NFL Football Night

Just by coincidence, the Charlotte Panthers NFL football team were playing the Denver Broncos on Saturday night when I arrived in town. I wandered over to the stadium, which is officially called "Ericsson Stadium." It's littered with sponsorship reminders, including large signs visible from all over Uptown, over each entrance where patrons pass through, interior signs over the paying customers, and interior display cases that show Ericsson products.

This city is very serious about its sports--how else could they support two major league teams and a semi-pro baseball team? One Uptown building even has a 10-story mural depicting "the hornet" mascot of the city's basketball team. The Panther logo is featured everywhere in town, on all types of promotional signs and merchandise.

The stadium itself is very nice and every seat has an excellent view. Huge panther sculptures greet football fans and there are face-painters available for those who want the proper look.

The Panthers did well during the early part of the game, but fizzed out later and lost against the Broncos, 26-13. Oops!