I may be a little late to the party, but I too am a fan of the Panthers (shocking, I know). So in lieu of some satirical Brenton Bersin news or roster analysis, I’m here to tell you my story.
Origin
So long ago, before I even truly knew the sport of football, my family would sit down and watch NFL on Sundays with our mixed fandoms of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and really anything involving the last name “Manning”. I never quite understood it, as a part time soccer player and full time nerd. I just couldn’t sit still and watch football, I’d rather be wrecking people in Super Smash Brothers or outside playing soccer or doing pretend kid stuff.
One day, I decided to give it a shot visiting my grandparents. My Grandpa had a Panthers game on, and I kind of liked their colors. I can’t tell you what game it was or what the score ended at, or even the year, but I told my grandfather “hey, I kind of like this team.”
To which he replied “oh yeah? Are you going to stay a fan?” I nodded. Then, he placed a Panthers hat on my head and said “Stay a fan for me.” And to this day, I have. I can’t say it’s been an experience full of pleasure, as I came along after their first Super Bowl run. But it created accountability, and to this day I will stay a fan in his memory.
Loyalty and Tradition
While many will chide Marty Hurney in hindsight, one of the major things that I always enjoyed about this franchise was their loyalty to their players. Between Thomas Davis getting several chances to prove he could come back and be better, to the chance for Jake Delhomme to come back from an injury no quarterback had ever come back from, to the simple but obvious nucleus of loyal players, this team is built on a tradition of loyalty. Loyalty to it’s motto, loyalty to it’s leaders, loyalty to the fans.
I got to be a part of the start of young traditions like the Keep Pounding drum, originally not the biggest of deals to now being one of the greatest honors a Carolina loyalist can have. I got to see the start of a VERY young tradition, as Cam Newton kickstarted a “giving back” mentality by awarding touchdown balls to the young kids, forever cementing their fandom. I also got to see a team that had nothing to truly play for rally back for streaks of wins to keep their head coach, and to show that this team isn’t one to sleep on. The Panthers weren’t always defined by elite players like Luke Kuechly and Cam Newton, but rather a group that truly loved each other and fought for one another. It is evident by the responses of many year veterans like Charles Tillman and Jared Allen, who showed appreciation and mild shock at how the locker room truly was. This team isn’t about continuing a culture of success or building on a famous team identity, it was about creating those things in their own way. A way where we all can be proud to be a part of it.
Acceptance
One thing I had to learn early on was quite simple yet difficult to accept: being a Panthers fan sucks. There’s no Super Bowl rings to fall back on, no truly defined run of excellence, just flashes in the pan followed by dark days, sometimes years. This team has experienced highs and lows that teams who have been around for twice as long haven’t experienced with such inconsistency. It’s part of being a newer franchise.
But one thing I accepted is the lifelong commitment to seeing this ride through. Sure, the Panthers have a few seasons and some great moments, but in reality the truly unforgettable moments are likely ahead of us. That first Super Bowl ring, the validation of a true NFL franchise, the acceptance of the fans as their own unique group. As fans, we are buying into the still foundational years of the franchise, a period of uncertainty that could last a lot longer than we’d like. But if you’ve been around as long as I have, you’re already bought in for what’s to come.
Defiance
It seems that the Panthers success always comes when we least expect it.
How can the Panthers win without Kelvin Benjamin? Is Cam Newton good enough?
Can Jake Delhomme ever truly return to form?
How will the team bounce back from the Greg Hardy incident?
Can they really make it to the Super Bowl?
Can they ever beat the best in the NFC?
Is Ron Rivera on the hot seat?
Can he lead them to success?
You’ve probably heard or even thought those things, and you wouldn’t be wrong for that. The team always seems to come forth and deliver their best shot when the cards are all but dealt out of their favor. The 2003 Super Bowl run, where a relative unknown in Jake Delhomme came out of nowhere to lead the team. The 2005 season, where they battled injuries and adversity to fight their way into the NFC Championship. In 2008, where Jake Delhomme needed to come back with a bang from Tommy John surgery. In 2013, where a team with 4 straight years of failure went on a historic run to the playoffs. And finally in 2015, where a team that supposedly was done before the season even started went 15-1 and crashed the Super Bowl party.
The Panthers have made their fame defying the odds. They can come out and give the best teams a true blood bath out of nowhere. They push back when everybody puts a fork in them. They fight back, they scratch and claw their way back, even if there’s no material good to come from it. I can’t hate a team that doesn’t quit.
Keep Pounding
I’m a Panthers fan because the motto they live by, fight by, die by, is so widely applicable in life. It’s not just a football slogan, it’s something you can actually get behind. The fact is, life is gonna punch you in the teeth, and kick you while you’re down. We aren’t often handed success, and even when the golden opportunity arises you often fought hard to get there. It’s why I love this team, and this motto. This team has never seemed to fit the mold of a dominant force in the league, or truly run the table even during their best seasons. More often than not we can expect a bloody ugly and close game from the Panthers, yet they keep pounding and make that one play that proves the difference between winning and losing. The organization has rarely been defined as the “best of the best”, but rather a team you can’t keep down forever.
As a fan, I have laughed, cried, and cherished the big moments right alongside this team. I truly feel a sense of ownership as they continue building their young traditions. What I have learned is that even during the worst of times, all you can do is Keep Pounding to a better future, and that laying down and accepting your fate helps no one. Sure, this team hasn’t always been great, but we’ve seen efforts that formed the foundation for success in the future, and that’s how we all should attack life. You must take your lumps and bleed for what you truly desire, for what you fight for every day. But if you Keep Pounding, you will have no regrets. If you lay it all on the line, it will help you in some way in the future. Whether it’s a learning experience, a number one draft pick next season, or quite simply a beating you needed to receive, you can either let that set back keep you down, or use that for a new beginning.
I am a fan of the Panthers, because they Keep Pounding even when no one else will. And they taught me to do the same.