Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton, Empty Seats, Social Media, and Branding

[Doc Holiday]

22 hours ago, PanthersATL said:

I was a fan of the team before Cam came on board. I'll be a fan of the team after Cam moves on to his next adventure. Cam did not change my fan allegiance - he  made the games he was in more exciting.

There are a fair number of Panthers fans who became fans specifically due to Cam. The question is what will happen to those folks when Cam is gone - have we done enough to win them over to be permanent fans, or are they going to go off and chase the next shiny object?

I agree 100%, though I have never understood the cult of personality where people follow individuals more than the team, I always went out of my way back in the Day to watch Peyton Manning, or Brett Favre (when it didnt interfere with watching the Panthers). but I was never what I would call a fan of them or their team, I just knew if they were involved chances are I was going to see a good game. 

I'm a Fan of the Panthers and the Game of football, a players career no matter how great could end with a bad injury at anytime. I totally do not understand the attitude of wanting to follow a single player who's career could end at any moment.

 

[therealmjl]

@SBiii and @Snake have ruined this site

[1of10Charnatives]

5 minutes ago, mjligon said:

Facts.

No more showboating or as the old folks call it “hotdogging”

Our fanbase gets to sit down and enjoy their wine and cheese plate in peace now

This has always been a cultural trade off born of financing the stadium with PSL’s. The cost of PSL’s as a barrier to season ticket holding, especially in the more visible lower bowl portion of the stadium, means that it is largely a more affluent, older crowd there, who unfortunately are often attending games more to see and be seen than because they are hard core football fans. I’m generalizing here, but we’re not talking about this particular fan or that particular fan,  but overall behavior as a group.

I wish that our fans were less wine and cheese than they tend to be, and Cam’s energy has definitely help shake things up, but I have thought about this over a long period of time and decided that if a more wine and cheese crowd at game day is the cost of having the stadium privately financed instead of using taxpayer dollars our schools desperately need to build stadiums for the multi billion dollars in profit NFL, it’s a trade off I can live with.

As always, ymmv

[CRA]

2 hours ago, KaseKlosed said:

This what majority of fanbase wanted. The good ole days. Before Cam the music the crowd and the cheers were lack luster. We are turning back into the bland Carolina Panthers again. At least majority of the fan base can sleep safe at night knowing Cams scarfs won't hurt them.  We have no vibe or flare. Just ppl playing football "the right way"  lol 

Sports at large isn’t that complicated.   You win games?  Fanbases have proven they will embrace virtually anyone.  You lose? Fan bases will turn on virtually anyone. 

That is the majority in sports.  

[JARROD]

7 hours ago, SBiii said:

All this "brand" talk is laughable.

Nobody outside of CLT gives a flip about Cam's mythical "brand". 

Kyle Bailey married a girl from the New England area and came back from a visit there earlier this year spouting all this nonsense about folks in that area having mad respect for Cam and the Panthers, blah blah blah... 

Asked a buddy up there about it next I spoke with him, he literally laughed out loud....said Cam (nor Panthers) isn't even on the radar screen for anyone up there, could literally care less.

Maybe the Panthers should hang a "Cam's Brand is #1" banner in the stadium?

From 2009-2016 with Rodgers at the helm the Packers had 8-straight winning seasons and played in 16 playoff games, winning 9 (not to mention 3 of the 8 losses were in OT). 

Oh, won a Super Bowl along the way too.

OK let's get that "brand" banner hung asap!

 

 

 

 

Laughing back at you man—— just got back from St Louis, had conference with people from all over— I said Orlando but Charlotte is where I was born— the Cam Newtons came out. 
 

I live in Orlando. I hear quite a bit about Cam Newton from people I meet. 
 

he’s popular as a person.
 

your buddy is an idiot.

ha

[jfra78]

2 minutes ago, JARROD said:

Laughing back at you man—— just got back from St Louis, had conference with people from all over— I said Orlando but Charlotte is where I was born— the Cam Newtons came out. 
 

I live in Orlando. I hear quite a bit about Cam Newton from people I meet. 
 

he’s popular as a person.
 

your buddy is an idiot.

ha

This is fact.  Outside of The Carolinas people bring up Cam first when talking about the franchise.   Oh and it's not at all coincidence that his friend doesn't know what he is talking about

[KaseKlosed]

20 minutes ago, CRA said:

Sports at large isn’t that complicated.   You win games?  Fanbases have proven they will embrace virtually anyone.  You lose? Fan bases will turn on virtually anyone. 

That is the majority in sports.  

We are 5-3.  Your arguement makes no sense

[CRA]

14 minutes ago, KaseKlosed said:

We are 5-3.  Your arguement makes no sense

Last 7 starts 

Kyle Allen - 6-1

Cam Newton 0-7

Your argument is largely fiction.  Fanbases, in terms of majority, don't give a poo about Cam's showboating and doesn't favor bland boring traditional QB play....fanbases favor winning and will back virtually anyone that gets them the Ws.  

