Are the Carolina Panthers in danger of becoming a Charlotte afterthought thanks to the increasing success of other sports teams in the city?
There hasn’t been a lot of winning associated with the Carolina Panthers lately. The 2015 Super Bowl run is rapidly becoming a distant memory and there has been little in the way of progress since billionaire David Tepper bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson almost four years ago.
The Panthers are in the midst of three-straight seasons where they’ve accumulated just five wins. Things did look promising for a brief moment in 2021 after a 3-0 start, but this was swiftly followed by the team losing 12 of their next 14 contests to pile even more pressure on Matt Rhule and the current regime.
If things don’t turn around – and quickly – next season, then a complete reset could be in Carolina’s immediate future. Not exactly what Tepper had envisaged when hiring Rhule and his lack of media availability throughout the offseason indicates an unwillingness to answer tough questions about the current thought process within the organization.
Things look bleak. To make matters worse, other professional sports teams in Charlotte are currently thriving and could see the Panthers become an afterthought within the city if things continue in this concerning trend.
Carolina Panthers now have stern competition for attention in Charlotte
Tepper’s shiny new toy – Charlotte FC – currently sits in fifth after a sensational start to their expansion season. Bank of America Stadium has been absolutely rocking from the moment they stepped onto the field, which is almost non-existent at Panthers games outside from the unbelievable atmosphere that enveloped the arena before Cam Newton’s first start back on home soil.
Not only this, but the Charlotte Hornets have a bonafide superstar in LaMelo Ball and are currently gearing up for their tilt at the NBA’s play-in tournament after attaining their first winning season in some time.
This doesn’t directly impact the Panthers, who have been around for almost three decades now and have core support that rides with the team through thick and thin. However, the atmosphere on gameday leaves a lot to be desired as the opposing team’s fans descend on Charlotte to such a degree that it almost feels like Carolina is playing on the road.
Tepper might not see this as much of a problem. Especially considering his wealth is only growing despite the financial challenges many others have suffered over the last two years.
But with the farcical situation at Rock Hill to also consider – which isn’t all Tepper’s fault – one can make a strong case that the Panthers could descend into further irrelevancy within a city they once dominated.
There is one major way this can be resolved.
Winning.
That’s the long and short of it, really.
Cheering losing football is hard. So it’s no wonder PSL owners are handing over their seats to visiting fans for large sums of cash rather than sit through poor performances.
The disillusionment among fans cannot be ignored. It’s a stark contrast to what’s transpiring with the new soccer team or within “The Hive”, which has indirectly laid the gauntlet down to Carolina in no uncertain terms.
Whether they can rise to the challenge or not is the big question. It’s been a solid offseason period in terms of recruitment so far, but there remain questions about the quarterback and left tackle positions that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
If the Panthers can find the right solutions to these ongoing complications, they might just have a chance.
But make no mistake, time is now of the essence with two rising organizations generating some substantial buzz in the Queen City.