‘Keep Pounding’ chant must return to Carolina Panthers game day

The Carolina Panthers need to make a quick U-turn and return the iconic Keep Pounding chant to their game day schedule.

The ‘Keep Pounding‘ mantra is way more than just a team catchphrase to most people associated with the Carolina Panthers. It’s a hallmark of the team’s ethos and stems back right from their inception to the present day.

At least that’s what we thought.

The Panthers took the field in Week 1 at Bank of America Stadium against the New York Jets to a packed crowd full of nervous excitement and trepidation regarding the organization’s chances to progress in 2021.

Although they managed to get a 19-14 win in a tale of two halves, there was one glaring omission that left most fans perplexed.

The iconic Keep Pounding chant was seemingly missing and taken off the pre-game schedule. Just why this was is anybody’s guess considering its importance.

This has led to some public outcry on social media for it to return at the earliest possible opportunity, starting in Week 2 versus the New Orleans Saints.

Keep Pounding is a long-standing Carolina Panthers tradition.

One could say the Panthers don’t have many traditions.

But this is undoubtedly one of them.

The late, great Sam Mills started it and his statue outside the stadium is a reminder to keep plowing forward no matter what obstacles are in your way.

It might not seem like much to those in power or whoever came up with this ridiculous decision, but what it means to the team’s loyal fanbase cannot be understated.

Some might even call it a way of life.

Judging by the negative response to it not being part of the festivities on Sunday, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Panthers implement it once again. This is just bad PR they could do without.

But the damage has been done, to a certain extent.

Keep Pounding is a phrase that will be forever associated with the Panthers. Something that the team has been proud of throughout its 26-year history.

Perhaps it was a simple oversight. But things like this don’t get missed by the paying public and those watching games on television.

Simply put, this long-standing tradition needs to make a return, and quickly.

Carolina needs all the help it can get from its fans this season. Alienating them is not an option.

This doesn’t just irk the traditionalists who’ve been supporting the team since their inception. But the Keep Pounding ethos is passed down through generations as a shining example of what can be achieved by fighting through adversity.

What Mills would make of all this is anybody’s guess. But thankfully, it is a situation the Panthers can put right should they see fit.

Team owner David Tepper has been keen to build bridges with former stars who’ve recently tired or left the organization this offseason. So this should be a top priority in the pursuit of keeping the fans onside at a crucial stage of the team’s rebuild.

Keep Pounding is everything to Carolina. And it needs to stay that way.