS. A fan is loyal. He/she loves his/her team like family. There may be times when you don't like them, but you ALWAYS LOVE them!
This is my take on being a fan: First of all, there is a difference between being a fan of college and a fan of pro's--who are making millions of dollars to do their job. With my college, I will be a fan each and every year until I die. There are always new kids coming in, and they have to learn and maybe we can get lucky and have a great team that wins a bowl. But with pro sports, if the players and coaches consistently--I mean year-in and year-out-- suck on the field, I will have no problem with selling my tickets or leaving in the 4th qtr. that is how you send a message to Mr Richardson. And while I love my Panthers (PSL owner since day one) I have a life. And I will get back to it and prepare for my JOB i have the next morning. So there is a difference in my mind, between college and pro. I will stay til the end of a college game because I understand these are kids and they need encouragement. Just my opinion
I just sold my tickets for below face value via stuhub. I hope a real Panther fan bought them. Where are all the real fans anyway? Too often the folks that criticize PSL holders for selling their tickets are the very same people who won't pay face value for said tickets. Yes, I will sell to the highest bidder when I have a game that warrants some interest and no, I will not apologize for it! I cannot make it to every game so I sell my tickets. Until Panther fans ante up they have nothing to complain about.
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