Wow. Fifteen and one, home field advantage headed into the playoffs. The Carolina Panthers’ dream season could continue into February with a trip to San Francisco, or worst case scenario, wrap up right here at home next weekend. We prefer the former, but even if it all ended unceremoniously here in Charlotte, there are some undeniable upshots to the Panthers’ regular season success.
Black and Blue. These two colors haven’t been so “in” since Mike Tyson was still fighting. If you’re under 35, go on ahead and Google that. We’ll wait. The Panthers colors are all over town. Literally. The Panthers’ team shop has been twice as busy, and the NFL says Carolina team gear is one of the hottest in the marketplace. Everyone loves a winner, right? And it’s kind of cool to enjoy the recent phenomenon of wearing your team colors out of town and hearing, “Go Panthers!” from a complete stranger.
Luuuuuuke! We all drew a collective gasp when Luke Kuechly went down and out with a concussion in game one. Many of us thought the worst as the Panthers struggled – but won – in the early season without big number 59 in at linebacker. Kuechly has gone on to put up Player of the Year-worthy numbers since returning to the line-up … even with three fewer games to rack ‘em up. Exhale.
Dancing with the Stars: All season, it seemed conservative and carefully worded headlines avoided the word “perfect” at nearly all costs. Say what you will, but it seemed Cam Newton’s dance steps were the most any folks had to complain about during the run up to that eventual loss to Atlanta. If that’s all we’ve got to whine about, then the coaching staff is probably sitting pretty.
About those donuts. Krispy Kreme likely wasn’t expecting a 14-0 run from the Cardiac Cats, but they got plenty of mileage – and what seemed like a mile-long line outside the Cotswold donut shop on the day (and night) after each win. Sure, your time is worth more than the $3 off a dozen, but the nearly weekly get-togethers were more about the events themselves than any post-win sugar high.
Sorry, basketball. It’s still football season here in Charlotte, and we like it! Quick – what’s your team’s record right now?! The Hornets are probably happy their 500-ish season isn’t getting a ton of attention at this point. And even the most hardcore college hoops fans in town is probably still splitting time with the NFL playoffs coverage. With so many transplants now calling Charlotte home, defining the “home” can be a little tricky sometimes. Not this year! Even the die-hards hanging on to their “old” teams are sure to be hard pressed not to claim the Cats among their teams.
Even if it all ended tomorrow, it’s been quite the season for civic and team pride here in the 704. But patience, luck and an NFL-sized salary cap are no guarantees for success. See Tennessee and Cleveland. Win or lose, teams – like any business – have an impact on the communities they represent. Has all the buzz about the black and blue benefitted your business in some way? More importantly, how has your business impacted others and the community that supports it? May this young new year be the start of something successful for you and yours, and the finish of something spectacular from the Panthers, too!