Panther fans were at their absolute best Sunday against New Orleans.
Buckets of rain? No problem. The rain-soaked, rowdy crowd stayed until the end and literally shook the stadium on Domenik Hixon's 14-yard TD catch to win it in the final minute. If you were there, you know what I mean.
I felt it and thousands of people there did, too -- one fan in the upper deck said people around him "actually fell down, but it could have been the beer." Defensive end Charles Johnson would later tweet that it was the loudest the stadium had ever been in his memory. The picture above shows fans celebrating after DeAngelo Williams' early TD run.
Fan Lisa Swygert wants to keep that enthusiasm going for the critical final regular-season game at Atlanta -- here's an excerpt from an email she sent me.
Scott,
My family and I are DAY ONE Panther PSL fans..... I think the fans finally got it! My husband, son and I have seats in the upper deck and I will tell you when anyone started getting loud when the Panthers had the ball, just about everyone around that person started yelling for them to be quiet!
Over the course of the game, I think they actually understood the importance of remaining as quiet as possible, when the Panthers have the ball and as LOUD as possible, when the opposing team has it, especially on 3rd downs.
On a different note, I have a suggestion.... I am challenging other Panther fans to attend the Atlanta game next Sunday. I personally am surprising my husband and son with this last-minute gift idea.
It can be a day trip, so if finances are an issue, no hotel needed. Tickets are reasonably inexpensive... and I believe they might even be "cheap" on game day.
It's a GREAT last-minute gift for the family and most importantly we will (for once in the history of our team) have a real presence, at an away game. The conditions are perfect for it to actually happen, if we can just get the word out and challenge Panther fans! Doesn't get much closer in distance from CLT and prices should be at an all-time low with the Falcon's performance this year, combined with the holiday season still in full swing!
Always a Panther fan,
Lisa Swygert
(OK, this is Scott again. Incidentally, Panther defensive end Greg Hardy challenged Carolina fans to do much the same thing shortly after the New Orleans game. Tickets for the 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec.29th game are available in lots of places on the secondary market online, including the NFL's official ticket exchange, stubhub.com and other places. Be careful and try to buy online from a vendor who guarantees the tickets as valid).
On another note, this will be my last blog until shortly after Christmas -- I will be posting my Falcons-Panthers prediction on Friday, Dec.27th. Have a great holiday, everyone!
I so much appreciate you making this blog -- and The Charlotte Observer -- a part of your day.
Enjoy one more pic -- here's Steve Smith making his lone catch against New Orleans, a 44-yarder, before he hurt his knee. Pretty good concentration here, huh? The news was good Monday on Smith's knee, and although I'm sure he won't play against the Falcons I believe he will return at some point in the playoffs.
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20 comments:
it's all I have thought about, but even the one day bus trip is $179 I think. Not driving alone in my ancient car. So probably not going to be there but boy do I want to go! Just not sure I can justify the expense with work being slow this time of year:(
I will be there with a group of Panther Fans! We are in the lower bowl!
This is a GREAT idea and one my wife and I would certainly would partake in...except... close family will be visiting from out of town for the Holidays, so we have the obligation to be at home with them. DANG IT!! I hope many others go to ATL and take over the dome in support of our CATS and bring home the NFC South title, a first round bye, and a HOME GAME in the playoffs. GO PANTHERS!!
PSL OWNER Section 540
Please clear this up Scott. You state that the game is 1pm on Dec 28th, which is Saturday. But ESPN and StubHub have the game at 1pm on Sun, Dec 29th. Please clarify so all that can go will turn the GA Dome Panther's blue!
In!
A bunch of us are going to be there for sure! Do we know what color jersey the Panthers will be wearing Sunday?
I recall last season Matt Ryan using a few choice words directed toward the Panthers after a game there (the Dome).. telling them to get out of their stadium. Well Sunday we can make Matt Ryan's "home" the Atlanta branch of BoA if enough do this.
I will be there!
I'll be there rooting for the Panthers!!!
PSL owner section 340
If you're buying from scalpers, know that the Atlanta scalping scene is nothing like the one in Charlotte. It's not regulated or monitored by law enforcement the same way, and you're just as likely to be buying tickets that were stolen from the mail as real ones if you don't get them right near the stadium.
And don't buy tickets from your car. They take your money and run. It's a nightmare scene.
Excuses, Excuses !
I made plans to do his 3 months ago... The Bobcats play the Hawks that Saturday too, I plan on being at both.
We ordered our tickets to the Atlanta game back in August. Coming from the OBX area. Go Panthers!!
Hi guys, this is Scott -- hope you had a great Christmas! The game is on Sunday at 1 p.m. -- sorry about the earlier mis-typing. The Bobcats and Hawks do indeed play the night before in ATL. And the Panthers will wear white on Sunday as the visiting team (the Falcons, as home team, got to pick first and chose a dark color).
Hey Panther fans, I'm a Falcon's fan but are rooting for your guys to win this game. I want the Panthers to win the division, not the loud-mouthed Saints, and am hoping along with you to see it happen.
Best of luck!
Wouldn't be the first time we've had a good crowd in Atlanta though.... I was at the first game in Panthers history there and after the Panthers tied it and went to overtime... A "here we go Panthers" chant broke out in the dome.
We went in 05-06 the year we win and we were in the playoffs, by half time we had taken over the Dome. Great experience, good eats around the Dome. The only negative was it was New Year's Day and the Peach Bowl had been played the day before the Hurricane fans rioted after getting slaughtered by LSU. the area around the dome was trashed and smelled like stale beer.
Not sure if they still allow smoking, but if they do get there early as they only pass out a limited number of wristbands and you have to have one to smoke in the smoking area
We will have six of us there in Section 108 right by the panther tunnel. We are life time PSL owners and We love going to away games and seeing the players look up at you and smile seeing their fans there for them. In Miami this year there were about 1,000 panthers fans wearing jerseys it was amazing.
GO PANTHERS !
Oh yeah.... We will be there. That's what I asked to get for Christmas! We will be in the lower bowl in the end zone!! My 8 year old is hoping and praying for a TD ball from Cam!!!! Hoping there's lots of those! Go panthers!
Lisa Swygert here! My family was there! So proud of our boys! And so proud of our fans! We did it! We showed up and we were LOUD! And at the end of the game, we actually affected the outcome by causing miscommunication between Ryan and his center Joe Hawley. Hawley snapped the ball as Ryan was at the line, pointing at the Panthers' defense and calling the play. The fumbled snap resulted in a huge loss of yardage, a penalty and more time off the clock ! If you haven't already watched the end of the game on TV, you should. The announcers commented on how many Panther Fans came to the games and how loud we were. Saying it was like a home game for the Panther players. A quote from safety Mike Mitchell: “That’s why they messed the snap up. That was a huge advantage for us. Our crowd was awesome, coming down here to Atlanta from Charlotte. It was big-time. That won us the game. They had miscommunication with the snap.
That’s huge.”
Then, during the FOX after game commentary, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long and the gang had some great things to say about the Panther fans and our team's chances of going all the way to the Super Bowl! ~ Always proud to be a Panther Fan! Win or Lose!
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