Just wanna see if I’ve read the room on the sub right, at least to me it seems like to me we all agree mostly I’m sure there’s outliers but Tampas the “snooty beach” team and we’re the true Florida vibe team eh?
Also reject modernity, embrace leaping cat don’t even come at me 🤣
by OpeningMortgage4553
3 Comments
That post really caught me off guard. I’ve been following the Panthers since they began, and I was a kid. And I never thought that a team needed to have some sort of theme other than being a freaking hockey team. I have honestly never even thought about other teams and what kind of vibe they are giving off.
The team’s always needed do something more in terms of marketing. However, in terms of team “identities,” the reason why fans keep coming back and often have great memories, it is the on ice product. It is the team, past accomplishments, etc.
However, The Flyers are not the Gritty team. Gritty is an extension of what we remember the Flyers. The Penguins are their Superstars and drama.
For the Panthers, its Mellanby and the rat. Peter Worrell’s fights. Pavel Bure and his points. It is trying to scam the league out of drafting Ovi a year early with a straight face and just being a clown show. Its LOU!
Its the Butcher celebrating a win by yelling in a rookie goalie’s face.
Its giving Bob $10 million dollars a year for past success and then complaining about it.
Its Barky, Chucky, Rhino, Ecky and the others grinding down opponents or just turning games into complete track meets to get into the playoffs.
Our identity is Goldie and Randy being unapologetic homers on the broadcast and being just like us fans.
If this team can maintain being consistently good, and memorable; a true identity will emerge. It’ll be something for the marketing team to lean into to promote the on ice product.
Its not about being a beach team, or even a Miami or FtL team. If they’re a good, wild team where fans want to find out what happens on the ice, then we’re golden.
That said, I’d find the funniest shit to be a preseason game to be on blades on Fort Lauderdale beach against Tampa. Even if it was just something not too serious and strictly for charity.
I’m going to be honest, I think about teams other than the Panthers like 0 times a day. Couldn’t give a shit about what they’re doing, unless it is like y’know like hockey drama or trades, I’ll watch a highlight clip etc. but really I couldn’t give a fuck about Tampa, or Toronto, or the Canes, or the Bruins.
Like when the hockey subreddit did that ‘countdown to opening night’ and played Nick Cousins’ gwg that fucked the Leafs. So many made Maple Leafs fans complaining about us, saying we suck and they are glad we have injured players. You know how many times I thought about Toronto after we fleeced them? 0 times.
So let Tampa fans act snooty because when the Cats get done playing them, I couldn’t care less about them.