Fanbases will find a way to rationalize The Golden Calf of Bristol, Vick, etc when they win.  They will find a way to villainize HOFers when the Ls come.  I mean fanbases are pretty well documented.  This isn't about being anti dab or favoring an unexciting QB. 

When you win you are embraced.  When you lose fanbases turn.  Proven decade after decade.  Simple as that. 

[Mr. Scot]

6 hours ago, GRWatcher said:

Let me tell you a story about a big name QB and his effect on a fan base. Our younger fans need to hear this. He was the first college player ever drafted by the Panthers. He came with very high expectations leading us to the NFC Championship game in only our 2nd year, an unexpected, never-before event. His play declined in 1997 and in 1998 he left the team. The fan base was in shock. Sh!t happens.

My path to the stadium is straight south down I-77. Kerry Collins is a native Pennsylvanian and attended Penn State. The amount of Pennsylvania license plates on that highway was unbelievable for home games. I don’t remember that any of those cars had only 2 people in them. There were also a couple of buses. I’m sure it went on all morning too. The next game after he quit, they were gone. Attendance suffered for a game or two. But the Panthers didn’t quit and Panther fans appreciated Steve Beurerlein more than we may ever be able to show him. 

Were they fair weather fans? No. They were Kerry Collins fans. There will always be fans of certain athletes especially QB’s. They may be gone once the athlete is gone, they may not. Whining that your current favorite player is no longer a Panther or that the Panthers are going to forever suck changes nothing. The Panthers didn’t quit in 1998 or 2001 or 2010 and they haven’t quit now. Do you think the child that got a TD football from McCaffrey last game is going to refuse it because it’s not from Cam? 
 

Solid take.

[JARROD]

1 hour ago, Doc Holiday said:

I agree 100%, though I have never understood the cult of personality where people follow individuals more than the team, I always went out of my way back in the Day to watch Peyton Manning, or Brett Favre (when it didnt interfere with watching the Panthers). but I was never what I would call a fan of them or their team, I just knew if they were involved chances are I was going to see a good game. 

I'm a Fan of the Panthers and the Game of football, a players career no matter how great could end with a bad injury at anytime. I totally do not understand the attitude of wanting to follow a single player who's career could end at any moment.

 

I was a Dan Marino fan, Barry Sanders and a Brett Favre fan—- I hated Green Bay, Detroit and the Dolphins.

those guys are exciting and they are polarizing— 
 

Cam Newton is a player that is exciting. He’s also one of the most misunderstood. He’s got a big heart with the kids, puts the team on his back and brings it like Brett Favre when he’s out there for better or worst. Passion.

Tom Brady has a lot of passion too. I’ve hated him most of his career but the last 3-4 seasons actually like him a lot. 

passion and courage.  Most players don’t have it.

 

 

[Mr. Scot]

1 hour ago, Doc Holiday said:

I agree 100%, though I have never understood the cult of personality where people follow individuals more than the team, I always went out of my way back in the Day to watch Peyton Manning, or Brett Favre (when it didnt interfere with watching the Panthers). but I was never what I would call a fan of them or their team, I just knew if they were involved chances are I was going to see a good game. 

I'm a Fan of the Panthers and the Game of football, a players career no matter how great could end with a bad injury at anytime. I totally do not understand the attitude of wanting to follow a single player who's career could end at any moment.

Also good.

[dave-o]

9 hours ago, ThatsJustAJ said:

Go fug yourself

Find a safe space little boy and use your big words....

[Mr. Scot]

1 hour ago, raz said:

we don't have any good ol days.  y'all are ridiculous.   we have a few playoff runs to look back on with fondness and lots of mediocrity.   that's it.  that's with collins, beurlein, jake and cam.     who cares if we have social media drip, or flare while being mediocre.  it doesn't change anything.    

Very correct.

The Panthers don't have any "good ole days" to return to. They've been a mediocre franchise pretty much since the beginning.

Occasional flashes of good yeah, but take a look at the timing: 1996, 2003, 2015... Yikes! How excited is anybody going to get for a team that's really only special every 8 to 12 years?

The idea that people want bland athletes is pretty silly too. Two words: Steve Smith. Remember the year that Smith was pulling all of his elaborate celebrations? People ate that up.

SmokingwithWilly was right. What people really want is a consistent winner, and in 25 years the Panthers still have yet to build that.

When they do, then we can talk.

[Mr. Scot]

59 minutes ago, CRA said:

Sports at large isn’t that complicated.   You win games?  Fanbases have proven they will embrace virtually anyone.  You lose? Fan bases will turn on virtually anyone. 

That is the majority in sports.  

Reminded of something in another thread...

It's a popular thing in the league right now to drift a young quarterback and try to build a winning roster around him while he's still making peanuts on a rookie deal.

You'll probably still have something of a quarterback "brand" in that scenario, but the most important thing for the team in that case is winning.