I've been with CSR for almost three years now, and during that time I have never been to a Panthers game in Charlotte. The only time I've ever seen the Panthers play live was against the Giants in 2008, where both teams were vying for a first round bye in the playoffs. I wore my DeAngelo Williams jersey proudly as Giants fans pelted me with snowballs and insults. Williams ran for four touchdowns in this game, but in the end the Panthers fell in overtime to the Giants. While a win would have been nice, I'm not sure if I would have made it out of the stadium without getting into a fight with some 30-40 year old Giants fans who decided it was acceptable to tug at the jersey of a 17 year old after the loss.
I've seen games for other teams at other stadiums as well, because who passes up free tickets to see the Eagles play when you live near Philadelphia? One thing I've come to appreciate is home team fans who don't feel the need to heckle or pick fights with the opposing teams fans, and vice versa goes for the away fans. Sure, a little playful jarring and trash talk is all in good fun, but we're all there for the same reason; to watch our favorite team play.
Protect our House
This is a phrase echoed by the Under Armour advertisement, and should be familiar to fans who have been to home games as of late. The stadium got very loud at times on Sunday when the Browns had the ball, and the Panthers clearly got very pumped up. I got to hit the Keep Pounding drum that sits at the South Gate. I finally knew what it felt like to chant "LUUUUUKE" after a tackle, and see Cam Newton run in a touchdown and do his Superman song and dance. It really is something, being there for the first time with fans of a team you've loved for so many years. High fives all around, friendly chatter, and good manners seemed to be abundant with my section of Panthers fans. I sat in row 2, section 143. Brad Nortman seemed to get a kick out of one fan in front of me who praised his punting form as he practiced in front of us (sorry BW).
My biggest observation seemed to be that for the most part Panthers fans and Browns fans generally got along. I heard a few boos and playful jabs at the Manziel jersey wearers, but usually I could spot many Panthers fans wishing good luck to Browns fans and having civil interaction. It was a breathe of fresh air for someone who has experienced what Philadelphia fans and Giants fans can be like to away teams' supporters. Sure, there will always be exceptions to every rule, but from the sample size I witnessed, the general mentality is "there are other teams out there who will have their own fans." I think there's a lesson to be learned here. Cheering another team's injured quarterback is low, but I can definitely say that fans on my side of the field probably didn't know Manziel was actually injured. But it certainly sounded like some people cheered for his injury. While football is a competitive sport that gives way to lots of aggression and arguments at times, I think we all can appreciate being able to go enjoy an away football game and not deal with people trying to boo us out of the building, cheer for injured players, or pick fist fights. Let's try to stay classy Panthers fans!
Sense of Urgency/Playoffs
It was a hard fought win for this team, and the Panthers won ugly. It seems to be the trademark of the Cam/Ron era to win the ugly ones (unless it's Seattle). A win is a win, and the players seemed to finally understand the importance of bouncing back. The defense shut down Manziel for the majority of the game while the offense drove the ball well but failed to score touchdowns. After the Manziel injury the Browns rallied to try and come back. The Panthers responded well to the long touchdown by Jordan Cameron, coming right back and scoring a touchdown. The Panthers responded to the Norman fumble off an interception, by stonewalling the Browns at midfield with a tackle for a loss of 4 yards and a sack for a loss of 7. Sure, we all want to see the flashy high scoring wins, but making the plays when you need them is a mark of a game winning team. It was good to see them rally rather than be deflated and lose focus.
It appeared to me that the Panthers have finally found the fire we needed to see earlier this year. The team was criticized at length for not responding well to adversity. This team appears to have found it's niche again; rush the passer and keep the ball. The offense put together some very long and effective drives only to come up short or with a field goal. Those need to be touchdowns next week, especially if the Panthers have any hope of making the playoffs. Regardless of everything that happened earlier this season, all of the injuries, blowouts, and missed opportunities, this team has the chance to take control of its own destiny. While all of the criticisms from this season are sound, the fact remains that if the Panthers win this Sunday, they are in the playoffs where it's 0-0 for every other team. Any sins from the regular season can no longer haunt us once we're in. There needs to be a playoff atmosphere in the locker room this week. Sure, the Panthers aren't a perfect team, in fact quite the opposite. We lack solid and consistent options at receiver. Our offensive line needs improvement. Our defensive line is missing a pro bowler. We have two mid round rookies and an over the hill former rival in the secondary. But the Panthers have found a way to put themselves into contention, and it's time to rally. No more excuses, no more what ifs. The Panthers control their own destiny now.
Can we win the Super Bowl? Probably not. Can we beat the Falcons? It's possible. While the Panthers may not have the look and make of a playoff contender, how great would it be to go ruin some dreams of the other playoff teams? I'd certainly like to see some other teams' seasons go down the toilet, how about you?