CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ah, yes, nothing like a crisp, Autumn day in the Carolinas for an NFC South showdown between the Panthers and Saints. It's quite the scene — a crowd of tailgaters colorfully coated in teal, black and the occasional road-team gold.
And red, purple, navy and yellow.
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It's the product of a transplant city in a basketball region that's had an NFL franchise for just 20 years. You'll see tons of Panthers jerseys — everywhere you look — just like any other home crowd in the league. But you'll also see random, misplaced jerseys … many of them.
Rene Martinez is a perfect example. He grew up in California but moved to the Charlotte area in 2001. His location changed, but his passion for the Chargers remains undeterred.
Rene Martinez (Tadd Haislop/SN)
"I like the Panthers, yeah, but it's Chargers all day," Martinez told Sporting News. He attends Carolina games on a regular basis and even admits he pulls for the Panthers. But his powder blue Darren Sproles jersey attends all those games, too.
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It's not just transplants who rock random colors in Charlotte. Bryan Kirk, a "diehard, always, Redskins" fan, is from Sanford, N.C., but his loyalty to the Skins has nothing to do with geography — just history.
"They were here before the Panthers," said Kirk, who attended Thursday's game with some black-and-teal-covered friends. He'll pull for Carolina while repping his burgundy and gold.
Bryan Kirk (Tadd Haislop/SN)
The Redskins and Falcons, regionally convenient franchises, were typically Charlotteans' choice for NFL fandom before the Panthers came to town in 1995. Many remain loyal to those squads despite the presence of a hometown team. That may not change until Carolina wins a title or at least can sustain success for longer than a few seasons at a time.
Sometimes there's no geographical or historical connection. Wayne Vaughc, a Wilmington, N.C., native who now lives in Charlotte, goes to every single Panthers game. He wears black and gold each time.
Wayne Vaughc (Photo: Tadd Haislop)
"It's a diverse stadium," said Vaughc, who considers himself a Panthers fan.
The Steelers are one of the more popular teams in the NFL. As is the case with the Cowboys, Broncos and 49ers, historically relevant teams, it's not uncommon to see their representation at random games. But it's at every game in Charlotte.
The Patriots aren't the most nationally loved NFL franchise, but they're represented in Charlotte, too.
Robbie Garner is a San Diego native, a Fayetteville, N.C., resident, a regular Bank of America Stadium visitor and a lifelong Patriots supporter, even at games that have nothing to do with the Pats.
Robbie Garner and Robert Rathgeb, a Giants fan disguised as a Panthers fan (Tadd Haislop/SN)
When asked whether he pulls for Carolina against any team but New England, Garner replied, "NO, I could care less, not one bit."
And then there's Bobby Bennett, who wore his Steve Smith Ravens jersey Thursday to a tailgate with his black-and-teal-dressed friends. Not quite as random, right? Maybe he still loves the receiver after the Panthers let him go in the offseason.
Nope.
Bobby Bennett (Tadd Haislop/SN)
"I'm born and raised a Ravens fan," claimed Bennett, a Panthers season-ticket holder who wears one of his several Baltimore jerseys to every game.
"I bought him a Cam Newton jersey last year," Bennett's wife, Jesse, said. " But we've established that it's bad luck."
The Panthers are simply too young to have developed a passionate fan base. Loyalty takes time to develop, especially for the irrational, ardent, sometimes savage individual that is a sports fan.
Green Bay, Wis., is home to the Packers, a franchise that's been around almost 100 years. It's also home to some of the NFL's most passionate fans. You won't see as many misplaced jerseys there, if any.
Jonathan Jones covers the Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He traveled to the Panthers' game against the Packers earlier this season and told Sporting News the crowd in Green Bay wasn't as . . . diverse.
"It was really crazy to see all of the Green Bay fans and how there were only two out-of-place jerseys I saw in the hours leading up to the game," he said. "Of course it's easy to say, 'Whoa, what else do they have?', but the fact that there wasn't a single Falcons, Vikings, etc. fan was impressive.
"The Panthers also have never put together back-to-back (winning) seasons so there's no reason for people here other than diehard fans to remain loyal," Jones added.
It'll take time, and maybe a Super Bowl or two, but Charlotte can become a strictly black and teal city. But 20 years won't suffice. It'll happen when kids born in the Panthers era replace their elders with pre-Panther loyalties at those tailgates and in the crowd.
More diehards will come as time passes. But for now, there's no telling how many of the 73,298 in Bank of America are actually fans of the teams on the field.