Sports
The Charlotte area has a very broad professional sports base. There are a wide variety of sports in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. Being that Charlotte is an up and coming city, it is finally starting to solidify a fan base for sports teams in the area. These teams include the NFL team Carolina Panthers, “Triple A” baseball team Charlotte Knights, there is a huge fan base for NASCAR, and also a yearly trip to Charlotte for the PGA golf tour every year.
Being that there are so many new people coming to Charlotte, there are a wide variety of people who still have not been converted to local sport team fans yet. You will find a lot of other NFL team fans here, but the way the local teams are starting to play it will not be long before everyone jumps on the bandwagon and goes with the winning team. When it comes to sports bars and sports parties you will find that charlotte is very active in the sports community. Sunday and Monday nights are spent cheering on your favorite team.
The Carolina Panthers are still considered a relatively new team into the NFL, being established into the league in 1995. After a few rough first years, they pulled together a winning team. The team all started with head coach Don Capers being brought in from Pittsburg Steelers. The panthers become only the second team in the NFL to win their first game as an expansion team. After a few years, Don Capers was fired in 1998 after a “4-12” season, and was followed up by George Seifert. This followed the worst record in the NFL history was 1-15. Later John Fox took over the team. In just the few years here, he took the team to the Super Bowl and lost by a field goal to the reining Patriots.
This local Panthers team has brought a great fan base to the area. Another professional sport is Golf, and the PGA tour which comes to Charlotte, NC once every year. This event is known as the Wachovia Championship. It is located in south charlotte at Quail Hollow country club. This event brings in thousands of spectators each year to come out and watch their favorite pro, including all the big named guys.
I would have to say the biggest event that comes to Concord, North Carolina, which is minutes outside of charlotte, is the fall and summer NASCAR races. Fans travel in twice a year and to go to this event, but they come from all over the world. It builds a great amount of revenue for this city. There is miles worth of campgrounds and people usually come spend the long weekend at Memorial Day celebrating their favorite NASCAR drivers.