Carolina Panthers Rank #78
By John White
ESPN the Magazine has completed their annual Fan Satisfaction Rankings. The Carolina Panthers ranked 78th overall. Ouch!
Here’s how the rankings were broken down along with our ranking in each category:
BNG (Bang for the Buck) 42nd: Wins over the past three years per revenues directly from fans.
FRL (Fan Relations) 93rd: Ease of access to players, coaches & management.
OWN (Ownership) 53rd: Honesty; loyalty to players and city.
AFF (Affordability) 80th: Price of tickets, parking and concessions.
STD (Stadium Experience) 86th: Friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions.
PLA (Players) 102nd: Effort on the field; likability off it.
CCH (Coach/Manager) 83rd: Strong on-field leadership.
TTR (Title Track) 68th: Titles already won or expected — soon.
We should also point out that we were quoted in the associated article about the Panthers. Here’s what they had to say:
"Last Year’s Rank: 37Title Track: 68Ownership: 53Coaching: 83Players: 102Fan Relations: 93Affordability: 80Stadium Experience: 86Bang for the Buck: 42When Jake Delhomme’s season ended in Tommy John surgery, Cats fans suddenly found themselves a captive audience at a game of QB musical chairs. The contestants: a 44-year-old (Vinny Testaverde), a legendary No. 1 bust (David Carr) and an undrafted free agent rook (Matt Moore). No one was left standing, as the offense floundered (14.8 ppg sans Delhomme). Meanwhile, the usually inspired play on the defensive side wasn’t. Still wondering where that 40-plus plummet in the overall rankings comes from? The discontent in the stands barely registered, but not for lack of trying. “The crowd noise at Bank of America Stadium—or, as I refer to it, The Cemetery—isn’t exactly deafening,” says John White of fansite Cat Crave. “It seems visiting fans routinely outnumbered Panthers supporters.” On the plus side, BOA Stadium’s cathode-ray screens made the replays mercifully hard to see.- Morty Ain"