Your Panthers fandom biography...

[Bronn]

Most of us come from different walks of life.

Obviously we have one thing in common... our love for the Carolina Panthers.

How long have you been a fan? What are your favorite memories? What kind of history do you have with being a fan?

In October 1993, I was in my later weeks of being 12 years old. I was about to enter my teenage years that December, and it was just announced that the Carolinas were going to get a professional football team.

I was relatively new to football. I grew up in a college basketball household, but had been watching the Dallas Cowboys the past few years when I could. This was probably due to their dominance in that era, and my own newness to the sport. Basically, it would be like the latch-on Seahawks or Pats fans of today. It was trendy at the time, and my formative years, like most kids, were spent trying to be cool and trendy. Plus I had a best friend who was a Cowboys fan, so it made it easy.

But then the Panthers came along. I have VHS (you kids today probably don't know what this is) recordings of our family's Xmas get together in 1994. There I am, in my early teen nerdy glory, rocking a grey Panthers logo sweatshirt. We didn't even have a team assembled yet, but I had the shirt. I started getting as much info as I could about the team. Mind you, this was pretty much pre-internet era. I didn't even have cable TV at the time, and the news I got about the Panthers came from newspapers, magazines, and the local major television (antenna) networks.

Before I knew it, the first season came along, and there I am for the Hall of Fame game, glued to the tv. I have the VCR remote in my hand so I can continuously pause the recording during the commercials. I did this every week. I probably did this every week for our first 10 seasons or so. I still have most of these tapes.

The 1996 season rolled around and before you knew it, we were in the postseason, with Kerry Collins and Mark Brunell donning the cover of Sports Illustrated. Thanks for the curse, SI.

1997 arrived and it was probably our first letdown of a season, being Panthers fans. I went to my first game, however. I was only 16, and I got on a bus in Durham for the trip to Charlotte, by myself. It was my professional sport experience. We faced Denver in the preseason. Kerry Collins got his jaw broke by Bill Romanowski, and it really just set the tone for the season.

1998 - I was watching the draft, chanting "Randy Moss" as the Panthers were on the clock. We picked Jason Peter. The disappointment didn't end there. 4-12 made for a long year. I did get to a few games that year, though. A buddy and I made the trip a couple times. I got to see Randy Moss play in person in Charlotte as a rookie, just not with the team I wanted to see him playing for.

1999 - I graduated high school. I was still recording games. I was still going to them with when I could. We got a fancy new DT that we gave up a lot for, and we ended up 8-8 and missing the playoffs again. The whole Rae Carruth thing happened. Patrick Jeffers balled out.

2000 - More of the same. Mediocrity. I continued to go to games when I could, and record them and watch them over and over when I couldn't. This is about the time that I was patrolling local flea markets and card shops for lesser known/newer Carolina Panthers trading cards. I remember sorting through stacks of unsorted cards looking for guys like Chris Terry and Frank Garcia.

2001 - The lowest of the low. After beginning the season on a high note (Steve Smith's opening kick return TD, first time he touched a football in the regular season,) we crapped away the year at 1-15. Biakabutuka had a costly fumble at the end of that very first game (our only win) that set the tone for the whole year. I still have nightmares about this season. The only real positive of that year was that I went to my first training camp. For some reason, I don't remember being as hot as it is now, and there were a little more fan friendly things set up (they even had a tent where guys were signing autographs (I got Damien Richardson and Todd Sauerbrun, lol))

2002 - The magic cauldron starts bubbling. We drafted Pep. We had a new head coach, and some good young talent was emerging. We had formed one of the best DLs in football. Peppers, Rucker, Jenkins, Buckner, Burton, Wallace. We start out 3-0, and then proceed to drop the next three by a total of 7 points combined. It was crushing to be so close. Then Atlanta opened a can on us, giving us a beat down. We never fully recovered, and then Atlanta delivered a 41-0 beat down later in the year. I was done.

2003 - The Cardiac Cats are born, and I was there to witness it. We barely made it to our seats in time for the opening kickoff due to traffic. I also recall it raining like hell at some point during the game or before it started. I also had to piss like a race horse and, thanks to the rain, the delay because of the rain, our lateness in entering the stadium, and a shy bladder, I thought my bladder was going to burst. We come out of halftime with a new QB (Jake Delhomme) and the rest is history. That entire season was magical. The emergence of Smitty. The Super Bowl. Epic.

After that, we had some mediocre years fueled by John Fox's stubbornness,  poor coordination, and Jake just doing dumb things. 2005 saw a return to the Playoffs and a deep run, but we fell short to the emerging Andy Reid coached Seahawks. Thus began Jake's downfall. 2008 ended in similar fashion. Jake's career as a Panthers legend was all but over. John Fox was shown the door a couple years too late.

Thus ushered in the new/modern era of the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton and Ron Rivera.

[Cyberjag]

Bought PSLs the day they went on sale.  Been a fan ever since.

[Jeremy Igo]

The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it.

[Cyberjag]

1 minute ago, Jeremy Igo said:

The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it.

Are you some sort of gonzo-photographer?

[Still Brooklyn]

I'm 41.

Grew up a fan of baseball (it's still my favorite sport).

Lived in Charlotte from 1993 to 2011.

Started getting into the Panthers during John Fox's first year. Saw my first game in person that season.

