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[UpstatePanther]

Well last night sucked didnt it guys and gals? I was at the game and like everyone else, i was extremely disappointed with the way this team played. though, for the first time this season, i can honestly say i saw it coming. The reality is, the Panthers are 1.5 games back in the division. Yes, they are still technically very much in contention for the division title. But i am just as cynical about our chances of actually pulling off that miracle as everyone else is. I think this season is all but lost at this point. That being said, i cant and wont give up on the Panthers. I want to share my panthers-story with you all just to give you all some encouragement this week as our hopes have been dashed. This is why i am a fan of the Panthers and why i never will turn my back on them (taking from a conversation with a friend this morning about why i love the Panthers):

 

 

"The main reason is the sense of community i feel with my homeland. i was born in the Carolinas to a Carolinian family and who raised me the Carolina way. The Panthers represent that when they host the representatives of other states/cities, and when they travel to the home stadiums of those others. So, the Panthers, to me, are a projection of everything I stand for, much like my congressmen in the US Congress. And, when the Panthers play poorly and lose, i feel it like if some disaster just happened here in the Carolinas. Now, that is tempered by the fact that i know its just a game. but it still stings when my representatives dont put a respectable product on the field. It reflects badly on the Carolinian people, and thus... me.

 

Another reason i love the Panthers is because my Dad does. He introduced me to the team when they had their lone superbowl run. I wasnt close with my Dad then, so it was a means of bonding between him and I. the Panthers literally helped me and my Dad find some sort of common ground that would serve as a spring board for our relationship since then. At times, the Panthers have been the only thing keeping me and my Dad from not talking to each other because of the family problems we were having. For that, I am forever grateful to the Panthers. And actually, they are serving the same purpose currently between me and my grampa (to a lesser extent, but its the same idea). haha. my grampa was my best buddy growing up so thats why he and i dont have as much ground to make up.

 

The final reason is very simple. After those first two reasons cemented my love for the team, i began to love the team for who THEY are. I began to love them regardless of outside circumstances. I began to love them because i love them, so to speak. haha. thats the state of affairs now. Yes, i love them as my sports representatives to the rest of the US. and yes, i love them for what they've done for my family. but now, I also love them inherently. Much like i would a long-time friend. The team is like a friend to me. I cant abandon them just because they are having a rough time. I might need to distance myself at times. But with each waning season, just like the seasons of a friend's life, i have hope that the Panthers will turn themselves around and do better. mushy i know, but its how i feel...

 

i hope my story has encouraged someone this morning, even if the current season is all but lost. 

 

Keep Pounding Panthers fans! love you guys!