Got season tickets the next season and went to every game for the next seven seasons.

Moved to Brooklyn in 2011 but still watch the team every Sunday.

Used to buy/wear DB jerseys to games: Gamble, Harris, Lucas, McCree.

Smitty is my all-time favorite Panthers player.

[Your GFs favorite huddler]

I was 7 years old in 1998 and my mom was working as a nurse in CLT at the time. A doctor had the hots for her and gave her tickets to a game. She took me and my aunt and it was a wrap. I can't remember specifics from the game I just remember being in awe of the stadium, the crowd the noise. I feel in love with the game and the Panthers. Other little kids were watching the Disney channel/nickleoden I was watching ESPN praying for any snippet of the Panthers.

 

My first real memory that is super vivid is the Chargers game from 2000. I just remember being freezing cold. But my aunt sprung us tickets beside the Panthers tunnel and me and little brother ran over before the game and I saw Reggie White. I didn't realize the signfifance of him at the time, but he dapped us up and we were literally awestruck. I begged my mom for a #92 jersey. Which I still have to this day.

 

They drafted Pep he was my favorite college player. That was like a dream come true.

 

Fast forward 2007. I had spent 3 summers mowing lawns and doing odd jobs for various relatives or anyone else that would pay me. I have almost $1700 and went in with my mom on PSLs instead of buying a car.

 

I truly am a lifer and it's been cool looking back on growing as the team grew.

 

Sent using the amazing CarolinaHuddle mobile app

 

 

 

 

[dave-o]

Drove to Clemson.

[Cary Kollins]

NC born and raised...11 years old the Panthers first season. Panthers are all I know in regards to following NFL football.

favorite memories include

X-Clown. I was in college at ECU watching with my bud in our apartment. When Smith scored I jumped up with two fists in the air, punching the ceiling and scrapping my knuckles. I went outside to yell and celebrate and a few other people had the same idea. Awesome times.

 

Panthers v Cowboys NFC wildcard playoff game. This game was epic. Tailgated pretty hard, the game itself is a blur but I do remember Smith catching that over the shoulder TD pass and everyone just flipping out.

 

Panthers vs Patriots MNF. Most stressful game I've ever seen in person. I really wanted this win. Cam Newton had one of the best highlights of all-time, juking multiple Patriot defenders to scramble for a huge first down in the second half. The game itself was overshadowed by the pass interference-gate, but it was also the birth of "Ice-Up Son!". Good times.

 

Jacksonville opening game with the Roaring Riot in the cabanas. Epicness all weekend.

 

[therealmjl]

I became a fan in 2015 around the time that the Panthers were 14-0. It was a really easy decision because they were winning....a lot...and I like winning.

[uncfan888]

Didn't watch football until we got the Panthers. They've been the love of my life since. The end

[Esch30]

I was born and still live in the Philadelphia, PA area.  I followed the Phillies and Flyers (and still do) because my parents did as I was growing up.  For whatever reason (I'm sure many people here could list a few), my parents were not Eagles fans and did not follow football very closely.

I was 10 years old when the Panthers joined the NFL.  Not having a favorite NFL team up to that point, I decided the Hall of Fame game between the two brand new teams would be a good way of choosing a favorite team with a clean slate.  I'd be able to be a fan from the beginning.

Well, the Panthers won that game against the Jags, and I've been a fan ever since.  I get asked all the time in this area why I'm not an Eagles fan.  I don't know if I'd be an Eagles fan even if I didn't make this decision back in 1995... but it's the reason why I'm a fan, as corny as it may seem.

 

Yeah... I'm really glad the Panthers won that game.

[imminent rogaine]

20 minutes ago, Cyberjag said:

Are you some sort of gonzo-photographer?

Nah, that'd be me. I've dedicated my life to it, really. Here are a few that I'm particularly fond of.

 

[Toker Smurf]

I was a student at UNCC when Charlotte was awarded the franchise. I remember they were showing a local t-shirt factory on the news and the Supervisor had his hand on a lever. As soon as the announcement was made, he threw the switch and started printing t-shirts. My roommate and I went out at 6:00 AM looking for shirts (and found them). 

My favorite memory was sitting first row, directly up the goal line, in season 2 against the Bucs. Most fans had left because we were up 24-0 but we ended up making a goal line stand to preserve the shut out with just a few seconds remaining. That or the 'rain' game against the Saints to win the division a couple of years ago. Especially since I live in Virginia now and don't get to games real often.

[Toker Smurf]

8 minutes ago, Esch30 said:

I was born and still live in the Philadelphia, PA area.  I followed the Phillies and Flyers (and still do) because my parents did as I was growing up.  For whatever reason (I'm sure many people here could list a few), my parents were not Eagles fans and did not follow football very closely.

I was 10 years old when the Panthers joined the NFL.  Not having a favorite NFL team up to that point, I decided the Hall of Fame game between the two brand new teams would be a good way of choosing a favorite team with a clean slate.  I'd be able to be a fan from the beginning.

Well, the Panthers won that game against the Jags, and I've been a fan ever since.  I get asked all the time in this area why I'm not an Eagles fan.  I don't know if I'd be an Eagles fan even if I didn't make this decision back in 1995... but it's the reason why I'm a fan, as corny as it may seem.

 

Yeah... I'm really glad the Panthers won that game.

That's pretty kewl.